TankBud

False chocolate gourami

Parasphaerichthys lineatus

Also known as Lined chocolate gourami, Burmese chocolate gourami

FreshwaterFish

False chocolate gourami (Parasphaerichthys lineatus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.2
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Lower Chindwin and Irrawaddy floodplains, Myanmar

Overview

The false chocolate gourami is a delicate micro-gourami for a mature, cool, planted tank. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The false chocolate gourami's genus holds just two fish, this one and the eyespot gourami. Both are Burmese miniatures that mimic the unrelated chocolate gouramis of Sundaland at a fraction of their size.

Caring for the false chocolate gourami

Keep false chocolate gouramis as a small group in a mature, planted tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). A mature tank gives them stable water and grazing surfaces. Add fine-leaved plants, wood and dried leaves, and filter quietly with soft, gentle flow.

They come from cooler water than their Southeast Asian look-alikes and do not want a warm tank. Hold the temperature at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and avoid overheating, which they tolerate poorly. Keep the pH at 6.0 to 7.2.

Feed small foods they can actually catch, such as baby brine shrimp, microworm, cyclops and finely crushed dried food. False chocolate gouramis stay in the middle of the tank among the plants and wood. They are peaceful and safe in a community, but they are shy, slow feeders and easily crowded out.

Their breeding is barely documented. Males have been seen collecting eggs and tending them at sheltered spots among stones, which hints at a form of brood care.

Good to know

The false chocolate gourami is a tiny labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae. Britz and Kottelat described it in 2002. It is also sold as the lined chocolate gourami.

In the wild

Parasphaerichthys lineatus is known from Myanmar, in floodplain pools and slow, weedy waters of the lower Chindwin and Irrawaddy systems. These waters sit cooler than the tropics further south.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The false chocolate gourami is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a false chocolate gourami need?

A false chocolate gourami needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a false chocolate gourami need?

A false chocolate gourami is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.2.

What does a false chocolate gourami eat?

A false chocolate gourami eats small foods it can actually catch, such as baby brine shrimp, microworm, cyclops and finely crushed dried food.

How big does a false chocolate gourami get?

An adult false chocolate gourami reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

How does a false chocolate gourami breed?

Males have been seen collecting eggs and tending them at sheltered spots among stones, which hints at brood care. Otherwise, false chocolate gourami breeding is barely documented.

Related species