Giant gourami
Osphronemus goramy
Also known asGourami · Gurame · Goramy
Water parameters
Minimum tank: 800 L per individual at harvest size.
Feed and growth
- Feed protein
- 28% target
- Daily feed (warm)
- 1.40% of body weight
- Daily feed (cool)
- 0.50% of body weight
- Max density
- 35 g per litre
A 5000 g adult eats about 70.0 g of feed per day at optimum. 10 fish at adult size: ~700 g daily.
Legality
Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | check local regulations | verified 2026-05-13 |
| Northern Territory | check local regulations | Hobby legal; food aquaculture may require permit verified 2026-05-13 |
Unlisted jurisdictions default to "check local regulations".
Origin and habitat
The giant gourami, Osphronemus goramy, is the largest of the gouramis (family Osphronemidae), native to lowland swamps, rivers, lakes, and flooded forests across Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Borneo, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, and Indochina. It reaches a maximum of about 70 to 80 cm and roughly 9 kg, with the largest fish on record near 70 cm and over 20 kg, though most run nearer 45 cm. As a labyrinth fish it gulps air at the surface, which lets it hang on in warm, low-oxygen water. It has been farmed for food in Southeast Asia for centuries and remains a key aquaculture species in Indonesia, which turns out the great majority of the world's giant gourami, well over a hundred thousand tonnes a year, in ponds, cages, and rice paddies. The flesh is white, mild, and relatively free of small bones for a fish its size. It has been introduced to many tropical countries for food and the ornamental trade, and as a voracious plant-eater it has even been used to control invasive weeds such as Salvinia molesta.
Climate and outdoor ponds
- Climate
- tropical (needs warm water year-round)
- USDA zones
- 9–13 (winter low around -7°C or warmer)
- Heating needed
- yes
- Cooling needed
- no
Care notes
A warm-water food fish for tropical aquaponics, most at home in Southeast Asian settings where it is valued and easy to source. It grows best around 26–30°C within a tolerated range of 20–35°C. Growth is moderate, reaching roughly one to two kilograms over about twelve months on a commercial pellet of 28 to 35 percent protein, and the fish keeps growing for years toward its large adult size; feed conversion runs about 1.5 to 2.5. Its diet is the standout feature: giant gourami lean strongly herbivorous, taking aquatic plants, vegetable scraps, fruit, and leaves alongside pellet, so trimmings from the grow beds can offset a real share of feed cost, a long-standing practice in Indonesian pond culture. Stocking should stay moderate, around 10 to 20 g/L, since adults are territorial. Air-breathing gives the fish resilience: it rides out oxygen crashes that would kill tilapia or catfish, useful during power or pump failures. Fingerlings are widely sold across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is legal to farm in most tropical countries but restricted in temperate regions over escape and invasion risk, and impractical there without continuously heated indoor systems.