Red Honey Gourami is a beautiful freshwater fish that is found with red/orange colorations. Their color makes them pop in most aquariums, which makes them great centerpiece fish for smaller aquariums. The Red Honey Gourami size at adulthood will be about 2 inches, which means they will do great in nano fish tanks. This guide is meant to provide general care for this species of fish. The article will cover Red Honey Gourami aquarium requirements, dietary needs, tank mates, and breeding habits.
Aquarium Requirements
As stated above, Red Honey Gourami size will max out around 2 inches. A single Honey Gourami should do well in a 5 or 10-gallon aquarium, but a small group of 3 individuals should be in at least 20 gallons. They will do well solitarily, or in a small group, as long as their aquarium needs are met.
Red Honey Gouramis do best in well-planted aquariums with plenty of hiding places. I suggest adding rocks and driftwood into your aquarium for hiding places. Also, floating plants, such as Salvinia minima or dwarf water lettuce will help comfort your fish and assist with bubble nest building if you choose to breed the species.
Water Parameters
Honey Gouramis are quite versatile when it comes to water parameter needs. The following are the parameters they do best in:
- Temperature: 74° – 82° F
- pH: 6.0 – 8.0
- Water Hardness: 4 – 10 KH
Stable water parameters will be the key to keeping this fish happy and healthy in the aquarium. They are generally easy to care for animals, but providing them with a healthy diet and stable/clean water will really allow them to flourish. Consider getting an API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which will help you monitor your water parameters. The API GH & KH Test Kit will be needed to keep an eye on your water hardness.
Food & Diet
Red Honey Gouramis are omnivores, this means that they consume both plant and animal matter. They will do best being fed a variety of food such as bloodworms, Mysis shrimp, Daphnia, and Brine Shrimp. A high-quality pellet food and/or flake food should also be introduced to provide a varied diet. Some of my favorite pellet foods are the New Life Spectrum brand and you can’t go wrong with the Omega One Super Color Flakes. The Red Honey Gourami will also enjoy algae wafers, zucchini, and cucumbers for grazing from time to time.
Are Red Honey Gouramis Aggressive?
Red Honey Gouramis are incredibly peaceful fish. Most other gourami species are known to be more territorial and a bit more aggressive. The Red Honey Gourami may become shy when more active fish are introduced into the aquarium. Providing a lot of hiding places for this fish species will help alleviate some stress from active tank mates.
Tank Mates
Red Honey Gouramis should do well with most freshwater community fish. They will do great with Tetras, Rasboras, Guppies, Corycats, Platies, Rainbows, and many other peaceful freshwater fish. However, I would avoid keeping them with larger, more aggressive fish, such as larger cichlids. Also, I would avoid very fast-moving fish, such as Danios, mostly because they will likely outcompete this species for food.
Breeding
If you have a pair, Red Honey Gouramis will likely breed in your aquarium. Males and females are fairly easy to tell apart. Adult females are usually larger than males, but the males should have more vibrant colorations than the females. When breeding, a bubble nest will be formed and the eggs will be within the bubble nest. The aquarium should have little to zero water flow to help with the success of the bubble nest. Floating plants are also recommended to help the bubble nest’s success.
The male Red Honey Gourami will tend to the nest until the eggs hatch. If possible, it is recommended to separate the female from the aquarium. Gourami offspring are incredibly small after hatching. Small live foods will be a necessity in keeping the babies alive. They will unfortunately likely be preyed upon by other tank inhabitants unless they are separated.
Final Notes
Red Honey Gouramis are gorgeous fish that will stand out in your planted aquarium. Their peaceful personalities make them fantastic for community aquariums. They are also perfect for nano fish tanks due to their generally small size. If Red Honey Gouramis are not for you, check out 9 other Red Tropical Fish for Your Freshwater Fish Tank. Hopefully, one fish from that list will spark your interest!