Freshwater Fish
Honey Gourami.
The honey gourami is a 2-inch labyrinth fish whose males flush a deep honey-gold when displaying — the color that earned it the name. One of the gentlest gouramis available, beginner-easy and naturally shy, it settles best into a calm, planted 10-gallon-plus community with soft flow and a little surface cover.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Beginner
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Community
- Community safe
- Adult size
- 2"
- Min tank size
- 10 gallons
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Trichogaster chuna
Good tank mates
Peaceful and community-safe, the honey gourami is one of the gentlest gouramis and fits a calm community. Good tankmates include small peaceful schoolers like rasboras, small tetras (ember and neon tetras), and corydoras catfish. Because it's shy, avoid boisterous or fin-nipping fish like tiger barbs and anything large or aggressive that could intimidate it or fit it in its mouth.
Good to know
Male honey gouramis flush a deep honey-gold color when displaying to females or rivals, which is how the fish got its common name.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Bronze Cory
Peaceful bottom-dwellers that occupy a different water column zone than the mid-swimming gourami, share similar soft-water parameters, and pose no competition or threat.
Ember Tetra
Tiny, peaceful nano schooling fish that thrive in the same warm, soft-water conditions and won't intimidate or outcompete the shy, slow-moving gourami.
Colored Shrimp
Adult cherry shrimp generally coexist peacefully with honey gouramis — the gourami's small mouth makes adult shrimp too large to eat. Shrimplets may be predated, so a heavily planted tank with java moss is strongly recommended for anyone hoping to maintain a breeding colony.
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Kuhli Loach
Pangio spp. are explicitly cited by Seriously Fish as suitable companions for this slow-moving, easily intimidated gourami. They are nocturnal bottom-dwellers that share the same soft, warm-water parameters and have zero overlap in territory or feeding zone.
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Sparkling Gourami
Similarly small, gentle labyrinth fish that share the same soft-water requirements and calm temperament. Natural habitat-level separation — honey gouramis stay near the surface under floating plants while sparkling gouramis prefer lower/mid levels — reduces inter-labyrinth conflict. Adequate space and sight-line-breaking plants are needed to prevent territorial display.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.