This page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected fish, from A to Z. The profiled fish will be chosen randomly by Badman, and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish. New profiles are added on a regular basis. If you would like to submit a profile for the site please contact me. Don't forget to let us know you experiences with this fish by filling out the

Another old time favorite, this very hardy fish has been bred commercially in various color forms. It is a staple of the hobby. Perfect for the community tank, the Opaline is a sure bet for the new hobbyist

Quick stats: Listed tank sizes are the minimum Size: Up to 5 inches Tank: 40 inches Strata: Top, middle PH: 5.5 to 8.5 Hardness: Soft to hard dH range: 3.0 - 35.0 Temperature: 72ºF to 81ºF (22-27°C)	Male
Classification: Order: Perciformes Suborder: Anabantoidei Family: Anabantidae Genera: Trichogaster	Female

Common name:

Opaline Gourami, Three spot Gourami, Blue Gourami

Additional species photographs

Discuss:

Badmans' Forum

Distribution

Widespread throughout South East Asia

Somewhat elongated with moderate Lateral compression. The anal fin starts in the front of the fish and the soft rayed end points extend to the beginning of the Caudal (tail) fin, in males it is even longer. All the species of Trichogaster have a pretty small (in length connected to the body) Dorsal fin. The Ventral fins are elongated into feeler like threads. The rear portion of the tail fin is deeply indented. The males can be identified by his longer and more pointed dorsal and anal fins.

There are many different color variations of the Opaline Gourami, in fact the Opaline is a color variant of the Blue Gourami. All of the varieties do share some common color characteristics and I will list them here. The dark spots located at the pectoral fins and at the base of the tail fin are almost always visible on all variantsas well as the White spots peppered along the edges of all the fins. It would be hard to list all the color variants so the best bet is to look at the overall form and pictures of the deferent varieties.

A hardy fish that will adapt to many conditions. Keep them in pairs and the fish will display to each other and show off their best colors. Keep in a planted community aquarium with many plants including floating varieties. Provide hiding places for the female. Tank mates should be slower moving peaceful species and generally no barbs or other fin nippers that will make short work of the fins and feeler threads. Provide good filtration with a slow water flow (like from a spraybar) so as not to disturb any Bubblenest. They are Omnivorous and will take live, flake, frozen as well as vegetable based food.

Male

Female

Biotope:

Found near the shore in areas with vegetation or underneath floating plants in standing or slow moving water.

Typical Bubble nest builder, where a large nest is constructed below floating or among plants. The nest and fry are maintained and guarded by the male. The spawning tank should have a small depth of water about six inches and have no circulation and contain many floating plants. The male and a few females should be placed in the tank until the male chooses his mate then other females should then be removed. Once the female has laid her eggs she should be removed. The eggs will hatch in about a day and will become free swimming in five, at this point they should be fed on newly hatched Brine shrimp and transferred a rearing tank.

Click to buy

Your comments:

Add your comments:

From: Epi Date:10/17/2007 I have a lovely female opaline gourami. I have had her for several years in a community tank, with 2 angels, some danios, silver tip tetras and various loaches. I have tried to introduce other gouramis, but she is very territorial towards certain species and I had to remove the gourami after a short time. She also doesn't seem to like gold or blackskirt tetras. So it's not just the males that become territorial, the females can as well. From: Jeff Date:12/20/2006 These are my favorite species of gouramies because of their colorings. The female that I have changes its spot patterns constantly so it is entertaining to watch. She is very docile with my two baby bala sharks so they are a good combination. From: Sara S. Date:7/12/2005 These are certainly one of my favorite fish species. They are a great way to add color to the freshwater aquarium, and are fairly easy to care for. Usually, they are pretty peaceful; although every once in a while I come upon an aggressive one. To avoid this possibility, I always keep my gouramis in a ratio of one male to at least three females, because two males will fight. From: Gigi Date:4/4/2004 I bought 4 fully grown gourami. I find the males to be somewhat aggressive, they constantly chase and pick. I exchanged whatever males I had for all females, and that seemed to help keep the peace. Sometimes they like to just sit on the gravel at the bottom of the tank. I don't know if they are happy or if they just enjoy lounging. They are also shy and like to hide at the top rear of the tank when there is a lot of human traffic passing by the tank. Finally, I don't think they enjoy brine shrimp very much. From: Thom Fairweather Date:4/11/2004 I have kept these fish for a few years and have bred them. They are easy to breed but the babies are difficult to raise as they are very small when young. When they breed they will produce several hundred eggs and all being well most will hatch. Baby fish love baby brine shrimp but the adults tend to prefer flake and algae wafers. The only problem in breeding these fish is that I have difficulty finding them new homes as I have about 300 1.5-2" fry at present.

Main index Aquarium Supplies Navigation Badmans Tropical Fish! Fishkeeping ABCs Favorite Fish Fish Families Detailed Information In Depth Definitions Natures Way The Equipment Whats That Mean? Want More Just For Fun Guestbook Site Search, What's New