Ornate-tail licorice gourami
Parosphromenus ornaticauda
Also known as Ornaticauda paro, Ornate licorice gourami
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F (22–27°C)
- pH
- 4.5–5.8
- Adult size
- 0.9 in (2.4 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
- Kapuas blackwaters, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
- Family
- Osphronemidae
Overview
The ornate-tail licorice gourami is among the very smallest paros and one of the more exacting to keep, so it suits an experienced keeper with a settled, tiny species tank of about 20 liters. Keep a single pair, down among caves and leaf litter, and hold company to none or a few of the smallest peaceful fish. Because it is so small, it needs foods to match: infusoria and microworm for new fish, working up to newly hatched brine shrimp and small frozen items. Watch the water closely, since a fish this size has little tolerance for swings, and hold it soft and sharply acidic.
In the wild
Parosphromenus ornaticauda lives in blackwater of the Kapuas drainage in West Kalimantan, Borneo, some of the softest, most acidic water in the genus's range. Provide driftwood, a deep leaf bed, tiny caves, and very low light. This fish wants the sharp end of the acidity scale, a pH from 4.5 to 5.8, at 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, and reverse osmosis water is usually essential to hold it that soft.
Good to know
Parosphromenus ornaticauda, a labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae, was described by Kottelat in 1991 and grows to only about 2.4 centimeters, making it one of the smallest species in the genus. Its name means ornate tail, for the bold pattern on the caudal fin, which the male flares in display. Breeding is hard: the male tends eggs and fry in a cave in very soft, acidic water.
Did you know
The species name means ornate tail, a nod to the vivid red-marked caudal fin the male spreads in courtship, a full display carried out by a fish barely two and a half centimeters long.
Common questions
What size tank does an Ornate-tail licorice gourami need?
An Ornate-tail licorice gourami needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH do Ornate-tail licorice gourami need?
Ornate-tail licorice gourami are comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–5.8.
How big do Ornate-tail licorice gourami get?
An adult Ornate-tail licorice gourami reaches about 0.9 in (2.4 cm).
Where to buy
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…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
Dwarf licorice gourami
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Parosphromenus pahuensisFreshwater1.1 in (2.8 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Bukit Merah licorice gourami
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Parosphromenus juelinaeFreshwater1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Opal licorice gourami
Parosphromenus opalliosFreshwater1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)