An elegant, hardy gourami covered in a lacy 'pearl' pattern, with males developing a fiery orange breast. Peaceful, long-lived, and one of the easiest medium gouramis to keep.
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Southeast Asia (Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand)
Origin
Old World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Water type
💧 Freshwater
Family
Osphronemidae
Genus
Trichopodus
Part of the Gouramis
Gouramis are labyrinth-breathing freshwater fish from Asia that gulp air at the surface, build bubble nests, and range from tiny croaking species to large centerpiece fish. Many are peaceful and characterful, thriving in warm, calm, planted aquariums.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Tall planted community
30 gal / 110 L planted
Trichopodus leerii reach 12 cm and are graceful labyrinth fish needing tall planted tanks with floating cover, gentle flow, and warm soft water (24–28 °C, pH 6.5–7.5).
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Long planted community
40–55 gal / 150–200 L
Trio (1 male, 2 females) in a long planted tank with surface plants. Pair with peaceful tetras or rasboras — avoid fin-nippers.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Blackwater biotope
75 gal+ / 280 L+ biotope
Long blackwater biotope with leaf litter, driftwood, and dense floating cover. Mature males build elaborate bubble nests; full pearl-spangled colour fully visible.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Fish eggs are small, translucent spheres, often laid in clutches on plants, substrate, or in a nest — or carried/brooded by a parent in livebearing and mouth-brooding species. A dark eye spot and the curled embryo become visible inside as development progresses.
Photo coming soon
Fry
Newly hatched fry are tiny and semi-transparent, frequently still carrying a yolk sac that fuels them before they feed freely. They lack full fin structure and adult coloration, staying near cover until they can swim and forage on their own.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles look like miniature adults but with developing fins and muted or different markings; many species shift pattern and color as they mature. Growth is rapid at this stage given clean water and steady feeding.
Adult
Adults show the species' full size, finnage, and mature coloration, and are sexually mature. Many fish develop sex-specific differences in size, color, or fin shape, which can intensify during breeding.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Pearl gouramis are active and grow larger than dwarf species, so give them a tank of at least 30 gallons (around 20 gallons absolute minimum for a single fish) with a long footprint. They thrive in heavily planted aquariums with floating plants, driftwood, and dim, tannin-tinted water that shows off their colors and helps them feel secure.
Keep temperatures at 77-82°F (25-28°C), pH about 6.0-7.5, and soft to moderately hard water (around 5-15 dGH) with gentle flow. As a labyrinth fish they breathe air at the surface, so maintain a warm air layer under the lid and avoid strong surface agitation.
Substrate
A dark, fine substrate such as sand or smooth gravel best displays their pearlescent coloration and lacy fins. Substrate choice is flexible since they feed mid-to-upper water, but darker bottoms reduce stress.
Equipment & setup
Provide a planted tank of 30 gallons or more with a heater set to 77-82F and gentle filtration, as these labyrinth fish dislike strong current. Floating plants and a calm surface are important because they breathe air at the surface and males build bubble nests.
Diet
Omnivorous and unfussy, pearl gouramis take quality flakes and pellets readily, supplemented with frozen and live foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia, plus some vegetable matter. They are also useful at picking off small pest organisms like hydra and planaria.
Feed small amounts once or twice daily. A varied diet keeps their lacy patterning and the males' orange breast vivid.
Behavior & temperament
Pearl gouramis are among the most peaceful gouramis and make excellent centerpiece community fish. They do best in a small group with more females than males, which spreads out any mild courtship aggression between males. Outside of breeding they are calm, sociable, and slightly shy, using their thread-like pelvic fins to 'feel' their surroundings.
Provide tall plants and floating cover so they can retreat. Males build bubble nests and intensify in color when breeding but rarely cause real harm to tankmates.
Health
A hardy species with no signature disease, the pearl gourami is still susceptible to the usual freshwater ailments: ich, fin rot, fungal infections, and bacterial disease, almost always linked to poor water quality or stress. Their long fins can be nipped by aggressive tankmates, leading to secondary infection.
Keep water clean and warm with regular partial changes, feed a varied diet, and quarantine new arrivals. Avoid housing them with fin-nippers or boisterous fish.
*This is general care information, not veterinary advice. Consult an aquatic/exotics veterinarian for any sick animal.*
Tips, DIY & hacks
Leave a few inches of air gap under the lid with warm, humid air to protect the labyrinth organ from cold drafts. Keep them in calm communities with non-nippy tankmates, and provide floating plants like frogbit so males can anchor bubble nests when breeding.
