Crossband chocolate gourami

Sphaerichthys selatanensis

Also known as Crossbanded chocolate gourami, Selatan chocolate gourami, Cross-band chocolate gourami

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–86°F (26–30°C)
pH: 4.0–6.5
Adult size: 1.8 in (4.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 16 gal (60 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: South and Central Kalimantan, Borneo, in acidic blackwater peat swamps.
Family: Osphronemidae

Overview

Keep a group of six or more in a 60 litre blackwater tank at 26 to 30 C with very soft, acidic water at pH 4.0 to 6.5, leaf litter, and tannins. Feed small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, grindal worm, and micro worm, since it can be a picky micropredator. It is peaceful and shy and needs its own calm species tank or the gentlest of nano tankmates. Stable soft water and a tight lid to trap a warm humid layer above the surface are important.

In the wild

Lives in shaded blackwater peat swamps and streams that are very soft, acidic, and stained dark with tannins. The water is warm and mineral-poor, with pH often well below 6. It stays among leaf litter, roots, and submerged plants in dim light. These peat swamp habitats are being lost to drainage and clearing.

Good to know

Sphaerichthys selatanensis was described by Vierke in 1979 and belongs to the family Osphronemidae. Unusually for a labyrinth fish, it is a maternal mouthbrooder, meaning the female carries and broods the eggs and fry. It is a small chocolate gourami staying under 5 cm with pale crossbands on a dark body.