▷ Kissing Gouramis | Helostoma temmincki | All information and details

Datasheet Kissing Gouramis

German name:
Kissing gouramis

Scientific name:
Helostoma temminkii

Origin:
Southeast Asia (from Thailand to Indonesia)

Size:
Body length 15 cm – 20 cm, max 30 cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 160 cm width

Contents:
from 1,000 liters

water values

Temperature:
25°-28° C

pH:
6 – 8

GH:
5° – 20° dH

Behave

Area:
lower and middle range

Lining:
Fine dry food, small live food (e.g. mosquito larvae, worms or water fleas), chopped green fodder (cucumber, zucchini, etc.)

Behave:
peaceful towards other fish, only slightly hostile to each other

Number:
Group housing, 3 – 5 animals

Difficulty level:
Intermediate with sufficient experience, not suitable for beginners

Helostoma temmincki Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Shizhao

Kissing gouramis, Helostoma temmincki, grow quite quickly and are about 15 centimeters tall by 18 months of age.

They can be 10 years old and up to 30 centimeters tall. The aquarium must be correspondingly large. It is often written that they adapt to the size of the aquarium.

However, kissing gouramis mistakenly kept in a 60 liter aquarium have also grown to 12 centimeters.

Suitable aquariums must be at least 160 to 200 centimeters long.

As labyrinth fish, kissing gouramis partially breathe at the water surface. Therefore, the outside air should be warmer than the water temperature.

© Marion Jendrecki / Kissing gouramis

Kissing gouramis are not without problems.

Helostoma temminckii Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Matthew1968

The quite large animals love to swim and often chase each other.

They bring unrest to the aquarium. There are also ranking fights between the males, the so-called kissing. The inferior male is then chased through the aquarium.

As a rule, there are no injuries, but plants, for example, can definitely be uprooted.

The females give up to 5000 eggs away. After spawning, the water surface may be covered with eggs and an oily substance.

The filter can become clogged with eggs. Due to the resulting lack of oxygen, other fish species can die.

Food for kissing gouramis

Kissing gouramis will eat almost any food. Food with a high meat content is not so popular. Vegetables are not eaten by some animals. Contrary to many representations in the literature, plants are rarely nibbled on. According to one report, some waterweed was eaten, but not in large quantities. However, algae are eaten from every single plant leaf.

They eat algae almost all day and everywhere. Depending on the size of the aquarium and additional feeding, the back pane of the aquarium, for example, does not have to be cleaned of algae because the gouramis eat all the algae.

Because kissing gouramis are quite slow when it comes to feeding, the other fish should be fed with different food beforehand if the gouramis are to be given particularly tasty food for them.

Suitable feed:

Battle between kissing gouramis:

Kissing Gouramis:

FAQs – Frequently asked questions about Kissing Gouramis