Sumatran licorice gourami
Parosphromenus sumatranus
Also known as Sumatranus paro, Fire red licorice gourami
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F (22–27°C)
- pH
- 4.5–6.2
- Adult size
- 1.2 in (3 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
- Eastern Sumatran lowlands, Indonesia
- Family
- Osphronemidae
Overview
The Sumatran licorice gourami is a small, retiring blackwater fish best kept as a single pair, or as several pairs in a bigger tank, each with its own cave. Pick tankmates cautiously or keep it on its own, as it is timid, easily out-competed, and worth breeding to support wild populations. Offer small live and frozen foods, such as baby brine shrimp, microworm, and daphnia, since it usually refuses flake. A dim 20 liter tank with soft, acidic water, dark litter, and a few clay tubes to spawn in gives a pair what it needs.
In the wild
It comes from blackwater lowlands in eastern Sumatra, shallow, shaded, tannin-stained water that is soft and acidic. Match it with dark substrate, leaf litter, botanicals, gentle peat filtration, and low light. Keep the temperature between 22 and 27 C and the pH from 4.5 to 6.2. Clay tubes or small caves give the fish the cavities it spawns in.
Good to know
Parosphromenus sumatranus, family Osphronemidae, stays around 3 centimeters and is a facultative air-breather with a labyrinth organ. Described in 1955, it is one of the earlier-named licorice gouramis and the genus's Sumatran representative, though it is often confused in the trade with the better-known Parosphromenus deissneri. Breeding is hard: it is a cave-spawner tending a small bubble nest in soft, acidic water.
Did you know
Most licorice gouramis are known by obscure town and river labels rather than tidy names; this one is unusual in carrying the name of a whole island, Sumatra, in its species epithet.
Common questions
What size tank does a Sumatran licorice gourami need?
A Sumatran licorice gourami needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH do Sumatran licorice gourami need?
Sumatran licorice gourami are comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.2.
How big do Sumatran licorice gourami get?
An adult Sumatran licorice gourami reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
…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
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)Tweedie's licorice gourami
Parosphromenus tweedieiFreshwater1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Harvey's licorice gourami
Parosphromenus harveyiFreshwater1.2 in (3.1 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)