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This blog post will take you on a journey to discover the remarkable Sparkling Gourami, an exotic freshwater aquarium fish native to Southeast Asia that shimmers like a gemstone. Learn all about caring for this peaceful and vibrant creature so it can thrive in your aquarium!
Key Takeaways
- Sparkling gouramis are peaceful, beautiful fish that add shimmer to any aquarium.
- Create the right environment with dense planting and decorations, feed them regularly in small amounts, and pick compatible tank mates for a healthy home.
- They are considered nano fish, only going to around 1.5 inches
- With proper care, your sparkling gouramis can live up to 4-5 years!
Species Overview
| Scientific Name | Trichopsis pumila |
| Common Names | Sparkling Gourami, Pygmy Gourami, Dwarf Gourami (mistakenly) |
| Family | Osphronemidae |
| Origin | Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Omnivorous |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Activity | Active |
| Life Expectancy | 4 – 5 years |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Tank Level | All levels |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 gallons (38 liters) |
| Temperature Range | 77-83°F (25-28°C) |
| Water Hardness | 1-10 dKH |
| pH Range | 6.0 – 7.5 |
| Filtration/Water Flow | Low to moderate |
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| Breeding | Bubble nester |
| Difficulty to Breed | Easy |
| Compatibility | Community Tanks |
| OK, for Planted Tanks? | Yes |
Introduction
Originating in Southeast Asia, sparkling gouramis are members of the pygmy gourami family and anabantiformes order. They are commonly found in freshwater aquariums. These colorful fish bear distinctive iridescent scales giving them a sparkly appearance that draws many admirers. Their mild temperament makes these aquatic animals an ideal choice for adding to a community tank with other various types of fish species. They possess a special labyrinth organ allowing them to breathe directly from air at the surface level of their surrounding water environment.
Due to being hardy and adaptable creatures, sparking gouramis (also known as pygmy gourami) can prove quite easy to manage in any standard household aquarium, ensuring hours upon hours of eye catching beauty while living comfortably among its companion fish inhabiting the same environment.
Origins And Habitats
Sparkling gouramis, a type of freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia, can be found in slow-moving rivers, small ponds, and even rice fields. This particular species has adapted well to aquatic environments with plenty of places to hide among the dense vegetation. They tend not to be aggressive due to their preference for calm waters with adequate coverage as it allows them access to secluded spots they need for safety purposes.
What is really unique about this labyrinth fish is its ability to obtain oxygen from air instead of just water because these fish have special organs called “labyrinth,” which lets them breathe outside the environment under low levels of O2 conditions in nature1.
Appearance
These beautiful fish possess striking colors and a shining appearance, which is caused by their scale composition. Noteworthy are the light blue fins with red trimmings and markings, as well as eyes showing an azure tinge surrounded with a thin crimson contour. Close to 30% of these creatures’ bodies consist of large fin appendages that accentuate their elegance, making them a captivating inhabitant in any type of freshwater tank.
Lifespan
It is necessary to provide optimal living conditions in order for sparkling gouramis to reach their 4-5 year life expectancy. Regularly monitoring water quality and performing regular water changes, as well as providing a healthy diet, are essential components of keeping these fish happy and healthy. Following the tidbit in this guide will teach you what you need to know to maximize their lifespan by providing the proper environment, tankmates, and diet to keep them healthy and thriving.
Size
Sparkling gouramis are tiny fish, growing no more than 1.5 inches long at maturity. Despite their small size, they make a beautiful statement in any freshwater aquarium, especially ones 10 gallons and under. They need minimal care and are very resilient, making them an ideal choice for novice aquarists.
Sparkling Gourami Care Guide
In order to keep your sparkling gouramis healthy and happy, it is important for their tank environment to meet specific requirements such as aquascaping ideas, appropriate water parameters, and proper flow. A well-maintained aquarium will make sure they live in a comfortable space where you can see them shimmer with life.
One thing to keep in mind with the Sparkling Gourami is that they naturally live in slow moving water. Filtration needs to be calm and quiet to keep stress levels low. We will go into more detail in the next subsections.
Tank Requirements
When creating a home for your sparkling gouramis, it is vital to provide them with ideal living conditions. A tank of at least 5 gallons in size should be used, which 10 gallons being the recommended tank to start with. Bigger tanks will offer more comfort and more opportunities to add tankmates.
