Platinum Gourami

Geographical distribution: Greater Sunda Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, South Vietnam, Thailand and possibly, Sumatra.

Diet

Platinum Gourami likes to have live, fresh, and flake foods, pellet food, white worms, brine shrimp, blood worms. Also feed it with fresh vegetables.

Breeding

Platinum Gourami builds bubble nest. Its eggs and fry float to the top of the water. Water in the tank needs to be shallow (about 13 cms.). Take care that the current in the tank is at minimum. It is seen that stem plants, floating plants or any floating debris help in keeping the bubble nest in place. When the pair spawns, eggs are deposited in the bubble nest. Then take away the female and feed the fry with fry food and later with flakes when they are capable to eat them. Be careful to remove the male from the tank when fry come out from the nest or else he will eat them.

Physical Characteristics

Platinum Gourami has a rough diamond shape but is flat and more elongated. Its fins are curved and comparatively larger than other gouramis. It has thread like ventral fins which are very sensitive. It has a labyrinth organ which helps it in absorbing atmospheric oxygen directly into its bloodstream. Its body is white with a tone of soft yellow or silver. You can see a hint of marbling, especially on its belly and back. Blotches and stripes stretch to its fins. Two pale dark spots can be seen on it.

Tank Set Up

Tank of Platinum Gourami should be adorned in such a way which allows both quiet and dominant type of fish to live peacefully. Thus, some hiding places and thick cover of plants should be there. This fish likes the cover of floating plants. You can house young ones in a tank holding 15-20 gallons of water but adults need 35 gallons of water in their tank. Strong current in the tank bothers Platinum Gourami. The temperature it requires ranges from 25 degree C to 30 degree C or 77 degree F to 86 degree F. It needs pH from 6.0-7.8. It is a must to do regular water changes with 25% of water change per week.

Social Behavior

When Platinum Gourami is small, it is considered to be a good community fish but it is not peaceful like other gouramis. It is seen that it attacks smaller fish. It is wise to keep it with fish of its own size when it becomes an adult. There are different degrees of aggression among individuals. The aquarist should be ready to adapt the tank to suit every personality.

Compatibility

Do not keep fish in the same tank with Platinum Gourami which can provoke it to aggression. Be careful not to keep gouramis and fin nippers together. Platinum Gourami is an expert hunter, thus, it is very difficult that fish fry or very small fish last long in its tank. It is wise to keep some neutral personalities together in the tank where you have kept Platinum Gourami.

Platinum Gourami is not a very common name among the hobbyists. As the long list of common names indicates, there are quite a few colour varieties of this fish. All will interbreed quite easily. Platinum Gourami is an extremely enduring fish. Though it can survive in oxygen depleted water through its labyrinth organ but care should be taken to make frequent water changes or else it will suffer from tissue damage. You have to be extra careful while choosing specimens. Being on bottom or sulking are bad signs. You should go for a fish without any deformity or injury.