Thinking about getting a giant gourami.

[Cheesetian]

Greetings.

I've been fiddling with the idea of getting a juvenile giant gourami cos' i saw an adult the other day and he looked absolutely gorgeous. I need to know a few things though, before i do any buying.

1. How many types of giant gouramis are there? Could you list them down for me. (pictures would be much appreciated)
2. How big do giant gouramis get in captivity?
3. I know they're mostly vegetarian but i was wondering what kinds of vegetables do they normally eat? Do they also accept meats/pellets?
4. Minimum tank size for an individual.
5. Water temperature.
6. Are they fish suitable to be kept with other monsters? (Say, gars, asian arowanas and snakeheads)
7. I've read up about them eating plants in a planted tank. Are plants advisable?
8. I'm thinking of getting a juvenile gg, how do i recognize a dwarf from a giant?

That's about it. Hopefully someone knowledgeable out there can answer my questions. Thanks in advance!

 

[piggy67]

THE IMPRESSIVE GIANT GOURAMI

Definition: gou.rami (goo ra'me, goor e me') NOUN pl.-.mies or -.mi, any of various families of tropical fresh water percoid fishes; esp., a nest building food fish of southeast Asia.

Species: There are 3 main species of giant gouramis, giant gourami (Osphronemus gorami), Siamese gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) Red Tail(Osphronemus Laticlavius) the kissing gourami can also be considered(Helostoma temminckii).

Description: This beautiful fish can reach sizes of 70cm (28") or more, but in captivity rarely reach sizes over 40cm(16"). They have an oval body shape and their color ranges from gray to white with some spotting or dots. Giant gouramis have a strong personality and very intelligent even to the point of recognition. They have been known to live for 20 years or longer with appropriate care.
These fascinating fish have a special organ called a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath air from the surface. The labyrinth organ is a suprabranchial accessory formed by vascularized expansion of the epibranchial bone of the first gill arch. The fish are not born with the organ, but develop it gradually.

Sexing: Males develop a nuchal hump on the head and have longer and more pointed dorsal and anal fins in contrast to the females which have noticeably more rounded fins.

Feeding: Giant gourami are omnivores with an enormous appetite and can grow very quickly. They will eat a wide range of food including but not limited to: flake food, pellet food, feeder fish, fruit and most vegetables.

Behavior: They are predatory but are often called a gentle giant and can be kept with a large variety of fish species as long as they are large enough to not be eaten.

Breeding: The male will build a bubble nest utilizing plant material just below the water’s surface. Wrapping around the female, the male will collect the eggs into his mouth and place them into the nest. The eggs hatch in 24 hours. The male will jealously guard the nest even becoming aggressive towards the female.

Tank Maintenance and Requirements: Due to the large appetite, weekly water changes are recommended. A minimum tank size of 250 to 300 gallons is recommended.

Common diseases: Some diseases that have been found in or on the giant gourami are Achlya (a fungus infection caused by bacteria infecting the skin and gills producing a toxic substance damaging epithelial cells), Epizootic ulcerative syndrome(EUS) (an infection known as Aphanomyces invadans or Aphanomyces piscicida affecting the kidneys, liver and muscular tissues usually developing red spots or small to large ulcerative lesions on the body), Lernaea (a crustacean parasite infecting the skin and gills), Trypanosoma (an internal parasite found in the blood of giant gourami in Thailand).[/


Conclusion: This is a truly wonderful fish and can be kept in a large aquarium with a variety of fishes.The giant gourami makes a great and long lived pet.

Note: The information contained in this overview pertains to O. goramy...

 

[piggy67]

Thank you for doing your homework before buying one of these amazing fish. Not every one can deal with a GIANT GOURAMI. they are very picky about tankmates and food. They can be kept with just about any fish but it will depend on the individual personality of the fish in question. Some will like feeders, some will not. The same goes for fruits/veggies. Good luck, they are an amazing fish..

 

[Cheesetian]

THE IMPRESSIVE GIANT GOURAMI

Definition: gou.rami (goo ra'me, goor e me') NOUN pl.-.mies or -.mi, any of various families of tropical fresh water percoid fishes; esp., a nest building food fish of southeast Asia.

