Above: In the picture is a premium quality Blue Licorice Gourami, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: These are fabulous fish with vibrantly colored mature males.

There are many species of Licorice Gourmis in the genus Parosphromeus, but determining the exact species is difficult, so they are collectively called Licorice or Paros Gouramis.

Origin: The ancestors of Licorice Gouramis lived in Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo in Southeast Asia, but now they live in aquariums all over the world.

There are several species of Licorice Gourami in the Parosphromeus genus.

Maximum Size: In aquariums Licorice Gouramis can grow to be about 2" long. Behaviors: Licorice Gouramis are usually not aggresive fish, but from time to time males may become territorial and quarrel with each other and may harm each other.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include small Rasboras, small Danios, small Loaches, small Rainbows, Corydoras Catfish, and small Tetras.

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Temperature: Licorice Gouramis live best from about 76 to 82-degrees F. with 80 being perhaps ideal.

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Feeding: Frozen or freeze dried blood worms are the best foods for this fish.

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Water Conditions: prefers water with a pH from 5 to 6.5 with minimal hardness. Which can be achived by mixing R/O wather with some of your local water.

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Aquarium Size: this fish seems to do well in a 10 to 30-gallon tank, but of course bigger is better.

Decor: this fish doesn't need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

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Live plants are beautiful, improve the water quality, and seem to be important to this fish.

We also add a few pieces of driftwood plus Indian Almond Leaves.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are recommended. A Penguin 100B Filter or a Penguin 250B Filter will do well for a 10-20 gallon tank.

Actually a spong filter is probably ideal for these small fish.

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Life Span: Licorice Gouramis can live for a few years. Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them live, frozen, and freee dried foods, and they may live even longer.

Gender: The males usually become more colorful as they mature, and the females are somewhat larger. Females become plumper as they fill with eggs.

Breeding: The spawn on the bottom of the aquarium between rocks, in caves, or among leaf litter.

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Popularity: These fish are very rare and so not popular fish in the aquarium hobby.

Names: The scientific name for the genus is Parosphromenus but we do not know the species name of this fish now.

Variations: we do not know of any, but the genus Parosphromeus is now known to contain several species and there may be variation in each species.

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