Red “honey” gourami

[Bella J]

Hello,

My name is Bella and I’m new here. I’ve been in the hobby 15 years but this is my first time having gourami.

I would love some advice please as so much conflicting information on the internet!

I have the 6 gallon Fluval Betta tank, low flow filter, low light, temperature set to 25/26 degrees, cycled, heavy planted with 7 red cherry shrimp, a few (ramshorns) snails that came on my live plants ( little pests ). I had set this tank up originally for a Betta but yesterday at the fish store I saw red honey gourami.

I had done a lot of research on honey gourami and had decided there was so much conflicting information out there I was sticking to what I know and going for a Betta…

Alas. At the fish shop yesterday there was a single red honey gourami left and some very uneducated people talking about a 1 gallon tank (yikes!) was going to get him/her. Not on my watch!!! I got him/her before they could.

Now, here’s my questions:

1. Are red “honey” gourami actually honey gourami with just a different colour strain?

2. Do the rules for honey gourami apply to the red “honey” gourami?

3. Do these red “honey” gourami get bigger than the honey?

4. Is a 6 gallon a good size for a single red “honey” gourami?

5. Would adding 6 to 8 chilli rasboras be a good idea?

6. Are the red “honey” gourami peaceful like the honey?


Sorry for the list of questions!

I will insert a pic of the little red if I can. I think he’s a male judging by the shape of his fin but please can someone more educated on gourami let me know?

Thank you all in advance!!

 

[Bella J]

Oh and here’s his tank:

 

[Essjay]

Red honey gouramis are not honey gouramis. They are usually the larger thick lipped gourami.

Trichogaster labiosa (Thick-lipped Gourami) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

It's hard to tell from the photo if your fish is a thick lipped gourami or an oddly coloured honey; hopefully someone with more experience of these fish can comment.
Thick lipped gouramis really need a tank bigger than 6 gallons (as do real honey gouramis). I wouldn't keep chili rasboras in a tank this size, with or without a gourami, either. But it's fine for a betta.

 

[Bella J]

Red honey gouramis are not honey gouramis. They are usually the larger thick lipped gourami.

Trichogaster labiosa (Thick-lipped Gourami) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

It's hard to tell from the photo if your fish is a thick lipped gourami or an oddly coloured honey; hopefully someone with more experience of these fish can comment.
Thick lipped gouramis really need a tank bigger than 6 gallons (as do real honey gouramis). I wouldn't keep chili rasboras in a tank this size, with or without a gourami, either. But it's fine for a betta.

The research I did said honeys do fine in 5 gallons. Then others said no. This is why I was so confused. But I wasn’t going to let him be bought by people who were going to toss him into a 1 gallon.

Pets At Home is the store I got him from and the staff there are so uneducated.

He was labelled as Red Honey Gourami. I can’t at the moment upgrade the tank as finance just will not allow it and I only just paid £109 for this tank (I’m pretty broke ) so getting another one is not an option for at least 6 months or so.

I will be hopefully getting a 10 gallon tank around Christmas time.

 

[Mr Limpet]

The fish in the photo is a female of the line bred red variety of Trichogaster labiosa, the Thick Lipped Gourami, which can grow to 3 inches or more. True honeys, T. chuna, only grow to 2 inches at most.

 

[Essjay]

For future reference, this is just about the best site for research

Knowledge Base — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

Anyone can set up a website with little or no actual knowledge but this site is written by experts.


Honey gouramis need a tank at least 60 cm long

Trichogaster chuna – Honey Gourami (Colisa chuna, Trichopodus sota) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

Chili rasboras need a minimum of 45 cm

Boraras brigittae – Mosquito Rasbora (Rasbora urophthalma brigittae) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[Bella J]

The fish in the photo is a female of the line bred red variety of Trichogaster labiosa, the Thick Lipped Gourami, which can grow to 3 inches or more. True honeys, T. chuna, only grow to 2 inches at most.

Thank you!

 

[Essjay]

Pets At Home is the store I got him from

This chain has a terrible reputation for advice. But at least you saved the fish from a 1 gallon tank.

