Name: Red Robin Gourami
Brand: Brooklands
SKU: redrobin
Price: 17.5 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Red Robin Gourami

Product Details

Red Robin Gourami (Trichogaster chuna variant)

NOT AVAILABLE TO SHIP - In-store Only

Overview:

The Red Robin Gourami is a stunning, selectively bred color morph of the classic Honey Gourami. Unlike the wild-type's softer amber-yellow shades, the Red Robin variety has been bred to exhibit a rich, glowing reddish-orange across its entire body, creating a vibrant focal point in smaller aquariums. They retain the peaceful nature and petite size of the Honey Gourami, as well as the signature modified thread-like pelvic fins ("feelers") that they use to inquisitively feel their way around the environment.

Taxonomic Note: In some regional markets, line-bred orange/red variants of the Thick-Lipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) are also sold under the trade name "Red Robin." True T. chuna Red Robins stay distinctly smaller ( $5\text{ cm}$ ) and maintain a more compact, oval profile compared to the larger Thick-Lipped morphs ( $9\text{ cm}$ ).

Origins:

The root species is native to the quiet, slow-moving rivers, heavily vegetated floodplains, and ponds of South Asia, primarily India and Bangladesh. As a Labyrinth fish, they possess a specialized respiratory organ that allows them to sip atmospheric air from the water's surface, a trait that helps them survive in warm, stagnant, low-oxygen waters in the wild.

Personality:

Unlike their bold and sometimes bossy cousins (such as the Dwarf or Three-Spot Gourami), Red Robin Gouramis are exceptionally gentle, peaceful, and a little shy. They prefer a calm, slow-paced aquarium lifestyle. They display wonderful curiosity, often hovering perfectly still while touching plants, decorations, or even tank mates with their long feelers to explore them.

Care Level: Easy to Intermediate (They are hardy but require a peaceful setting to thrive)
Temperament: Extremely Peaceful and gentle
Diet: Omnivore (Unfussy eaters; thrives on high-quality flakes, micro-pellets, and frozen treats like daphnia, cyclops, or baby brine shrimp. They also appreciate small bits of vegetable matter)
Max Size: 5 cm
Family: Osphronemidae
Tank Size: 40 Litres minimum for a single fish or a pair; 75 Litres for a small group.
Temperature: 24°C – 28°C
pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (Prefers soft, slightly acidic to neutral water)
Should be kept in groups? They can be kept successfully as a solo centerpiece fish, a male-female pair, or a small group. They are not strict schooling fish, but they genuinely enjoy the company of their own kind and will often loose-shoal together if they feel safe.

⚠️ The Gentle-Tank Blueprint:

Because Red Robin Gouramis are inherently timid, their tank design and tank mates must be carefully chosen to ensure they don't spend their lives hiding:

1. Heavy Vegetation & Floating Plants: To get this fish to show off its boldest red coloration, you must provide plenty of cover. Plant dense background groupings and, most importantly, include floating plants (like Amazon Frogbit or Duckweed). Overhead cover instantly lowers their stress levels and provides males with anchors to build their intricate bubble nests.

2. Low Water Flow: They are custom-built for stagnant water and hate fighting strong currents. Powerful powerheads or heavy filter outputs will exhaust them. Keep the water surface calm using an air-driven sponge filter or by turning down the flow rate on an internal filter.

3. Avoid "Boisterous" Tank Mates: Red Robins will easily be bullied or outcompeted for food by aggressive or hyperactive fish. Avoid fin-nippers like Tiger Barbs and chaotic swimmers like large Danios. Instead, house them with ultra-peaceful tank mates like Neon or Rummy-Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Kuhli Loaches, or Corydoras Catfish.