A slow-graceful, pale pearl gourami catches eye because of its pearlescent sheen in the light. It’s a beautiful yet quiet fish that attracts most newcomers to the hobby. It appear to be an easy fish to keep, a peaceful one!
It is a bit more complex than that. Understanding the needs of the pearl gourami, especially when it come to company and space, are essential to getting them right. Get the basics wrong and you’ll end up with a stunted, shy fish hiding amongst your plastic plant.
Get it right and you’ve got a long-lived companion that can bring a calm grace to any community tank.
Guide To Pearl Gourami Size And Care
Pearl Gourami Size and Growth Potential
The second issue is size. People underestimate there size.
They see tags on the fish at pet store indicating that they will stays small. That’s a fallacy. If kept well fed and provided enough space, the Trichopodus leerii (pearl gourami) are typically around six inches long when full grown.
Some may reach nearer seven inches. While that may not seem so large relative to a cichlid, in a community tank it do matter. Know their size potential and treat accordingly.
Recommended Tank Size for Pearl Gouramis
The smallest tank I’d consider is 20g. But even then you’ll feel like your fish is crowded when it matures. The fish begins to feel comfortabley in a 30g tank. When you give these guys some space you allow them to swim naturaly, which reduces their stress levels.
Crowded tanks is one of the biggest risks to the hobby. Stress are also a big problem. The pearl gourami are great in temperament.
Pearl Gourami Behavior and Temperament
It’s a very docile species that’s not aggressive at all. It spend its day mostly exploring the middle to upper portions of water column. As it’s a labyrinth fish, it also breathes air directly from surface.
Every few minutes you’ll notice them darting up to gulp air. Nothing to worry about; this is normal behavior and not a sign of disease. It’s a peaceful species that does well with a large variety of tank mate as long as those tank mates are just as gentle.
Pearl gouramis don’t bully other weaker fish. They’re not shy to the point of starving themself, either, although they is cautious. They prefer areas with lots of cover such as heavy vegetation or driftwood where they can hide when they want to.
A bare tank are a stressful environment for a gourami. Picking a compatible pair of tank mates is a little more considered.
Choosing Compatible Tank Mates
You want fish that has a similar energy level and that generally occupy different area of the tank.
For pearl gouramis, you’re looking for calm bottom dwelling and mid-water species. Harlequin rasboras, neon tetra, and cardinal tetras is all great options. They will also school together which means they’ll keep the gourami company without getting too close.
Bottom dwellers like corydoras catfish will keeps the substrate clean and mind their own business as they ignores the gourami completely. While dwarf gouramis are frequently recommended, it’s safer to only mix unrelated species. Sometimes they may compete for space, and diseases could spreads.
Just avoid fin nippers or other boisterous species. Pearl gouramis just aren’t good neighbors with some fish.
Fish Species to Avoid
If it’s big enough to consume the gourami, don’t keep one.
If it’s aggressive and fast-moving, don’t keep one. A tiger barb will pursue it endlessly, creating chronic stress. An angelfish may nip on its long flowing fins, creating an opportunity for infection.
Moderately active community fish such as rainbowfish can also prove to rowdy for a gourami. The energy level difference are too great. You want a tank where all occupants can exist together without constant interaction.
That’s what the gourami’s sheen reflects, its nature. It excel in a stable, calm environment where it can simply be itself.
