Three-spot gourami
The gourami sold under the most names and the one most often bought as a peaceful community fish. Adults, particularly males, are territorial and persistent, and the reputation for placidity comes from juveniles.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Trichopodus trichopterus
- Adult size
- 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in)
- Lifespan
- 4–6 years
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 4–19 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 150 L (40 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 90 cm
- Swimming zone
- Surface
- Social
- Solitary
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Extremely hardy — a labyrinth breather that tolerates poor oxygenation. The difficulty is temperament, not husbandry.
Still and slow waters — marshes, ditches, flooded fields — often low in oxygen.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Three-spot gourami
- Scientific name
- Trichopodus trichopterus
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Order
- Anabantiformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- blue gourami, opaline gourami, gold gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus
Varieties and strains
| Variety | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Blue / opaline / gold | Colour forms of one species, sold under separate names and identical in behaviour and requirements. |
Adult size and growth
12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in)
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 4–6 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: deep-bodied with a moderate. Larger-mouthed than the dwarf species.
Water and tank requirements
A fifteen-centimetre fish that holds territory. Length gives a harassed tankmate somewhere to be.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Lowland floodplain
Seasonally inundated flat country — várzea, chaco, swamp margin — where the water body changes size, depth and chemistry through the year.
The habitat's defining feature is change, so a single band describes it badly. Species from here are generally tolerant of a wide range and intolerant of nothing much — which makes them easy to keep and easy to keep wrongly.
- Conductivity
- 40–300 µS/cm
- Flow
- still
- Dissolved oxygen
- low
- Seasonality
- strong
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — lowland floodplain. Lowland floodplain generally runs 22–32°C, and the advised band of 22–28°C is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- pHFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — lowland floodplain. Lowland floodplain generally runs 6–7.5, and the advised band of 6–8 is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- General hardnessFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — lowland floodplain. Lowland floodplain generally runs 2–12 dGH, and the advised band of 4–19 dGH is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
Scale: 20.5 to 33.5 °C.
Scale: 5.7 to 8.3 pH.
Scale: -0.5 to 21.6 dGH.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 22–28 °C (72–82 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6–8 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 4–19 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 150 L (40 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 90 cm long | A fifteen-centimetre fish that holds territory. Length gives a harassed tankmate somewhere to be. |
| Water flow | low | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Yes | Reduces evaporation and prevents accidents. |
Behaviour
- Breathes atmospheric air at the surface; this is normal and not a sign of poor water.
- Uses the long pelvic filaments to investigate surroundings and tankmates.
Telling males from females
Males have a longer, pointed dorsal fin; females' is shorter and rounded.
Feeding
- Diet type
- Omnivore
- Staples
- Dry foods, Frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, Vegetable matter
Breeding
- Strategy
- Bubble-nest builder; the male guards the nest
- Difficulty
- straightforward
- Parental care
- guarding
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | none | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | none | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | moderate | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | none | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | none | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | none | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- Sold as a peaceful community fish on the strength of juvenile behaviour. Adult males are persistently territorial.
- Needs access to the surface at all times — a completely covered surface will drown a labyrinth fish.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- Mekong basin and much of mainland Southeast Asia
- Habitat
- Still and slow waters — marshes, ditches, flooded fields — often low in oxygen.
What the checklists say
25 distribution statements retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.
| Status | Places | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 23 | A checklist states the species arrived here with human help. That is not a statement that it is established, harmful or illegal. |
| Recorded as present, establishment means not stated | 2 | The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in. |
No checklist AquariumHQ holds positively calls this species native anywhere, so the native range above rests on AquariumHQ’s own reading of the literature rather than on a cited checklist.
Legal status and responsible practice
Where this species has been introduced, and what followed
Florida and Puerto Rico
Locally establishedProbable release or escape from fish farms in Florida; aquarium release in Puerto Rico.
- Escape from an ornamental fish farmOrnamental fish farms are usually outdoor ponds in warm places, and warm places are where tropical species establish. Several of the best-known Florida introductions began this way rather than with a keeper.
- Deliberate aquarium releaseSomebody took the animal out of a tank and put it into open water. The commonest reason is that the fish outgrew the aquarium, which is why size at maturity is a conservation question as well as a welfare one.
What has been established
Nothing. The species is present outside its native range and no study has measured what it does there. The absence of data is not the absence of effect — it means the question has not been asked, and this is the ordinary state of the evidence for most aquarium species that have established somewhere warm.
USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database · Species Profile — Means of Introduction; Species Profile — Impact of Introduction · read 2026-08-29. A United States database: the routes and effects recorded here are the ones documented there, and say nothing about other regions.
Never release aquarium life into the wild
Aquarium animals, plants, and aquarium water must never be released into ponds, rivers, canals, drains or the sea — not even in a country where the species is sold freely. Released fish and invertebrates establish populations that displace native species, and released plants and water carry pathogens, parasites and fragments capable of spreading without any animal at all. If you can no longer keep an animal, rehome it through an aquarium society, a retailer that accepts returns, or another keeper.
- Rehome through a local aquarium society, a specialist retailer or another keeper.
- Unwanted plants go in household waste or a hot compost heap, never in a watercourse or a garden pond.
- Never empty a bucket of tank water into a drain that discharges to open water.
- If an animal is beyond rehoming, ask an aquatic veterinarian about humane euthanasia rather than releasing it.
Legal status is recorded from the sources named and was correct on the verification date shown. Rules change, and sub-national rules often differ from national ones. Check the current position with the relevant authority before acquiring, selling or moving any animal or plant.
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Trichopodus trichopterus | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Mekong basin and much of mainland Southeast Asia | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 12–15 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 4–6 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 22–28 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–8 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 4–19 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 150 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 90 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-11. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. 25 distribution statements held from GBIF checklists — introduced in 22 country. Establishment means is reproduced from the source, never inferred from occurrence.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeOne sourceAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.1 citation, 1 independent origin
A single source: usgs-nas.
- 15 cm — USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database · Maximum recorded · Observed in the wild · checked 2026-08-29
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. A documented maximum is held and the catalogue's typical adult range is stated separately, with the relationship between them recorded rather than collapsed. The catalogue's typical adult range already reaches the largest recorded specimen.
What would improve this: Corroborate against a second, independent source.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Territorial behaviourIt defends ground, and the shape of what it defends decides the tank more than the volume does.
- The kinds of water aquarium fish come fromThis record's water bands follow lowland floodplain, which is the kind of water this animal is recorded from.
- How aquarium species get into the wildThis species has a documented introduction outside its native range, with the route recorded.
Group size and social behaviour
Males are territorial towards each other and towards similar-shaped fish. One per tank unless the tank is genuinely large.