Bintan licorice gourami
Parosphromenus bintan
Also known as Bintan paro, Paradise licorice gourami
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F (22–27°C)
- pH
- 4.5–6.0
- Adult size
- 1.3 in (3.2 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 5 gal (20 L)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Bintan Island and nearby Riau islands, Indonesia
- Family
- Osphronemidae
Overview
The Bintan licorice gourami is a nano blackwater specialist kept as a pair rather than a shoal, in a quiet, shaded tank of around 20 liters. It stays low in the tank around caves and leaf litter and shows best when it feels secure. Because it is easily bullied and outcompeted, keep tankmates to none or a few tiny peaceful species, and be cautious about who shares its space. Feed small live foods such as baby brine shrimp, microworm, grindal worm, and daphnia, since dried food is usually ignored. Steady, soft, acidic water matters more to this fish than almost anything else you can offer it.
In the wild
This gourami comes from soft, acidic blackwater on Bintan and Bangka islands and nearby parts of the Riau Archipelago in Indonesia, water that is tea-colored and very low in minerals. Set up a shaded tank with botanicals, driftwood, and narrow caves. Use reverse osmosis water if your tap is hard, and hold the pH from 4.5 to 6.0 at 22 to 27 degrees Celsius. Deep leaf litter helps keep the chemistry stable.
Good to know
Parosphromenus bintan is a member of the family Osphronemidae, described by Kottelat and Ng in 1998, and reaches about 3.2 centimeters. Breeding is difficult: the male tends a small clutch inside a cave in very soft, acidic water, and the fry are minute. It lends its name to a whole complex of closely similar licorice gouramis that are hard to tell apart.
Did you know
For years the name bintan was pinned onto all sorts of look-alike licorice gouramis arriving in the trade, so a fish sold as bintan may be one of several species. The genuine article is a tiny thing barely over two centimeters long in the body.
Common questions
What size tank does a Bintan licorice gourami need?
A Bintan licorice gourami needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH do Bintan licorice gourami need?
Bintan licorice gourami are comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.0.
How big do Bintan licorice gourami get?
An adult Bintan licorice gourami reaches about 1.3 in (3.2 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Freshwater fish · Bettas & gouramis · Gouramis · Advanced fish · Nano fish · Community fish
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Related species
Phoenix licorice gourami
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Harvey's licorice gourami
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Bukit Merah licorice gourami
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