TankBud

Gunawan's licorice gourami

Parosphromenus gunawani

Also known as Danau Rasau licorice gourami, Blue line licorice gourami

FreshwaterFish

Gunawan's licorice gourami (Parosphromenus gunawani)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
4.5–6.0
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Jambi peat swamps, Sumatra, Indonesia

Overview

Gunawan's licorice gourami is a Sumatran blackwater dwarf for a small, shaded botanical tank. It needs an experienced keeper.

Did you know

Gunawan's licorice gourami was described only in 2012. It is one of a steady trickle of new licorice gouramis emerging from Sumatra's peat swamps, even as those swamps are cleared for plantations.

Caring for the Gunawan's licorice gourami

Keep Gunawan's licorice gourami as a single pair in a shaded, botanical tank of at least 5 gal (20 L). Build it in miniature with bogwood, a carpet of dried leaves and a snug cave for each fish, and keep the light low. It shelters among the caves, roots and fallen leaves and shows its colors only when it feels safe.

Keep the water very soft and acidic, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.0. If your tap water will not reach these values, soften it by reverse osmosis.

Offer small live foods such as newly hatched brine shrimp, grindal worm and daphnia, and add frozen items once it settles. It is a poor competitor for food. Keep it on its own or with a very few tiny, undemanding fish, and be cautious with any tank mate.

Breeding is hard. A pair spawns in a cave, and the male guards the eggs and fry. Courting males light up red and blue fin bands, and success depends on very soft, acidic water.

Good to know

Parosphromenus gunawani is a labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae, described by Schindler and Linke. It is named for Gunawan, an Indonesian collector who helped bring it to notice. It is also sold as the blue line licorice gourami.

In the wild

Gunawan's licorice gourami comes from peat swamp country in Jambi province, Sumatra. The water there is dark with tannins, very soft and acidic.

Common questions

What size tank does a Gunawan's licorice gourami need?

A Gunawan's licorice gourami needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Gunawan's licorice gourami need?

A Gunawan's licorice gourami is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.0.

What does a Gunawan's licorice gourami eat?

A Gunawan's licorice gourami eats small live foods, such as newly hatched brine shrimp, grindal worm and daphnia. Frozen items can be added once it settles.

How big does a Gunawan's licorice gourami get?

An adult Gunawan's licorice gourami reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

How does a Gunawan's licorice gourami breed?

Gunawan's licorice gouramis spawn in a cave, and the male guards the eggs and fry. Breeding is hard, and success depends on very soft, acidic water.

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