Your standard 10 gallon tank. Goes on sale at local Petcos for cheap
Aquascaping Ideas
To ensure their well being and prevent stress levels from rising, the aquarium must contain dense plant life and several hiding spots replicas of what you’d find in their natural environment. These elements together create an inviting space designed specifically for your sparkling gouramis’ needs!
For a natural look that mirrors the environment of your sparkling gouramis, incorporate water wisteria and hornwort to provide plenty of cover. The addition of rocks, driftwood or other decorations can be helpful. Boost the appeal while offering various places for your fishy friends to scurry away into when they feel threatened. This will help create an attractive aquascape as well as giving them a secure refuge in their habitat.
An easy to grow and great beginner floating plant to try!
Water Parameters
The well-being of sparkling gouramis requires appropriate water parameters. The ideal temperature should be from 76°F to 82°F, with 4-8 KH hardness level.
It is critical to check the values often and do the required modifications so the fish’s health does not suffer any damage due to incorrect levels or fluctuations in conditions. You can check your parameters using water test kits that you can buy in stores. Here are some other basic parameters to watch out for.
By monitoring these issues regularly, you can ensure your sparkling gouramis live happily and healthily!
Importance Of Water Flow
When setting up an aquarium for sparkling gouramis, it’s important to replicate the slow water flow they would naturally experience in their habitat. This is beneficial both comfort-wise and oxygenation/circulation-wise. A lot of filters you can purchase for your fish tank will be too strong for them by default.
In order to have a filter that has enough bacterial bacteria to handle your bioload while also keeping your Sparkling Gourami happy, you will need to purchase a filter that is able to be adjustable. Power filters and canister filters will typically have these features. They are strong enough swimmers that you do not need a sponge on the intake, but you just need to worry about the flow in the water to keep them from getting stressed.
By making sure that the movement of water throughout your tank remains soft, you’re helping them feel more at ease while also ensuring adequate levels of aeration and circulation within their environment.
Filtration
Maintaining a clean environment for sparkling gouramis is absolutely essential. Proper filtration should be implemented. The ideal filter type would be an air-powered sponge that provides gentle water flow as these fish prefer it slow. However, if you are seeking to have a large community tank or a planted tank, a sponge filter may not be enough for everyone.
The Best Sponge Filter
With a name brand and high quality reputation, the Bacto Surge separates itself from the pack
Nutritional Needs And Feeding
In order to keep your sparkling gouramis in great condition, it’s important that you understand their nutritional needs and feeding habits. It involves knowing what types of food they like. Live or frozen, for example, as well as providing a healthy diet that will ensure the well being of your fish.
Types Of Foods
Sparkling gouramis need to consume a variety of live and frozen foods such as daphnia, artemia, bloodworms, and shrimp meat in order for them to get the full spectrum of nutrients that are essential for their well being. Besides these meals, they will also require leafy greens, which can be found in home aquariums with plants although this species usually won’t eat those. These fish will eat these foods prepped in various ways like:
- Flake foods
- Pellets
- Freeze dried foods
- Frozen foods
- Live (when cultivated)
Feeding Tips
In order to maintain your sparkling gouramis’ health, it is necessary to provide them with small meals multiple times daily and avoid overfeeding. Removing any leftovers from the tank can help ensure that water quality stays at a high level. As a rule of thumb, fish should eat food very fast when you feed them. They should devour all their food within a minute if you feed them multiple times daily.
Fluval bug bites tropical fish is an excellent staple food for most tropical fish. Made of black solider fly larvae
Regularly including diverse foods in their diet will contribute greatly towards keeping these fish healthy and happy overall.
Selecting Compatible Tank Mates
When it comes to keeping your sparkling gouramis in an aquarium, selecting compatible tank mates is paramount for creating a peaceful environment. Some species of fish are ideal companions because they tend to be more docile, while others should be avoided due to the potential for confrontation or aggression.
In this portion, we will address both the types of beneficial and detrimental counterparts that can inhabit the same space as your sparkly gourami.
Good Tank Mates
When considering suitable Sparkling Gourami tank mates, some good options are fish species that tend to be peaceful and non-aggressive. These include:
- Pearl Gourami
- Ember Tetra
- Neon Tetra
- Dwarf Gourami
- Yoyo Loach
- Harlequin Rasboras
- Otocinclus
- Cory Catfish
- Pygmy Corydoras
- Honey Gourami
- Scarlet Badis
- Cherry Shrimp
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Note that we excluded livebearers from our list. In our experience, livebearers are known to be a bit too boisterous for our calm Sparkling Gourami. It’s best to keep them with similar fish like the ones we mentioned above.
