TankBud

Vaillant's chocolate gourami

Sphaerichthys vaillanti

Also known as Samurai Chocolate Gourami

FreshwaterFish

Vaillant's chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti)
Gouramii · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–77°F
21–25°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Borneo

Overview

Vaillant's chocolate gourami is a delicate, peaceful shoaling fish for a quiet, planted tank. Its need for very soft, acidic water makes it a difficult fish.

Did you know

Vaillant's chocolate gourami turns the usual pattern on its head. The brightly colored, banded female does the courting, yet the plainer male carries the developing eggs until the fry are ready to swim free.

Caring for the Vaillant's chocolate gourami

Keep Vaillant's chocolate gouramis in a group of six or more, since they feel safest in numbers. Give the group a shaded, densely planted tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Use a dark substrate, floating cover, driftwood and a thick bed of dried leaves, with subdued lighting.

Very soft, tannin-rich, gently filtered water is the key to keeping it well. Hold the temperature at 70 to 77°F (21 to 25°C), cooler than many tropical fish, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5.

It can be a fussy feeder. Offer small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops and bloodworm. It occupies the middle water and is easily outcompeted, so keep it only with small, gentle tank mates or on its own.

Males are plainer than females, which show bold red and blue-green bands. Vaillant's chocolate gouramis are paternal mouthbrooders, and the male broods the eggs in his mouth for two to three weeks. Breeding is hard, since a pair spawns only in very soft, acidic water within a well-settled group.

Good to know

Vaillant's chocolate gourami, Sphaerichthys vaillanti, is a member of the gourami family Osphronemidae. It is also known as the samurai chocolate gourami.

In the wild

Sphaerichthys vaillanti is native to Borneo. It lives in soft, acidic blackwater peat swamps and slow forest streams, shaded by overhanging plants and stained dark with tannins.

Common questions

What size tank does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami need?

A Vaillant's chocolate gourami needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami need?

A Vaillant's chocolate gourami is comfortable at 70–77°F (21–25°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami eat?

A Vaillant's chocolate gourami eats small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops and bloodworm. It can be a fussy feeder.

How big does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami get?

An adult Vaillant's chocolate gourami reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

Does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami need a group?

Yes. A Vaillant's chocolate gourami is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Vaillant's chocolate gourami from a female?

Males are the plainer sex. Females show bold red and blue-green bands.

How does a Vaillant's chocolate gourami breed?

Vaillant's chocolate gourami is a paternal mouthbrooder, and the male broods the eggs in his mouth for two to three weeks. Breeding is hard and needs very soft, acidic water and a well-settled group.

Related species