Kissing Gourami

About The Fish

Kissing gouramis(Helostoma temminckii)are large tropical freshwater fish These fish originate from Thailand to Indonesia They are highly commercial food fish which are farmed in their native

Description

Typical of gourami, the body is deep and strongly compressed laterally The foremost rays of the jugular pelvic fins are also slightly elongated. The pectoral fins are large, rounded, and low-slung. The caudal fin is rounded to concave. The lateral line is divided in two, with the posterior portion starting below the end of the other; there are a total of 43–48 scales running the line's length and The most distinctive feature of the kissing gourami is its mouth the lips are lined with horny teeth. There are two colour morphs encountered greens, which have lengthwise lateral stripes and opaque, dark brown fins and pink, which have a rose to orangy pink body and silvery scales, with transparent pinkish fins . the fish maximum length between 20 to 30 cm (7.87 - 11.81 inches).

Behavior

Shallow, slow-moving, and thickly vegetated backwaters are the kissing gourami's natural habitat. They are midwater omnivores kissing behavior is the most amzing thing about the fish , the fish kissing each other or the plantes or object around in the aquarium the kissing gourami's are territorial fish some are tolerant towards fish of similar size, but others will bully, chase and torment causing significant stress on tank mates also males kisser will challange each other .

Temperature and PH

the temperature should be between 22–28 °C (72–82 °F) and the PH between 6.8–8.5 with water hardness between 5–30°dGH

Tank Size

the reqiured tank should be 50 gallons planted tank and larger for adult fishes

Diet

Kissing gouramis are omnivores fish and in nature they feed on a wide range of foods, including benthic algae, zooplankton, phytoplankton and aquatic plants. They are midwater fishes so they search for food at midwater, but will also eat insects at the water surface.