Pearl Gourami Care & Tank Set up Guide

Pearl Gourami is among the best non- aggressive Gourami’s to keep in a Planted community tank. The video would help you to understand their natural habitat, their behavior in the aquarium, how to differentiate male pearl gourami and female pearl gourami, how to care and set up a pearl gourami tank. Firstly their natural habitat is located in South East Asia which includes Malaysia, Thailand & Indonesia in the islands of Sumatra & Borneo. The low lands which are close to coastal region & are usually acidic water swamps. Due to captive breeding of this fish they have adapted well to a wide range of pH level. Pearl Gourami’s are also introduced to Singapore & Colombia now. This fish has a organ called labyrinth which allows them to breathe atmospheric air, they also have modified pelvic fins which look like antennas & are used to feel things around them. The reason they are called Pearl Gourami is due to the bright pearl like specks on their body, they are called lace gourami & mosaic gourami. However, pearl gourami remains the most popular name both in Asia & around the world. The scientific name is “Trichopodus leerii“ Life span of this fish is over 5 years or more, they grow up to 4.7 inches more or less. I have seen them grow up to 4 inches in Aquarium. How to tell difference between male & female pearl gourami - The male pearl gourami develops a reddish- orange color under its throat area & has longer fins, where as the female pearl gourami looks more plump, less colorful & the fins are not as elongated as the male. Aquarium Care for Pearl Gourami Fish - Tank size - 30 gallon or bigger tank, the male will get aggressive & territorial as it ages Tank Decoration - Planted aquarium is highly recommended for Pearl Gourami, they are somewhat shy fish & you would find them hiding behind plants. In this video you see I have used live plants (Vallisneria) which is Giant grass & they don’t seem to eat these plants, they do eat live plants usually the smaller leaf plants & you would notice missing leafs now & then. Make sure the aquarium is decorated well with lots of hiding places for this fish. Filtration - The best filter in my opinion is HOB filter for Gourami tank. I’m running 2 Sponge filter’s in this tank & I follow weekly water change of 25%. Gourami’s fish spend lot of time in the middle & surface area of the tank. Hence they prefer minimal water movement. Tank mates for Pearl Gourami - I have them with Dwarf Gourami, Tiger barbs, Rosy Barbs, L. Guntea Loach, Rainbow shark & never seen any issues in my tank. However, I have introduced all this fish as juveniles. Be careful with Barbs as they may get aggressive as they age & also are known as fin nippers of other fish. Food for Pearl Gourami fish - I feed Tetra bits, Spirulina, Quality Flakes, Pellets, Cucumber, boiled peas, Blood worms, Daphnia, Freeze dried worms etc. Water Parameters - Temperature range - 75 to 82°F (24-28°C) pH range - 6.5 to 8 ( The tank in the video has a pH neutral 7 ) Water hardness - Less than 180 ppm, I maintain water hardness of 120 ppm or less on this tank. Website - Facebook Page - Twitter - @AquaKri Music - Memory Rain by Yung Logos from Youtube Audio Library