How to Feed Kissing Gourami

Kissing gouramis inhabit densely vegetated, tropical waters in the Far East, including Thailand, Borneo and Sumatra. These interesting and attractive freshwater fish are omnivores under natural conditions and require a diet based both on plant and animal protein. Kissing gouramis soon become accustomed to the presence of the aquarist and will often accept food from their owner's fingers. This species will feed on aquatic plants, which they will quickly shred and consume, particularly if the gourami is a mature individual.

Things You'll Need

  • High quality vegetable-based sinking aquarium pellet
  • Ripe banana
  • Spinach
  • Small bowl
  • Kettle
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Zucchini
  • Parboiled peas
  • Earthworms
  • Freeze-dried or frozen bloodworms
  • Brine shrimp
  • Driftwood
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed a high quality commercial pellet to your gourami. Choose a sinking pellet, preferably a pellet that sinks slowly, so that the fish can grab it as it falls through the water. Fish typically ingest air when they eat floating pellets or flakes from the surface of the aquarium water, which is unnatural for most species of fish.

    • 2

      Peel a ripe banana and cut off a slice. Break pieces from this slice, small enough to fit into the gourami's mouth. Attract your gourami toward the surface by holding a piece of banana in the water. Hand feed the gourami, if it is comfortable accepting food from your fingers. Drop the piece of banana in front of the fish if it does not approach your hand.

    • 3

      Blanch a piece of spinach by dipping it very briefly into a dish of boiling water. Place the spinach in the teeth of a produce clip and use the adhesive suction cup on the clip to secure it to one of the inside glass panes.

    • 4

      Offer the gourami parboiled peas and blanched zucchini or romaine lettuce on alternate days.

    • 5

      Feed earthworms to your gourami two to three times per week. Rinse earthworms under a running tap to remove soil and other debris. Cut large earthworms in half and gently squeeze the ingested earth from the piece of worm by pulling it through your partly closed thumb and forefinger.

    • 6

      Feed freeze-dried or frozen bloodworms every alternate day.

    • 7

      Place living brine shrimp into the aquarium for young kissing gouramis, twice a week. Obtain these highly nutritious tiny crustaceans from your aquatic dealer.

    • 8

      Add two to three pieces of driftwood to the aquarium. Algae will grow on this wood and your gourami will be able to graze on the new growth on an ongoing basis.