Species: There are 3 main species of giant gouramis, giant gourami (Osphronemus gorami), Siamese gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) Red Tail(Osphronemus Laticlavius) the kissing gourami can also be considered(Helostoma temminckii).

Description: This beautiful fish can reach sizes of 70cm (28") or more, but in captivity rarely reach sizes over 40cm(16"). They have an oval body shape and their color ranges from gray to white with some spotting or dots. Giant gouramis have a strong personality and very intelligent even to the point of recognition. They have been known to live for 20 years or longer with appropriate care.
These fascinating fish have a special organ called a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath air from the surface. The labyrinth organ is a suprabranchial accessory formed by vascularized expansion of the epibranchial bone of the first gill arch. The fish are not born with the organ, but develop it gradually.

Sexing: Males develop a nuchal hump on the head and have longer and more pointed dorsal and anal fins in contrast to the females which have noticeably more rounded fins.

Feeding: Giant gourami are omnivores with an enormous appetite and can grow very quickly. They will eat a wide range of food including but not limited to: flake food, pellet food, feeder fish, fruit and most vegetables.

Behavior: They are predatory but are often called a gentle giant and can be kept with a large variety of fish species as long as they are large enough to not be eaten.

Breeding: The male will build a bubble nest utilizing plant material just below the water’s surface. Wrapping around the female, the male will collect the eggs into his mouth and place them into the nest. The eggs hatch in 24 hours. The male will jealously guard the nest even becoming aggressive towards the female.

Tank Maintenance and Requirements: Due to the large appetite, weekly water changes are recommended. A minimum tank size of 250 to 300 gallons is recommended.

Common diseases: Some diseases that have been found in or on the giant gourami are Achlya (a fungus infection caused by bacteria infecting the skin and gills producing a toxic substance damaging epithelial cells), Epizootic ulcerative syndrome(EUS) (an infection known as Aphanomyces invadans or Aphanomyces piscicida affecting the kidneys, liver and muscular tissues usually developing red spots or small to large ulcerative lesions on the body), Lernaea (a crustacean parasite infecting the skin and gills), Trypanosoma (an internal parasite found in the blood of giant gourami in Thailand).[/


Conclusion: This is a truly wonderful fish and can be kept in a large aquarium with a variety of fishes.The giant gourami makes a great and long lived pet.

Note: The information contained in this overview pertains to O. goramy...

Thanks! But i've got one additional question. What are the differences between the three different types? And do the kissing gourami strain grow as big as the other three mentioned?

Thank you for doing your homework before buying one of these amazing fish. Not every one can deal with a GIANT GOURAMI. they are very picky about tankmates and food. They can be kept with just about any fish but it will depend on the individual personality of the fish in question. Some will like feeders, some will not. The same goes for fruits/veggies. Good luck, they are an amazing fish..

I saw one the other day at a LFS. Was a beefy specimen, i'd say about 12" at least. Was immediately struck by it! I asked how much it cost and the owner told me it was already sold, $300 i think he said. Was actually happy cos' the fish was cooped up inside a 3ft tank with less than a feet of water(height) so the poor thing could hardly move. Thanks for the information buddy!

 

[piggy67]

O. goramy is considered the common gourami, or grey(grows the largest). O. laticlavius is the red tail gourami (very colorful reds). The kissing gourami can grow to around 12" and compared to other gourami they are large and can be grouped with the giants IMO..

 

[Cheesetian]

I don't know which to get actually. I'm assuming the one in your avatar is O. goramy. The red tail ones just look kinda' funny in my opinion(the color of the tail). Thanks anyway!

 

[wickedpayara]

Do you breed snake heads. I would like to aquire one of these monsters but am having a hard time getting one

 

[Cheesetian]

Do you breed snake heads. I would like to aquire one of these monsters but am having a hard time getting one

I'm afraid that's not possible. Snakeheads are illegal throughout the US. Unless you're looking for a jail term.