All fish / Osphronemidae

Red-tailed Licorice Gourami

Parosphromenus ornaticauda

Also known as redtail licorice gourami, ornate-tail licorice gourami, licorice gourami, liquorice gourami, red-tailed liquorice gourami, parosphromenus ornaticauda, パロスフロメヌス・オルナティカウダ, cupang lakrik, 红尾巧克力丽丽

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A tiny blackwater gourami with dark and light horizontal bands, while males show a bright red and black edged tail and fins when displaying. It is kept by specialists who enjoy dim, leaf-litter biotopes and the subtle courtship colours of this rare peat swamp fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

4 to 6

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

A pair or small group in a species tank

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen small foods such as daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp nauplii, grindal worms and mosquito larvae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Western Borneo, Indonesia (West Kalimantan, Kapuas basin area)

Breeding

Males build small bubble nests under leaves or inside caves and guard the eggs after a head-down embrace with the female. Breeding is achievable in very soft, acidic water with few disturbances, though fry are tiny and need infusoria or similar first foods.

Good to know

Needs very soft, acidic, clean water and should not be housed with boisterous fish; its peat swamp habitat is threatened, so captive-bred stock is preferable. Easily confused with other licorice gouramis, which are often mislabelled in the trade.