Colisa chuna - Honey Gourami

Osphronemidae. Subfamily: Luciocephalinae

Native to India and Bangladesh.

Typically inhabits heavily vegetated, sluggish waters including ponds, ditches and flooded fields.

2" (5cm).

24" x 12" x 12" (60cm x 30cm x 30cm) -

Prefers a densely planted tank with lots of floating cover. Water movement should be minimal.

72-82°F (22-27°C)

6.0-7.5

5-20 dH

Unfussy and will accept most foods offered. Especially fond of small live or frozen foods.

Ideal for a community containing other small, peaceful species. While the males are territorial, they are much less so than in C. lalia , and several can be maintained in a relatively small aquarium. They do become more aggressive when spawning, however.

The female is the larger sex, and usually has a brown stripe running horizontally along the body. Males in breeding condition take on a stunning orange colouration over much of the body. The front lower portion of the body takes on a blue/black colouration, which extends into the anal fin and the dorsal fin turns bright yellow.

One of the more easily-bred gouramis, and a good choice for the beginner. It's best spawned in a pair, but you can use a small group if you wish. The breeding tank should be small and contain shallow water of no more than 6" in depth. Furnish it with lots of floating plants. Gentle filtration via an air-powered sponge filter is the best option, as it will not break up the bubblenest of the male or suck up any fry. The tank should have the tightest-fitting cover you can find (some breeders use clingfilm instead, to ensure no gaps), as the fry need access to a layer of warm, humid air. Without this the development of the labyrinth organ can be impaired.

Condition the fish with plenty of small live foods. When the female becomes plump with eggs the male will construct a loose bubblenest amongst the floating plants. He will then begin to display to the female. As the female approaches the nest the fish can be seen touching each other with their modified ventral fins. Spawning occurs under the nest in the typical anabantoid embrace.

The male collects the eggs and transports them to the nest. Several more spawnings occur and when there are no more eggs the female is chased away. It is best to remove her at this point. The male then tends to the nest until the eggs hatch, usually in around 24-36 hours. The male can then also be removed. The fry become free swimming in another 24-48 hours and are very small. They should be fed infusoria or liquid fry food for the first week, after which they are large enough to accept brine shrimp nauplii or microworm. Care should be taken when performing water changes as the young are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry and temperature, and remain so for some time.

This is the smallest of the colisa genus and in our opinion makes a far better addition to community tanks than the unpredictable dwarf gourami. There are a few selectively bred aquarium sport varieties of this fish available including red and albino forms.

In nature it is reported to spit water droplets at insects it spots on overhanging leaves and branches, in a similar fashion to the infamous archerfish. If a direct hit occurs the insect is dislodged and falls into the water where it is devoured by the hungry gourami.