Licorice gourami

Care at a glance

The licorice gourami is a tiny labyrinth fish from the acidic peat swamps of South-East Asia, where the water is the colour of tea. Displaying males raise their fins and show deep black with red and pale blue banding; outside those displays they are an inconspicuous brown.

It is a genuine specialist's fish: it needs very soft, acidic water, subdued light and small live foods, and tolerates no competition. Many species in this group are threatened in the wild by the clearing of their swamps, so buy captive-bred fish from hobbyists where you can.

Good to know

• Hard to wean onto dry food
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• Moonlight gouramiTrichopodus microlepis
• Turquoise rainbowfishMelanotaenia lacustris
• Giant gouramiOsphronemus goramy
• Red rainbowfishGlossolepis incisus
• Celebes rainbowfishMarosatherina ladigesi
• Kissing gouramiHelostoma temminkii