Licorice Gourami

General information

These fish are dark brown with two yellow or red horizontal stripes along their body and a colorful fan shaped tail fin, their pelvic fins are blue and their anal and dorsal fins have blue edges. They are small only reaching 1.5 inches. Like other Gouramis, the Licorice Gourami has a special organ called the labyrinth organ, this organ acts like a lung allowing them to breathe atmospheric air, this is a survival mechanism for when they are in polluted waters or in areas affected by drought. To keep these fish in captivity, water temperature should range from 76ºF to 81ºF and water pH should be between 5.7 and 7.0. The tank should have plants and hiding spaces.  They are best kept in pairs in a single species tank, however, they can be kept  in a community aquarium with other small fish.

This species is omnivorous. It will refuse dried foods and may also refuse frozen foods so its diet should consist of live foods like Daphnia, Artemia, Cyclops and Tubifex.

Females aren’t as colorful and don’t have blue edges on their fins like males do.

Unlike other Gouramis, this species doesn’t build bubble nests near the surface, instead, it builds bubble nests in caves. The male is the one to build the nest and after it is done it goes to display in front of the females, once a female is interested she will follow him to the cave and they will spawn. The eggs take 3 days to hatch and the fry become free swimming after 3 to 4 days. To breed this species in captivity, water temperature should range from 79ºF to 82ºF and water pH should be between 6.2 and 6.8.

This species originated in the Malaysian Peninsula and in Thailand.