Honey gourami

Trichogaster chuna

Honey-coloured breeding males with a dark throat and belly; females show a lateral dark stripe.

Natural breeding males show honey colour and a dark throat and belly.

Natural habitat: Inhabits densely vegetated, slow lowland waters including ponds, ditches, floodplain pools and flooded fields.

Appearance and identification

A lateral dark stripe is more apparent in typical females. Colour alone is unreliable in gold strains.

Not a tight school; keep 4–6, but expect hierarchy and chasing.

Slow feeding can make competition stressful; group size depends on space, cover and the individuals.

Allow a 60 × 30 cm base; groups need plant cover and separate areas.

Use plants to provide cover and break sight lines; retain swimming room and clear access to surface air.

Small prepared foods can be used with small frozen or live foods; check that slower individuals actually feed.

Sources