A tiny, exquisitely patterned blackwater gourami whose courting males flush with iridescent red and metallic blue fin markings. The name is sometimes applied loosely to several Parosphromenus species; all are specialist blackwater fish for dedicated keepers. Wild populations are threatened by habitat loss, making captive-breeding efforts important.
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Gouramis are labyrinth-breathing freshwater fish from Asia that gulp air at the surface, build bubble nests, and range from tiny croaking species to large centerpiece fish. Many are peaceful and characterful, thriving in warm, calm, planted aquariums.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
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Minimum
Blackwater nano
10 gal / 38 L blackwater
Parosphromenus species need very soft, acidic blackwater (pH 4.5–6.0, TDS <50, 24–26 °C), gentle sponge filtration, and a tight lid (they jump). One pair per nano.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Species-only pair tank
15–20 gal / 60–75 L
Leaf litter (oak/catappa), driftwood, fine moss, and dim lighting. Live foods drive breeding. Conservation-grade fish — most are wild-caught and very sensitive to parameter swings.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Biotope colony
20–29 gal / 75–110 L biotope
Long planted blackwater biotope with multiple pairs and abundant cover. Stable RO-buffered water and constant tannins promote natural breeding displays and fry survival.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Fish eggs are small, translucent spheres, often laid in clutches on plants, substrate, or in a nest — or carried/brooded by a parent in livebearing and mouth-brooding species. A dark eye spot and the curled embryo become visible inside as development progresses.
Photo coming soon
Fry
Newly hatched fry are tiny and semi-transparent, frequently still carrying a yolk sac that fuels them before they feed freely. They lack full fin structure and adult coloration, staying near cover until they can swim and forage on their own.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles look like miniature adults but with developing fins and muted or different markings; many species shift pattern and color as they mature. Growth is rapid at this stage given clean water and steady feeding.
Adult
Adults show the species' full size, finnage, and mature coloration, and are sexually mature. Many fish develop sex-specific differences in size, color, or fin shape, which can intensify during breeding.
Habitat & enclosure
A quiet, dimly lit, heavily planted 10 gallon (40 L) tank suits a pair or small group. They demand very soft, acidic blackwater at pH 4.0-6.0 with minimal hardness, kept warm at 75-82 F (24-28 C). Flow must be almost nil. Tannin-stained water, leaf litter, caves and dense cover replicate their peat-swamp habitat and trigger natural behaviour.
Substrate
Dark fine sand or a bare base topped with deep leaf litter recreates the peat-swamp floor and helps hold pH low. Driftwood, small caves and botanicals provide spawning sites and the tannins these fish require.
Equipment & setup
A gentle air-driven sponge filter, ideally over peat or botanicals, keeps flow negligible and water acidic; a heater maintains the warm target range. RO or rainwater is almost always needed to reach the very soft, acidic chemistry, and a tight lid keeps the air layer warm and humid.
Diet
Micropredator that generally refuses dry food and needs small live or frozen foods: baby brine shrimp, microworms, daphnia, cyclops and grindal worms. Frequent small feedings of live foods keep them in spawning condition.
Behavior & temperament
Peaceful, shy and retiring; best kept as a pair or small group in a dedicated species tank, as they are too timid for most communities. Avoid any boisterous tankmates and even most shrimp that might compete for food. Freshwater only.
Health
Highly sensitive to dissolved minerals, nitrate and pH instability, and prone to refusing food and slow wasting in unsuitable water. Use mature, stable blackwater, drip-acclimate very slowly, keep nitrate near zero and quarantine to avoid introducing disease to such delicate fish.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Males are cave-spawning bubble-nesters that tend eggs in a small cave or under a leaf; a stable, dark, soft-water species tank is essential for success. Because wild stocks are declining, source captive-bred fish where possible and consider supporting the Parosphromenus Project conservation network.
