Three spot gourami care guide

Plan a tank with three spot gouramisSee all tank mates

Three spot gourami quick facts

• Long fins attract fin nippers.

Tank setup

Give one adult 29 gallons (110 L) or more, in a tank about 36 in (90 cm) long. Give it floating plants, tall stem plants and open swimming space in the middle. Keep the flow gentle, use smooth decor so the long feelers do not snag, and leave a gap under the lid for air.

How many three spot gouramis in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits three spot gouramis is a 40 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Numbers are bioload limits only. Males fight, so keep one male unless the tank is large and well planned.

Water parameters

Keep it at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 6.0–8.0 and about 5–19 dGH. This is one of the hardiest gouramis and adapts to most tap water. Change 25–30% of the water every week and keep the tank out of direct sun.

Best tank mates for three spot gouramis

These popular species share three spot gouramis' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 40 good matches.

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

• Malaysian trumpet snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Mystery snail

  5 cm (2 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Platy

  6 cm (2.4 in) · 20–26°C (68–79°F)

Avoid keeping three spot gouramis with

• Betta fish: Betta fish tends to attack colourful, long-finned fish like three spot gouramis, mistaking them for rivals.
• Cherry shrimp: Three spot gourami eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Three spot gourami 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Three spot gourami 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Tiger barb: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of three spot gouramis.
• Dojo loach: They need different temperatures: Three spot gourami 24–28°C (75–82°F), dojo loach 18–23°C (64–73°F).

Feeding

It is an easy omnivore. Build the diet on flakes or small pellets, with frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp or daphnia two or three times a week. Spirulina flake or blanched zucchini adds greens, and it also grazes algae.

Behavior

Temperament varies a lot. Many stay calm, but some males become bullies as they mature, especially toward other gouramis and bettas. Males fight each other, so keep one per tank unless it is large and well planted. It may nip slow, long-finned fish. Good mates are sturdy fish of a similar size, such as black skirt tetras, black ruby barbs, yoyo or zebra loaches, bristlenose plecos and medium catfish.

Breeding

Males grow a little larger and have a long, pointed dorsal fin; females have a shorter, rounded dorsal fin and a fuller belly. The male builds a bubble nest among floating plants and can be rough with the female, so give her plenty of cover. In a separate tank, remove the female after spawning and the male once the fry swim, about 4–5 days later. Feed infusoria first, then baby brine shrimp.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Blue, gold, opaline, platinum and lavender gouramis are all this one species, so their care and temper are the same.
• Watch a new gourami closely for the first weeks, and have a plan to rehome it if it starts bullying.
• Floating plants and sight breaks give other fish a way to escape a pushy male.
• Do not keep it with dwarf shrimp; it hunts them.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• fishkeepingworld.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• theaquariumwiki.com