Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Labyrinth Fish > Sunset Gourami

Thicklipped Gourami

Sunset Gourami Family: Belontiidae

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Colisa labiosa Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   Words do no justice to the brilliance of the Thicklip Gourami in full colors!

  The Thicklip Gourami in its natural coloration is becoming a rarer and rarer sight, which is a shame. Much of its popularity has been lost to the Dwarf Gourami, because few hobbyists have the patience for the Thicklip Gourami's full colors, which are slower in coming. Those which do commit to the Thicklip Gourami are heavily rewarded when males flush with breeding colors which are some of the most brilliant of the family.

  Furthermore, the development of new color variants brings more consistency in terms of color. Although this new generation's color still has nothing on the old wild colors of this fish, sales of the variants are skyrocketing and their arrival seems to have sealed the fate of the wild coloration of the Thicklip Gourami.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Thicklip Gourami is indigenous to Burma, India, and South East Asia.

Status:
   The Thicklip Gourami is not endangered.

Description:
  The Thicklip Gourami is a flat fish, and roughly follows the diamond shape of the other gouramis. The fins are rounded and relatively large. The male will have a noticeably pointed extension of the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are threadlike and extremely sensitive. This fish has a labyrinth organ, a part of the fish which allows it to absorb atmospheric oxygen directly into the bloodstream. The base body color of males is a rusty orange or brown. The male fish will have bold turquoise bands which run vertically beginning behind the neck and growing more solid toward the back of the fish. The fins are also turquoise with orange or red edges. The color becomes brighter when males are in breeding condition. The females are olive brown with very hazy or nonexistent blue bars. It should be noted that a golden or "sunset" stain exists, which has most or all of the blue colors bred out and a warmer and lighter body color of red, orange, or yellow. You may also encounter the "red honey" or "sunrise" gourami which is although attributed as Colisa Chuna, is probably actually a variant of Colsia labiosa or perhaps a hybrid. Some have tried to capitalize on the success of the sunset and sunrise gouramis by creating dyed versions of the two. The more benign version of the dying process simply involves feeding food laced with dyes. The superficial color of the fish quickly fades and as far as we know, the fish goes on to lead a more or less normal life. The other version uses the much more questionable, but equally temporary dye method referred to as painting, juicing, or simply dyeing. The believed process is that pockets of liquid dye are injected with a large needle on multiple, perhaps dozens of sites on the fish underneath the skin. There is strong evidence suggesting that the process is painful for the fish, causes decreased immune system function, and drastically shortens the life of the fish. While ultimately the decision is with the aquarist, they should be prepared to make an informed choice with their purchases.

Size - Weight:
  This fish will reach about 4 inches (10cm).

Care and feeding:
  The Thicklip Gourami is an omnivore. A quality flake or pellet food makes a good base to the diet. Supplementation should include white worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, or any other suitable live food. Fresh vegetables can be offered as well, blanched lettuce being a good option for many aquarists. The Thicklip Gourami is very hardy. The aquarist must be held to a rigorous system of water changes, with 25% changes weekly being the minimum. Although the labyrinth organ allows the fish to survive in oxygen depleted water, it is a common misconception that this makes water changes unnecessary. This is hardly the case, and these fish will suffer the same tissue damage from built up toxins as would any other fish. A good tank for this species should include some plant cover and perhaps a few hiding places. As with much of the family, this species appreciates the cover of floating plants. A small group can be housed in a tank as small as 15 gallons. This fish will be bothered by a strong current in the tank, especially if the tank is small. It is also desirable to keep the tank in a room with a temperature as close as possible to the tank water, or risk damaging the labyrinth organ.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   The Thicklip Gourami inhabits all levels of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   It is desirable to keep the tank in a room with a temperature as close as possible to the tank water, or risk damaging the labyrinth organ.
   Temperature: 77-86° F (25-30° C)
   Hardness: 2-25° dH
   Ph: 6.0-7.8

Social Behaviors:
  This fish is one of the more peaceful fish of the group. Thicklip Gouramis will display some hierarchal behavior, but aren't violent or aggressive like some of the other fish in the group. A small group of specimens about the same size should be able to live peacefully together. The ideal situation is a group of 5, alone or sharing the tank with some calm, friendly species. Fin nippers and gouramis should absolutely never be mixed, as the trailing pelvic fins and generally slower movement of this fish make it the perfect victim.

Sexual Differences:
  The male will have a pointed dorsal fin. The female's is noticeably rounder. Males will also have brighter colors.

Breeding/Reproduction:
  Breeding is not exceptionally difficult, but a separate tank is required. The water should be shallow, about 5 inches (13cm) being ideal. Tank current should be minimal. Many aquarists find that floating plants, stem plants grown to the surface, or any other floating debris will help keep the bubble nest in place. A healthy pair of adults should be introduced. The male will spend a lot of time building a large bubble nest. The two will spawn and eggs will be deposited in the nest. The female must be removed at this time or she risks being killed by the male. Fry will soon emerge and must be kept on liquid fry food or infusoria until they can eat baby brine shrimp. When the eggs hatch, the male must be removed. For more information, see the description of how to breed labyrinth fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Pearl Gourami From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Thicklip Gourami in its wild form is fairly rare. The newer color variants are much more common. Specimens will be about $2-6 USD each.

Author: "Yvonne"

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Author: David Brough, CFS