Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Saw a segment on Giant Gourami on the tely about a week ago, male and a female being milked into a ice cream container.
Didn’t catch the full story.

Giant Gourami was mentioned on the forum already at
viewtopic.php?p=71121&sid=89e831226b2aab45d40a29c044316636#p71121

Found heaps of references with the better ones being
http://fish.mongabay.com/species/Osphronemus_goramy.html
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/552.htm
http://www.fish-keeper.net/worldofbettas/index.php?s=&showtopic=760&view=findpost&p=3938
http://en.mimi.hu/aquarium/osphronemus_goramy.html listing some good articles/notes

Could be worth trying if breeding not too difficult, maybe limited only to the warmer regions.

Very few advertised for sale and not cheep.

I used to have a couple. Angry bastards - had to knock the bloke off in the end because he kept smashing into other gouramis I had in the tank (different types).

Agree Gourami can be nastey fish,,,I killed mine off only 2months aftergetting them.
Sidenote: Mywifenearly died laughing when seeing themin the aquarium shop for $6.00 each,.....,,in Thailand they are trash fish,,sold at less than $1.50 per KILO,,,,one man's garbage is another mans PROFIT.

Are you talking about Giant Gourami?, apparently a good eating fish,
The cheaper one have found advertised for 110 bucks at http://www.petlink.com.au/Classifieds/sale/868242.html

Extract from http://fish.mongabay.com/species/Osphronemus_goramy.html

Breeding potential: 7. This prolific species is easily bred, the only catch being that a large tank is needed.

Remarks: A major food fish, that was introduced throughout Southeast Asia and Australia to stock ponds and lakes.
A golden color variant exists.
These fish can live a long time- one individual was reportedly 20 years old.

Difficulty of care: 6. This robust species is easily cared for in a large tank.

Mine was called a giant gourami - got a pic?

Righto - got one from one of your links. Not the same as what I had, but have seen them. mmmm

It's the normal Guarami ,,,about 5cm long that is trash fish in Thailand.( Turned into fish-paste)
$110 for a Giant Guarami,,,WTF??. Sounds 10 times over-priced to me.

These things grow HUGE. however they are TERRIBLY agressive, they will attack your finger if you put it too close to the glass!
I'm certain they're not a community fish, however with more of their own kind I don't know how they'd be. I suspect they are territorial, which may make them difficult to farm effectively. But then the same has been said for Murray Cod and Yellow Perch... and ppl farm them so perhaps.
If they taste good, then they'd be great, however steve, I'm pretty sure they can't tolerate temperatures down here in VIC. If it works, it looks like yet another choice for our fellows above the border.

Doesn't sound too difficult to breed them,,,wonder why they would be expensive??

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gourami/giant.php

Simply because they are being sold as "Aquarium fish" for looks and sold singly. the expensive one ($110) would have been fully grown also.

I'm gonna try these guys and the kissing gourami. Mainly interested in them because of their ease of breeding and tolerance for low oxygen levels (just in case of power outage).

Really happy to see like minded people on here.

I also noticed you guys were talking about pacu on another thread. I really looked into trying these guys but it seems almost impossible to breed them without hormones.

I really want to try these species because they are true vegetarians. We can grow their feed with their waste. Then its a truly closed system. No excess feed or filtration. Gotta love the potential of aquaponics for the future of our planet.

I've also been interested in duckweed as a potential food source. Supposedly tilapia eats it but with the option of feed they go for the feed. Also supposed to not grow as quickly just on duckweed. Thats why I want a true herbivore not an omnivorous species like tilapia. If I can get my fish to eat duckweed, leafy green vegetables, and excess fruits (got alot mangoes at my house) then I wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg for my feed.

If anybodies tried or trying to breed and maintain these species I would love to read about it.

Don't know of anybody who's tried these guys, but I'd LOVE to hear what progress you make, and how you quell their aggression.
I had goldies that ate naught but duckweed and mosquito larvae, and grew huge fast, and had 100 odd babies I wasn't expecting!
I doubt goldies would taste any good, but it is possible for a fish, why not for another?

So hows things?

any progress?

i saw a pink giant gourami for sale for $300.oo,yesterday in midland, only the one giant, but they had many other types of gourami for around $10.oo ea,