Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Banded Gourami
Trichogaster fasciata Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Also called Striped gourami, Giant gourami (ambiguous), Kholshe, Colisa fasciata (former name)
From South Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and upper Myanmar, in sluggish rivers, ditches, ponds, lakes and rice paddies, usually among plenty of vegetation.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Scaled, elongated, strongly compressed labyrinth fish
A flat-sided gourami with a greenish base colour and slanting orange or bluish bars running down and back from the back toward the anal fin. Males are much more colourful and grow pointed dorsal and anal fins; females stay smaller and plainer.132
Personality what they are like
A somewhat shy but hardy fish that settles well into a community tank. Males can squabble around breeding time, so give them room.32
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A calm swimmer that likes still water and visits the surface to breathe air.21
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Keep water movement low and the tank well planted with floating plants for shade. Regular partial water changes.2
Home where they are happiest
Tank with a base of about 75 x 30 cm (around 70 litres) for a pair, heavily planted with dark substrate and driftwood. Temperature 21-28 °C, pH 6.0-7.5, hardness 5-15 dGH.2
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An unfussy omnivore that takes dried foods, with live and frozen foods offered regularly for the best colour.2
Company who they like around
Fine with rasboras, danios, barbs, loaches and smaller catfish. Avoid keeping it with the thick-lipped gourami, as the two can interbreed.2
The story where it all began
Marcus Bloch and Johann Schneider described it in 1801, and it is the type species of the genus Trichogaster. It is a food fish in its native countries and is also exported as an ornamental fish.32
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is sometimes called the giant gourami, although that name more often means the much larger Osphronemus goramy.3
- 2
It is the largest species in the genus Trichogaster.2
- 3
The male blows a bubble nest and guards the eggs, which hatch in about 24-36 hours.2
- 4
Both a food fish and an aquarium fish, it is exported for its colourful pattern.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed January 2010)1
- Taxonomy
- Type species of the genus Trichogaster; formerly Colisa fasciata3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Banded Gourami. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Trichogaster fasciata, Banded gourami fishbase.seused for max length, distribution, habitat, water ranges, IUCN status, uses, breeding biology, author and year
- Seriously Fish: Trichogaster fasciata (Banded Gourami) seriouslyfish.comused for standard length, native range, habitat, tank size, temperature, pH, hardness, diet, compatibility, sexing, breeding
- Wikipedia: Banded gourami en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, description, taxonomy and history, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.