Osphronemus goramy - Giant Gourami

[aussie_oscar]

[size=150]Fish Profile for [i]Osphronemus goramy[/i][/size]
[b]Commonly known as the giant gourami[/b]
[attachment=3]clare.jpg[/attachment]
Above is Clare. 8 years old, about 50 cm long. She is saying hello!


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A Brief Introduction and History:[/size][/b]
The giant gourami originates from South East Asia where it was once classified as a threatened species due to over fishing. Being an important fish food source an effort was made to bring the giant gourami into commercial aquaculture. The farming has been a fantastic success due to the gourami belonging to a group of fish called anabantids. An anabantid is a type of fish that can respire out of water. Characteristically, anabantids make bubble nests for their fry thanks to their ability to take in air. Another well known anabantid is [i]Betta splendens[/i] (Siamese fighting fish). This air breathing ability means giant gourami could be easily transported from pond to pond without stressing the fish to much or making too much work for the farmers. Due to a population rise through the farmers' breeding the giant gourami is no longer considered a threatened species, but due to its aggressive nature towards other fish species resulting from competetion for food and territory it cannot be released into any pools, streams and lakes etc where it did not naturally originate.
For this reason it is also unlawful to import the giant gourami into other countries such as Australia. Juveniles can still be purchased within the country however, as fish may have been brought to a country prior to the importation ban.


[size=150][b]From Little to Large - Breeding, growth development, sexing:[/b][/size]
When the time comes for a pair of giant gourami to breed both the female and male make a nest, mostly from plant debris and less of the bubbles more commonly associated with gourami nests. The female will release her eggs into which are guided into the nest and the male will fertilise and nurse them. Eggs can take anywhere between a week to a month to hatch. It just depends on the water conditions.

When juveniles are sold in store it is usually at a size between 4 and 7 cm. At this age the giant gourami look more pointed and petite like its pearl gourami cousins. For a giant gourami kept in captivity the amount of water changes, size of the tank, feeding practices and amount of other fish around depends on his growth rate. The age for maturation tends to be around 6 months but giant gourami will keep growing in size over the first few years. A wild giant gourami will measure in between 60 and 70 cm. Captive bred counterparts are not far off. Be prepared for a pet for life as the life expectancy for a giant gourami is over ten years.

When sexing giant gourami there are several easy tell tale signs.
1. The males tend to be larger than the female, more rounded.
2. The dorsal fin of the male is pointed and tends to flow past the tail fin.
3. The nuchal hump on a male is much larger.
4. A male's lips will thicken around breeding season.
5. Male's are much more aggressive towards other fish and females.

Below are pictures of a male and a female giant gourami respectively. Both are perfect examples of the gender differences. These pictures are courtesy of google image search and second-handedly through the websites http://www.petfish.net and http://www.animal-world.com

[attachment=2]male.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]female.jpg[/attachment]

A male giant gourami should never be kept in the same tank as another of its species. If the other is a male the fish will fight until one or both die. If the other is a female she will be bullied and if she doesn't want to breed with the male he will kill her. Two females together should be fine but due to the general agression towards their own species it's advised against. A similar fish again is the [i]Betta splendens.[/i]

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[b]Loved Foods in the Loved Amount - what to feed a giant gourami and how much one should feed it:[/b][/size]
For a wild diet the giant gourami is omnivorous. Despite their size they don't eat as much as imagined and they tend to lean towards their herbivore fancies than insects or meat. Fresh or fouling fruits and vegetables are good but try not to feed a giant gourami a meal that can't be found in its natural environment. There is a general distaste for acidic and stoned fruits. Bananas are fantastic as wild giant gourami eat bananas that fall into the water from overhanging trees. They also make a favorite meal. An ideal daily feed for a mature gourami of around 45 - 50 cm would include half a small banana, a small handful of pellets (any size) and a small handful of mealworms. The larger the fish the more it gets fed. A general rule is to feed a fish no more than it can eat in ten minutes.

