If you are thinking of starting a new aquarium and looking for some entertaining fish, the kissing gourami is a wonderful choice. Quite a popular pet choice because of its unique feature, it is a fish that kisses! Don’t be appalled, the fish isn’t going to come out and kiss you, it is just the fact that when two kissing gouramis meet, they meet each other in a manner that makes it appear as if they are kissing each other.  All of us associate kissing with love and endearment, but in fact really this behavior is a signal of the fish challenging each other! We’ve heard of fighting fish that fight with each other, the kissing gouramis are also aggressive in nature, and this act of kissing is there way of engaging in a tussle although there isn’t any harm done to each other.

Obviously, if you are looking for interesting fish as pets, then the kissing gourami would be a wonderful choice and also an attraction for you as you watch the kissing gourami fish kiss the wall of the tank, the aquatic plants which you might have added and of course, other fish!

Getting a new pet is no joke and you ought to know more about the kissing gourami if you are considering it to be a preferred pet choice. Read on to know more about what your pet gourami fish will need!

Variations:  Most people are only aware about the pink gourami fish variation. However there are different colours which are also available. The naturally occurring colour is the green kissing gourami fish, and the other colour variation is the piebald variety. The pink coloured gourami fish do not occur much in abundance in nature, yet are the most popular variety of aquarium fish. Do not fear though, breeders specifically breed the pink fish and it would not be too difficult for you to acquire your pink gourami fish.

Tank Requirements: A very vital matter that you must think upon is the tank requirement for the kissing gourami. A kissing gourami fish requires a minimum tank size of 30 gallons and if you are looking for a small tank, this fish might not be suitable. When they are in their natural habitat that are prone to grow up to a foot’s length even, but when they are in captivity as pets their maximum size is almost halved to around 12 inches. So ensure that you are planning to invest in a medium sized rank at the least if you are interested in raising the kissing gourami fish. The optimal water temperature should be around 22 to 28 Celsius.

Another essential feature necessary for your tank is that the kissing gourami fish should have easy access to large surface area of the tank. This is because they are labyrinth fish which have a special organ which helps them to absorb oxygen from the air as their gills have less capacity to absorb oxygen directly from the water. Therefore, ensure that you have a tank with large surface area, which your pet fish can easily access. Oxygen isn’t imperative for humans only for survival!

Food: Kissing gourami fish are not fussy eaters and the commercial fish feed which you may find would be sufficient to meet the dietary needs of your pet fish. You could even add some fresh vegetables for their diet as it would provide an all round balanced meal. However ensure that the fresh produced is consumed by the fish soon. If the fresh produce is left around, it would rot and create an unhealthy living environment for your pet kissing gouramis. Food which is rich in spirulina must also be added to provide a nutritious meal for your pet fish.

Behaviour: Kissing gourami fish are acknowledged for their habit of appearing to kiss each other as well as other objects. In spite of this behavior, they are not overtly aggressive. Eventhough the fish are not outright aggressive like fighting fish, they are passive aggressive and could cause harm to other fish if they scrape them, as it might result in damaging the skin of the other fish. Hence, it is wise to not grow other smaller fish around the kissing gourami fish. In case it appears as though the other fish are having a difficult time or shy away from your kissing gourami, it would be wise to separate the fish. Better safe than sorry! Once they grow older, they lose their mild aggressiveness and can happily co-exist with their tank mates.

Every pet owner is eager to know how and when their pets would reproduce. It is extremely difficult to detect the sex of the kissing gourami fish as the female can be identified only when it is pregnant. Unlike other labyrinth fish, It is not always a case to notice the male fish building bubble nests for the hatching of their young ones. Once the fertilized eggs are released by the female, the male fish takes care of the young ones. Even in cases where some of the eggs might float away, the male fish will use bubbles to blow them back to their place.

Once the fry are hatched, it would be a wise idea to separate the young gourami fish from their mothers, as they might eat their young ones.

You have probably gotten a basic idea about the kissing gourami fish and whether it is suitable for you as a pet. Remember, while watching these  gourami fish kiss each other is much fun, raising them is well is your responsibility too. If you can ensure that you will provide the right environment for your kissing gouramis and will take proper care of them – well what are you waiting for? Run along and get them soon!

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