Harvey's licorice gourami

Care at a glance

Overview

Harvey's licorice gourami is a Malaysian blackwater dwarf for a dim, botanical tank. It is a demanding fish for experienced keepers.

Caring for the Harvey's licorice gourami

House a single pair of Harvey's licorice gouramis in a dim, botanical tank of at least 5 gal (20 L). Furnish it with driftwood, deep leaf litter, small caves and heavy shade. The fish stay among the caves and leaves.

Hold the pH at 4.5 to 6.0 and the temperature at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C). Reverse osmosis water helps reach the softness it needs. Stable, very soft, acidic water keeps it in condition and willing to spawn.

Feed small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, microworm and daphnia, since it will not compete for flakes. Keep it alone or with no more than a few tiny, gentle companions, and choose any tank mate carefully.

Breeding is hard and follows the usual licorice gourami pattern of cave spawning and paternal care. Displaying males edge their fins in metallic blue-white over black. Keepers treat the species almost as a conservation charge, so keep a pair, breed it and pass the fry on to other hobbyists.

Good to know

Parosphromenus harveyi is a labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae, described by Barbara Brown in 1987. Much of its swamp forest has been drained and converted, and the species is considered endangered. It is also known as the Selangor licorice gourami.

In the wild

Harvey's licorice gourami survives in the North Selangor peat swamp forest and a few nearby blackwaters in Peninsular Malaysia. These are among the most acidic freshwater habitats in the region, with dark, mineral-poor, shaded water.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Alfred's licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus alfredi

  1.3 in (3.2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.3 in (3.2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Bintan licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus bintan

  1.3 in (3.2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.3 in (3.2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Phoenix licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus phoenicurus

  1.3 in (3.2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.3 in (3.2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Bukit Merah licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus rubrimontis

  1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Gunawan's licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus gunawani

  1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Juelin's licorice gourami

  Parosphromenus juelinae

  1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)

  1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)