Kissing Gourami - in The Aquarium

In The Aquarium

Kissing gouramis are also popular with aquarists for the fish's peculiar "kissing" behavior of other fish, plants, and other objects. Kissers of both sexes will often spar by meeting mouths and pushing each other through the water. Large quantities of these fish are exported to Japan, Europe, North America, Australia, and other parts of the world for just this reason. Kissing gouramis need a roomy tank in order to thrive; they grow rapidly, and juvenile fish will quickly outgrow smaller aquaria. Kissing gouramis are territorial, some are tolerant towards fish of similar size, but others will bully, chase and torment causing significant stress on tank mates. Male kissers will occasionally challenge each other; however, the "kissing" itself is never fatal but the constant bullying can stress the other fish to death. They often do in fact kill other fish by sucking their 'fish slime' (mucus) off of their skin as food, which opens the victim fish up to infections. These fish may be useful as algae eaters to control algae growth. To prevent digging and to present enough surface area for algae growth, the substrate should consist of large-diameter gravel and stones. The aquarium's back glass should not be cleaned during regular maintenance, as the gouramis will feed on the algae grown there. Most plants will not survive the fish's grazing, so inedible plants such as Java fern, Java moss, or plastic plants are recommended.

These fish are omnivorous and need both plant and animal matter in its diet. The fish will accept vegetables such as cooked lettuce and any kind of live food. Water hardness should be between 5–30°dGH and pH between 6.8–8.5; the temperature should be between 22–28 °C (72–82 °F). When breeding kissing gouramis, soft water is preferred. As the fish do not build a nest, lettuce leaves placed on the water surface serve as a spawning medium. The lettuce will eventually host bacteria and infusoria which the fish will feed upon. The maximum length for Kissing gouramis in aquariums is between 20 to 30 cm (7.87 - 11.81 inches)