Red Robin / Red Honey Gourami - Trichogaster Chuna

Red Robin / Red Honey Gourami | A Jewel-Like Dwarf Gourami for Planted Aquariums

The Red Robin Gourami, also widely known as the Red Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna), is a captivating and underappreciated dwarf gourami that deserves far more attention in the freshwater hobby than it typically receives. A selectively bred colour form of the Honey Gourami, breeding males develop a rich, deep orange-red colouration that intensifies across the entire body during display — an almost impossibly vivid transformation from the more subdued colouration of juveniles and females that has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

Small, peaceful, and genuinely personable, the Red Robin Gourami is a fantastic centrepiece fish for planted nano and community tanks — bringing colour, character, and the fascinating labyrinth-breathing behaviour of the gourami family in a compact, manageable package.

Red Robin / Red Honey Gourami Care Guide

Care at a Glance

• Scientific name: Trichogaster chuna
• Also known as: Red Robin Gourami, Red Honey Gourami, Honey Dwarf Gourami
• Adult size: up to 2 inches (5 cm) — males more intensely coloured than females
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons for a pair — 20 gallons recommended for a community setup
• Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
• pH: 6.0–7.5 — soft, slightly acidic water brings out the best colouration
• Hardness: soft to moderately hard water
• Best kept as a single male with one or more females, or in a species-only group
• Lifespan: 4–8 years with good care

Tank Setup

A densely planted aquarium with floating plants to diffuse surface lighting, gentle filtration, and slow to moderate water flow suits Red Robin Gouramis perfectly. These are naturally shy, surface-oriented fish that feel most confident and display their most vivid colouration in a heavily planted setup with plenty of cover. Floating plants are particularly important — they replicate the surface vegetation of the calm, vegetated waterways these fish inhabit in the wild and provide the dimly lit surface conditions that encourage the most intense red colouration in males.

As labyrinth fish, Red Robin Gouramis breathe atmospheric air directly from the surface — ensure there is always clear access to the water surface and that the air above the waterline is kept warm, as cold surface air can cause respiratory issues.

Feeding Your Red Robin Gouramis

Omnivores with small mouths that do best on appropriately sized foods. A high quality micro flake or small pellet makes a solid staple diet, supplemented regularly with frozen or live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, micro worms, and bloodworm. A varied diet rich in colour-enhancing ingredients will maintain and intensify the vivid orange-red colouration of males.

A Note on Temperament

Red Robin Gouramis are among the most peaceful and gentle fish in the hobby — which is precisely why tank mate selection matters. Their calm, unhurried nature means they are easily outcompeted for food and can be stressed by boisterous or nippy tank mates. They thrive best alongside similarly peaceful, slow-moving species that won't bully or intimidate them.

Red Robin / Red Honey Gourami Tank Mates

• Small, peaceful tetras such as Ember Tetras, Neon Tetras, and Rummy Nose Tetras
• Small rasboras and danios
• Corydoras and small peaceful bottom dwellers
• Dwarf shrimp — use caution, particularly with very small shrimp and shrimplets
• Snails — excellent tank mates
• Avoid boisterous, fast-moving, or fin-nipping species
• Avoid larger gouramis and cichlids that may bully or intimidate them
• Keep only one male per tank in smaller setups — males can be territorial toward one another