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Ornate-tail licorice gourami

Parosphromenus ornaticauda

Also known as Ornaticauda paro, Ornate licorice gourami

FreshwaterFish

Ornate-tail licorice gourami (Parosphromenus ornaticauda)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

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
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Kapuas blackwaters, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Overview

The ornate-tail licorice gourami is a tiny paro and one of the more exacting to keep. It is a fish for an experienced keeper with a settled species tank.

Did you know

The ornate-tail licorice gourami's species name, ornaticauda, means ornate tail. It points to the bold, red-marked caudal fin that the male spreads in courtship.

Caring for the ornate-tail licorice gourami

Keep a single pair of ornate-tail licorice gouramis in a settled species tank of at least 5 gal (20 L). Furnish it with driftwood, a deep leaf bed, tiny caves and very low light.

Hold the water soft and sharply acidic, at a pH of 4.5 to 5.8 and 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C). Reverse osmosis water is usually essential to keep it that soft. Watch the water closely, since a fish this small has little tolerance for swings.

This tiny fish needs foods to match its size. Start new fish on infusoria and microworm, then work up to newly hatched brine shrimp and small frozen items.

Give the pair no tank mates, or only a few of the smallest peaceful fish. The male tends the eggs and fry in a cave, in very soft, acidic water. Breeding is hard.

Good to know

Parosphromenus ornaticauda is a labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae, described by Kottelat in 1991. It is one of the smallest species in its genus.

In the wild

The ornate-tail licorice gourami lives in blackwater of the Kapuas drainage in West Kalimantan, Borneo. This is some of the softest, most acidic water in the genus's range.

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 does an ornate-tail licorice gourami need?

An ornate-tail licorice gourami is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–5.8.

What does an ornate-tail licorice gourami eat?

An ornate-tail licorice gourami needs foods to match its tiny size. Start new fish on infusoria and microworm, then work up to newly hatched brine shrimp and small frozen items.

How big does an ornate-tail licorice gourami get?

An adult ornate-tail licorice gourami reaches about 0.9 in (2.4 cm).

How does an ornate-tail licorice gourami breed?

Ornate-tail licorice gourami males tend the eggs and fry in a cave. Breeding them is hard and needs very soft, acidic water.

Related species