..........................Giant Gourami
Other names:...........none Origin:......................China, Malaysia, Java, eastern India Max size:..................24" PH:............-..............6.5-7.2 Temperature:...........72-80 F. Min tank size:..........80 gallons Food:.........................live foods, vegetable matter, pellets |
The giant gourami is one of the few gouramis that actually get big. Their colors vary but are usually a uniform grey-brown. Their attractive colors fade as they mature. These fish grow rapidly and can be aggressive, but usually lose this characteristic with age.
Osphronemus goramy is omnivorous, eating anything from pellets to plants or feeders. Vegetation is a vital part of their diet. These fish especially enjoy bananam lettuce and peas. In Thailand, their rapid growth rate and willingness to consume almost anything has resulted in the giant gourami being raised in ponds as a food fish, the flesh being regarded as a delicacy.
Breeding in captivity is possible. The giant gourami matures at six months. The adult males are distinguishable by their pointed dorsal fin and, at breeding time, their thickened lips. Both parents help to build a nest about 12 inches from the surface. The nest mostly consists of plants, with reletively few of the mucus-coated bubbles normally associated with gouramis. The eggs can take up to a month to hatch.
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