Bad Tank Mates
When selecting tank mates for your sparkling gouramis, steer clear of aggressive and larger fish species. Here are a few to avoid:
- Male Bettas
- Large nippy Tetras
- Tiger Barbs
- Most cichlids (dwarf cichlids can be okay)
- Any other fish that can fit your Sparkling Gourami in its mouth
These types of fish all be avoided as they may cause harm or create conflicts with the peaceful-natured aquatic creature. Instead, seek out smaller fish that are less likely to pose a threat.
Breeding
Creating the perfect habitat for breeding sparkling gouramis can be very rewarding. Watching their courtship, mating, and taking care of their young is a remarkable experience! They have a fascinating mating ritual like Betta fish and build bubble nests just like them (video source).
In order to get your fish to breed, we need to create the proper environment first. Let’s talk about that next.
Creating The Ideal Breeding Environment
Creating a natural habitat that’s comfortable for your sparkling gouramis is key to successful breeding. This includes lowering the water level to 6-8 inches, increasing the temperature by 3-5 degrees Fahrenheit, and providing plenty of hiding spots in an area dense with plants. It’s also crucial to monitor all water conditions carefully so you can maintain this ideal environment for them.
Having your fish breed in a breeding tank focused on them is best. This will also take out the stress level from other tankmates.
Caring For Eggs And Fry
When the sparkling gouramis mate, their eggs to hatch with 3-5 days. During this time, the male Sparkling Gourami watches over and guards the eggs. Once the eggs are provided in the male’s bubble nest, you should remove the female Sparkling Gourami, as they are known to eat the eggs and babies. Once the eggs hatch, remove the male Sparkling Gourami and focus on raising the fry.
Initially, the fry requires being fed with tiny organisms such as infusoria or rotifers. Later on, when they grow bigger, frozen food like daphnia, cyclops or baby brine shrimp can also form part of their diet.
Disease Prevention And Treatment
It is important to stay vigilant when taking care of your sparkling gouramis and monitoring their water parameters as part of disease prevention. Providing them with hiding spaces, along with avoiding overfeeding, are also necessary measures for maintaining the health of these fish. In case any illness symptoms appear, such as white spots on the body, it is essential to treat them immediately in order to ensure their well being. Some of the common diseases your Sparkling Gourami may be prone to include:
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sparkling Gouramis should be kept together?
Experts advise that for optimal conditions, four or more sparkling gouramis should be kept in an aquarium. If you desire to have a larger group of these fish, it is advisable to upgrade the size of your tank accordingly so as to ensure their well-being and health.
How big are Sparkling Gourami?
Sparkling Gourami are small fish, typically ranging from 1 to 1.5 inches in size with females being smaller than the males. So they should be kept with similarly-sized fish, and in an aquarium that provides lots of hiding places for them to feel safe and comfortable. They make a great addition to any nano community tank!
Can I keep a Sparkling Gourami in a 5 gallon tank?
The Sparkling Gourami is an ideal fish for a 5 gallon tank, as it’s considered a true nano fish and requires very limited space. To provide some companionship in the aquarium, one should consider introducing several dwarf shrimp to join your new aquatic friend. They are a small bioload than a Betta and won’t eat adult shrimp.
How do sparkling Gouramis make noise?
Sparkling Gouramis make their presence known by using specialized pectoral fins to vibrate the water around them, emitting a clicking sound. This noise serves both as communication and courtship among these fish in the wild!
How big do pygmy Gouramis get?
Pygmy Gouramis are a small species of fish, reaching an average size of 4 centimetres (1.6 inches). These tiny creatures have some beautiful and eye-catching colouring – blues, reds and greens which will bring bright vibrancy to your aquarium. With their unique markings, they can make for interesting additions to any tank setup featuring these delightful little fish!
Closing Thoughts
By providing the right living space and meeting their needs, sparkling gouramis can be a magical addition to any freshwater aquarium. These fish are stunningly peaceful creatures that must be taken care of properly if they’re going to thrive in your tank – with good maintenance, you’ll have these dazzling gouramis giving off an enchanting sparkle underwater.
Have you ever kept a Sparkling Gourami in the past? Let us know your experience. We would love to hear about it in the comments below. Until next time!
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I’m thrilled that you found Aquarium Store Depot! Here you’ll find information on fish, aquariums, and all things aquatics related. I’m a hobbyist (being doing this since I was 11) and here to help other hobbyists thrive with their aquariums! I adhere to a high quality Editorial Process and Review products with real life field usage and practical analysis.