 

[Bella J]

I know they are awful! Saw them selling a goldfish to someone and a 2.5 gallon tank.. awful!!

I’ll be returning fish. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[seangee]

I know they are awful! Saw them selling a goldfish to someone and a 2.5 gallon tank.. awful!!

I’ll be returning fish. Thanks for all the advice.

I would think carefully about returning him.
Returning him would most likely to condemn him to the same fate.
Yes your tank is technically too small but they are fairly sedentary so don't need a lot of swimming space, and it looks like a great environment for a fish. If you were thinking about a Betta you probably only had a single fish in mind already. I agree with @Essjay that chili rasboras are not good for this tank as they are very active, but you could look at 8 or so celestial pearl danio if you are set on more fish. I have kept these and they would be fine in this size tank.
I have never kept T.labiosa - so someone with actual experience will have to confirm if they are shrimp hunters, but you may know already if he is in with them
Your main concern will naturally be water quality - but with a tank that size a 50% water change only takes a few minutes so twice a week is probably perfectly doable.
I don't normally advocate keeping fish in tanks that are too small or overstocking - but every time you re-home a fish it does cause stress and it does look like he is in a good environment.

 

[Bella J]

I would think carefully about returning him.
Returning him would most likely to condemn him to the same fate.
Yes your tank is technically too small but they are fairly sedentary so don't need a lot of swimming space, and it looks like a great environment for a fish. If you were thinking about a Betta you probably only had a single fish in mind already. I agree with @Essjay that chili rasboras are not good for this tank as they are very active, but you could look at 8 or so celestial pearl danio if you are set on more fish. I have kept these and they would be fine in this size tank.
I have never kept T.labiosa - so someone with actual experience will have to confirm if they are shrimp hunters, but you may know already if he is in with them
Your main concern will naturally be water quality - but with a tank that size a 50% water change only takes a few minutes so twice a week is probably perfectly doable.
I don't normally advocate keeping fish in tanks that are too small or overstocking - but every time you re-home a fish it does cause stress and it does look like he is in a good environment.

Thank you so much for your kind words.

I have thought exactly what you just said and after hearing those people saying about a 1 gallon tank as well..

So yes I’ll be keeping her.

I’m not set on more fish at all. I was just wondering if this type of fish gets a bit lonely on their own. If not, then I’m happy to keep her by herself. If they do like some fish company I’ll look into pearl danios.

She seems to be enjoying her environment, she’s been exploring all day, eating well and hasn’t yet bothered the shrimp. We’ll see how that pans out..

You’ve been very kind.

 

[Bella J]

I managed to get some better pictures of her. Just to confirm she is a female and is indeed not a red honey:

 

[Bella J]

The thing is, she looks nothing like the Red Robins I’ve been looking at? Which if she is indeed a hybrid like someone here said, she would be a Red Robin yes? She looks like a honey just with different colours.

 

[CassCats]

Body shape has me leaning towards a young honey × thick lip. Especially in the head shape.

mature female honey to compare the shape to

I would say that yes 6 gallons is too small and ideally these should be kept in pairs at the very minimum as they're more social than dwarf gouramis. However, as a temporary home it is fine, I would instead look to getting yourself another tank (this is how it starts, and soon you will have multiple ). I'd go with a 20 gallon long. Mine use the full space and are quite active. Especially when my male is feeling broody and wants to nest.

I wouldn't return her at the risk of her being placed in a smaller tank or an inexperienced home.

 

[Bella J]

Thanks for your reply!

As I said in a previous post I can’t get a bigger tank, at least not for another 6 months. And even then it will be a maximum of 10 gallons.

I live with my parents and my tank is in my bedroom and I just don’t have the space for a 20 gallon. My guinea pigs take a quarter of my bedroom. I could fit a 10 gallon in if I get rid of the 6 gallon but I don’t have the funds to be doing that any time soon as I would need to buy the stand as well.

The shop wouldn’t take her back anyway, I phoned them today to explain their error and they stated I can’t return her even if I wanted to, which I don’t.

Other than rehoming her, which as you said, may land her in a worse situation.. this is the best I can do for the significant future.