How Big Do Dwarf Gouramis Get? Size Information

Dwarf gouramis are small, but how small exactly? Here’s the answer to the question: how big do dwarf gouramis get?

Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the dwarf gourami, especially in terms of its size, tank requirements, and more.

Dwarf Gourami Average Size

Although a dwarf gourami is one of the smaller types of gouramis out there, it’s still a decent sized fish to have in a home aquarium. On average, you can expect these fish to reach 2.5 inches or 6.5 centimeters in length, with some getting even slightly larger than that.

That said, the fish tends to be quite proportionate in terms of its width to its length, as they have a relatively streamlined body.

Thanks to their nice body shapes, along with their nice colors, they often make for a prime choice for aquarium enthusiasts. There are many different color options available here, which is something that many people appreciate.

Dwarf Gourami Recommended Tank Size

One of the most important things to consider with dwarf gouramis is the size of the tank that they need. Generally speaking, most people would say that fish require around 2 gallons of space for every inch of fish. Yes, generally, this may be true, as most fish are perfectly happy with that size of tank. However, dwarf gouramis are fairly active swimmers, and they can be a bit territorial as well.

This means that they often need more space than other similar sized fish. For a dwarf gourami, you should aim to provide them with around 4 gallons of tank space for every inch of fish. This means that a 2.5 inch dwarf gourami should have around 10 gallons of tank space. 

This will allow a dwarf gourami more than enough tank space to swim comfortably and to establish its own territory.

If you plan on keeping more than one dwarf gouramis together, such as a pair, then things look a bit different. Of course, you still want to stay with the recommended tank size for individual fish, which automatically means that two of these fish should have 20 gallons of tank space.

Now, this might be perfectly fine if you have a male and a female together, as they should get along, but if you have two males together, then you might want to give them even more space. 

Remember that these fish can be somewhat territorial, which means that if they don’t have enough room, and if they feel threatened, they will fight each other. Therefore, if you’re keeping two male dwarf gouramis together, it’s recommended to have around 25 gallons of tank space.

If you plan on keeping more than two of them together, such as in larger groups, and you definitely want to give each dwarf gourami at least 12 to 15 gallons of tank space, as this will help prevent aggression and territorial disputes from occurring between them.

Dwarf Gourami Size vs Other Gouramis

As noted above, the dwarf gourami is one of the smaller types of gouramis, although there are even smaller. For instance, there is the sparkling gourami, which grows to around 1 inch in length, as well as the honey gourami, which usually grows to no more than two inches in length. However, there are then also much larger options.

We have the opaline gourami which can grow to around 5 inches, the moonlight gourami which can grow up to six inches, the banded gourami which can grow up to around 5 inches, and many more. There are well over 10 different types of gourami fish, with dwarf gourami decidedly being some of the smaller ones.

Why is My Dwarf Gourami Not Growing?

Seeing as we are talking about the size of your dwarf gourami, some people might find that they aren’t growing enough. Well, there are some common reasons as to why a dwarf gourami might not be reaching its full size.

Improper Nutrition

Perhaps one of the leading causes of fish not growing as large as they should is a lack of nutrition, which funny enough, is also the case with human beings. Simply put, a dwarf gourami requires a certain amount of calories, proteins, fats, minerals, and nutrients in order to grow big and strong.

If the fish is not getting all of the nutrients it needs, then it won’t reach its full size and might have stunted growth.

Therefore, you should provide your dwarf gourami with a well-balanced diet that consists of a lot of protein. You can give them high quality fish flakes, pellets, live foods, freeze dried foods, and some vegetable matter. You can also feed your dwarf gourami up to three small meals per day, but no more than it can eat in about two minutes.

Poor Water Quality

Something else that may stress out a dwarf gourami and result in stunted growth is poor water quality. If the water contains elevated levels of ammonia, nitrites, or other contaminants, it may inhibit the growth of your fish. It may stress your fish out, it may make it ill, and it may cause damage to its internal organs.

Whatever the case, poor water quality is often a leading cause of a lack of growth in fish. More than anything else, this means that you need to maintain a clean tank with clear water.

If you have a good aquarium filter that can perform all three major types of water filtration, including mechanical, biological, and chemical, then you’re on the right track. 

Remember that you should also clean your fish tank at least once every couple of weeks, and you should perform a weekly water change of around 15 to 30%.

Unideal Water Conditions

Something else that may result in the stunted growth of your dwarf gourami is if it is living in water conditions that are not ideal for its needs. For instance, the dwarf gourami requires the water to be between 77 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, or between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius.

If this temperature is not maintained on a regular basis, it may result in various health issues and stunted growth.

On that note, the dwarf gouramis require the water to have a PH or acidity level between 6.0 and 7.5, as well as a water hardness level of between 5 and 15. If any of these parameters are significantly off, especially when your dwarf gourami is still growing, it may result in stunted growth.

Conclusion

The bottom line here is that dwarf gouramis definitely aren’t the biggest fish around. If you’re looking for a relatively small fish that doesn’t require all that much tank space, then it is a good option to consider. 

With that being said, remember that these fish are somewhat aggressive and territorial, so you want to provide them with enough space to feel comfortable in.

In general, this means that each fish should have around 10 gallons of tank space. If you’re keeping one alone, you might be able to get away with a slightly smaller tank, although I don’t really recommend it. Furthermore, if your dwarf gourami isn’t growing as large as it should, check to see what its diet is like, and make sure that you’re maintaining an ideal tank for it to live in.