Another food loved by giant gourami is anything algae based. Algae pellets are well loved and if algae can be cultured at home then all the better for the fish!
A quick point to remember is that even though giant gourami tend to lean towards fruit and veg, any small fish that they can fit in their mouths are going to be eaten.


[b][size=150]Tank Mates and Tank Hates - ideal fish to put in the tank and who to avoid:[/size][/b]
Although a giant gourami will show severe aggression towards their own species, in a community tank they are placid and peaceful. The older they get the more they calm. Almost any fish from the same area can make a good house mate as long as there isn't too much aggression in the tank mate's nature. Catfish are fantastic as the giant gourami is a messy eater, although beware; if they aren't given enough food they have been noted to start "sucking" on the sides of the gourami.
Cichlids of any species make a bad choice as tank mates as the fish are completely different and conflict.
Other suggestions for good tank mates are shy eels, alligator gars, large silver dollars, red bellied pacus and other quiet large-ish breeds of fish. Remember any fish that is small enough to fit into the mouth of any other fish becomes a meal, dietary preference aside.

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Ideal Housing - tank size and tank content:[/b][/size]
A more than adequate size tank for the giant gourami would measure 6 feet across, 2 feet deep and 2 feet high.
That size tank should contain around 600L of water (158.5 gallons)
Ideal pH sits around 7.5 - 8
Temperature can lie comfortably between 22 and 26 degrees C (72 - 80 degrees F)
For filtration an under gravel filter is fine unless a large-fish community is planned for, in which case external cannister filtration is best where the water is filtered at a faster and controlled rate.
A course 3mm gravel substrate is fine but doesn't really affect the giant gourami as it dwells in the upper regions of water.
Bog wood, limestone and large ceramic pots make for perfect ornaments and housing. Avoid plants as they will just be eaten.


[b][size=150]The Character Within - the unique behaviour:[/size][/b]
Giant gourami are fearless fish and each have their own personality. They come to recognise their keeper and react differently toward their presence than that of other people. When a person approaches the tank a giant gourami will often rush the glass, open its mouth wide and thrash up and down, consequently splashing the person if a lid isn't left on. Sometimes a giant gourami will blow bubbles towards people. This has been personally interpreted as a sign of relaxation and possibly anticipation of food. A giant gourami will follow a person around a room, swimming to the section of tank that is nearest them. Each pet giant gourami has a personality that develops further but what character they become depends on them and their owner.

A quick note on colour. Juveniles tend to be anywhere between grey blues to red browns and as this species ages they turn pale in colour and then whiten. For pet giant gourami, any colour strains around generally have been induced either hormonally or through fish dying. The picture below is a perfect example of dying. It is a stressful process that juvenile fish endure. The dye doesn't even last.[attachment=0]dyed.jpg[/attachment]


In summary [i]Osphronemus goramy[/i], the giant gourami, makes a fantastic pet for many years. But be wary because this beautiful fish can be intimidating as a high demand fish for any beginners. Definitely not a beginners fish.



NB: This profile was written through personal experience, observation and general knowledge. If you have any counter-profiles or information on the giant gourami I'd love to know. Also apologies for a lack of pictures. I have my own giant gourami that I wanted to use for examples but my camera decided not to work.

[cichlidfish]

Congrats on being the first to submit an article!

[aussie_oscar]

Thank you. Day off today so I thought I might as well give it a go.

Can't wait to read everyone elses!!!

[cichlidfish]

Well hopefully I can finally come up with a solution to the emailing problem so I can finally send an email out to all the forum members about the contest...

[aussie_oscar]

So, where's all these other profiles?

[cichlidfish]

I'll try and send out the email out to the other members tomorrow sometime (still haven't fixed the email not working properly). Hopefully most of the members used their real email addresses that they check...and let's hope I can actually get them all sent out this time

[Skytykluvx]

The issue you raise a very useful place to learn