Dwarf Gourami – Colisa Lalia

Common name: Dwarf Gourami

Scientific name: Colisa Lalia, Trichogaster Lalius, Trichopodus Lalius

Average Adult Fish Size: 4 inches / 10 cm

Place of Origin: Ganges Delta, India

Typical Tank setup: A well planted tank with rockwork, driftwood/bogwood and little current. They do not appreciate bright lighting and like the shade of large or floating plants.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 10 gallon / 40 litre

Compatibility: Dwarf Gouramis are a very peaceful fish and do very well in a community aquarium with tetras, livebearers, and other fish of similar size and temperament. Bettas abhor them though. A male Betta will relentlessly chase a Dwarf Gourami around the aquarium.

Temperature: 77 – 82 Deg F / 25 – 28 Deg C

Water chemistry: pH 6.0 – 8.0

Feeding: Omnivorous. They do best on a varied diet of quality flake food, micro pellets, brine shrimp, brown worms, blood worms, and daphnia.

Sexing: Dwarf Gouramis are easy to sex. The male is more brightly colored and slimmer while the female is plumper and less colorful. The dorsal fin of the male is pointed and the female is rounded.

Breading: Colisa lalia (Dwarf Gourami) are bubble nest builders that build their nest on the surface among dense vegetation. The male guards the nest and the eggs in it. The females do not take part in the breeding process once their eggs are laid and the males will chase them away. The male guards the fry until the fry become free swimming. A tight fitting lid is a must as high humidity will help keep the bubble nest intact longer as will minimizing surface water movement. Infusoria is the best initial fry food until they graduate to finely crushed flake food and baby brine shrimp 7-10 days after becoming free swimming. Daily partial water changes are a must to maximize the survival of the fry. The aquarium housing the fry must also have a tight fitting lid.

Additional Information: They do best in pairs or groups of 2-3 females and a male. A bored male can sometimes turn aggressive. Dwarf Gouramis are available in numerous colorations. Each coloration is a variation of the same species.