(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Trichogaster lalius
Common Name: Dwarf Gourami, Neon Gourami, Neon Dwarf Gourami, Cobalt Blue
Adult Size: 3.5 inches
Life Expectancy: 4 years
Habitat: South Asia from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 72 - 82° F
- pH Range: 6.0 - 8.0
- Water Hardness: 5 - 18
Temperament: Neon Dwarf Gouramis are a good community fish that can be kept with other peaceful fish. Large, active, or aggressive fish can easily intimidate them.They can be timid and may hide when first introduced to an aquarium. It may take some time for them to become comfortable and behave normally.
Diet & Nutrition: The Neon Dwarf Gourami is an omnivore and will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a quality flake or pellet food as the base to the diet. Supplement this with frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, or any other suitable substitute. Vegetable tablets can be offered as well. Generally feed once or twice a day.
Breeding & Spawning: Breeding the Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami is not too difficult, but the behavior of the males can be somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes during the courtship and after building the nest, a male may consider females to be rivals and bully them. So plants are essential for the female to have places for retreat.
Like most fish in this family, male Dwarf Gouramis are bubble nest builders. In an aquarium you will see a cluster of bubbles on the top of the water. Once the nest had been built the male will begin a courtship display, usually in the afternoon or evening. He will flare up his dorsal fin and begin swimming around a female. The male ultimately embraces the female turning her on her back. The female will release the eggs and the male will immediately fertilize them. The eggs are lighter than water and float to the top. The male will pick any not in the nest in his mouth, and put them in his bubble nest. The eggs will hatch in about 12 - 36 hours and the fry will be free swimming in about 3 days.
Gender: The male is much more colorful and has a pointed dorsal pennant, they also generally have a smaller belly than the female. The female has much less color and her dorsal is rounded or curved. Pairs will generally swim together.