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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Three-striped croaking gourami
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Variations

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Three-striped croaking gourami

Trichopsis schalleri · Schaller's gourami, Three-striped gourami, Croaking gourami (schalleri)

Peaceful and shy.

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5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
22–28 °CTemperature ✓
5–7.5pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Three-striped croaking gourami only grows to 5 cm.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Three-striped croaking gourami is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Three-striped croaking gourami only grows to 5 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

402 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–12 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2.5–3.5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and shy. Does best in groups with other calm, small fish.

Food

Live and frozen foods; small pellets once settled.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are larger than females and have extended rays in the pelvic, dorsal, anal and tail fins. Shining a strong light behind an adult shows the ovaries of females below the swim bladder.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Bubble-nester · Moderate

Bubblenester. The male builds his nest in floating plants, under an overhang or in a cavity. The pair need not be separated; the female is usually tolerated and may help guard the nest. Soft water and a slightly raised temperature are said to trigger spawning; keep the tank tightly covered.

Pairing

Condition a group in a planted tank and let pairs form.

Setup

20 L tank with small caves, leaf-litter and floating plants, soft water and low flow.

What starts it

Live food, slight warming and a water change.

Eggs

Typically up to about 200 eggs; they hatch within 48 hours and the fry stay in the nest 3-4 more days.

Raising the fry

Infusoria then brine shrimp nauplii; the male guards the nest.

Common mistakes
  • Strong flow
  • Hard water
  • Too many males in a small tank
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMekong basin – Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
Rivers and lakesMekong basin
HabitatWeedy, slow waters and floodplains
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
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The story of the three-striped croaking gourami

A small croaking gourami from the lower Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, sometimes called the Mekong croaking or three-stripe gourami. Both sexes make croaking sounds with special pectoral-fin tendons. It is rated a beginner species and is larger than the similar sparkling gourami.

German ichthyologist Werner Ladiges described this croaking gourami in 1962. It is a less common relative of the croaking and sparkling gouramis.

First described by Werner Ladiges in 1962. Named for Named after German aquarist Dietrich Schaller.

  • Like its relatives, it can croak by flicking its pectoral fins.
  • It has three dark stripes along its body.
  • It stays small, around 5 cm.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources