Licorice Gourami, scientifically known as Parosphromenus Deissneri. Is small fish with bright and beautiful coloration that is native to blackwater swamps in Indonesia.
Their body is beautifully colorful and comes in different colors.
They are labyrinth fish that have a labyrinth organ that allows them to live in poor water conditions with low oxygen.
However, keeping them in an aquarium and caring for them can be quite challenging so I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.
Appearance & Gender identification
Licorice Gourami’s body is silvery with black lines stretching from their back to their head.
Males’ fins turn red, blue, or green during mating season. Females are less colorful than males and you can easily spot them in a group.
Males have darker colors and females have light and faded colors which is very distinctive if they are put together in a tank.
Size
Licorice Gourami’s average size is 1.5 inches (approximately 3 cm) but their size can differ a little bit in the decimals.
Tank set up
They are suitable for planted and nano aquariums.
Tank requirement
They require an aquarium with clear water, plenty of vegetation, and thick plants where they can take cover.
I wouldn’t recommend putting them in fast-following water. Slow to medium-flowing water would be perfect, as they like to live in a slow and stable environment.
Tank size
When it comes to tank size, I always recommend to my friends or people who ask me to make it bigger as possible. I’m a little bit selective when it comes to tanks, I don’t like to see a group of schooling fish getting fit in a 2-gallon tank. That just doesn’t seems right. Of course, some fish can be kept in small tanks and I’m okay with that.
So, for the Licorice Gourami, if you are just keeping a pair you can get set them up in a 10-gallon tank and they would do fine, but as I always say, the bigger the better. Especially if you are planning on adding new fish regularly. You don’t want to spend on new aquariums every time you get new ones, right?
Water parameters
The temperature should be set at 72-82F(22-28C). They come from Indonesia which is a warm country in Asia so they are used to warm water.
As for pH, they pretty much like acidic water, so you can set it as low as 3 or as high as 6.
But note: Once you set it up, you should always let it be at the same level. Don’t experiment with different types of parameters. Licorice Gouramis are not ideal for water parameter fluctuations.
You should consider this before putting them into the aquarium. Once they are put in. There is no going back. That doesn’t mean there can’t be some small fluctuations but any major one will be very harmful to them. You should know that any small or big increase in pH is not just a number change, but a big increase or decrease in acidic level.
That’s why they aren’t beginner fish, their water should be regularly monitored for any fluctuation, especially during the water change.
Lighting
You don’t have to set up lighting just for them, they are nocturnal fish and like it dark so just your natural room lighting is more than enough.
Tank decoration
You can lay down the floor of your aquarium with pumice, which is a very delicate type of rock, and add aqua soil on top of it.
You should also add some plants with leaves where they can hide and lay eggs on them.
And if plants with wide enough leaves aren’t gonna fit in your tank you can consider adding dried leaf litter. That will make them feel more at home as you would usually see a lot of dried leaves falling in the black waters where they come from.
Adding driftwood would also be ideal as an addition to the tank.
Temperament
They are shy and also peaceful, and can be kept with many other small-sized fish.
They are also hierarchical, and males will compete with each other for territory.
Tank mates
They can be kept with small Pygmy corydoras, some types of shrimps, and Snails. With Ember & Neon tetras and also with Harlequin rasbora.
There might be more but one thing to note is that Licorice Gourami thrives in clean and acidic water with low ph, so it’s better to choose tankmates from fish that also thrive in low pH environments.
Diet
Their diet should be balanced and consist of live meaty foods such as brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae.
Daphnia and crustaceans can be a great addition to their diet.
I wouldn’t recommend feeding them frozen or dry food. That’s not suitable for them.
They can live for six years on average depending on the level of care given to them- They might live a little longer.
Breeding
They usually spawn in caves and the male will be responsible for the eggs, exactly like the Green Phantom Pleco. The males in these species will attend to the eggs while the females will roam around after laying their eggs.
The male will also make a bubble nest for the eggs the same as other labyrinth fish so you will see bubbles on the surfaces of the water.
The eggs will usually hatch in 24 to 6 hours and the fry will be able to move in around five days. And the males will still be protecting them from being eaten by other fish.
Conclusion
The Gourami species are very popular among hobbyists, but Licorice Gourami isn’t that popular as many people don’t know how o deal with it. Nowadays they are one of the rarest Gouramis and fish, and it will be a little challenging to get them as suppliers usually don’t stock them for too long as they require very meticulous care.
But if you got the chance to stumble upon them, I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you to get them and take care of them. I had a couple a few years ago but unfortunately, I didn’t breed them.
They are very beautiful and colorful, you won’t get tired of seeing them move their colorful fins and hover in your aquarium.
So, do you already have a Licorice Gourami or are you still hesitating? Please Let us Know in The Comment.