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Chocolate Gourami

Sphaerichthys osphromenoides

The Chocolate Gourami (*Sphaerichthys osphromenoides*) is one of the supreme challenges and most elegant and mysterious fish in the fishkeeping hobby. A small labyrinth fish with a peculiar oval and very tall body (almost rhomboidal), it sports a deep chocolate/coffee background coloration, intersected by four to five vertical white, gold or pale yellow stripes, with fins bordered in dark red. Absolutely unique not only in appearance but also in behavior, unlike most labyrinth fish (which build bubble nests), the Chocolate is a maternal mouthbrooder. Unfortunately, its fame is linked to its frightening mortality in captivity: it is a pure 'Blackwater' fish, whose survival depends entirely on maintaining a difficult and extreme water chemistry.

Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Sud-est asiatico (Penisola Malese, Sumatra e Borneo, originario esclusivamente delle estreme paludi torbiere d'acqua nera)
Tank use
Used in 0 tanks
Temperature

25 °C - 30 °C

pH

4 - 6

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona media e inferiore. Si annidano nel buio tra i legni e le grandi foglie sotto la superficie.

Adult size

5 cm

Description

Maternal Mouthbrooding:

The reproductive miracle of the female is unique. When they lay eggs, the female (not the male) puts them in her mouth to protect them and closes up for weeks. During this period, her neck swells enormously (goiter) and she will stop feeding for three whole weeks until she spits out perfectly formed young.

Care and observations

The Fingerprint of Death (Never in Tap Water):

Buy this fish only if you master water chemistry and liquid reagent tests. If taken from the store and put in an aquarium with tap water (pH 7.0 or higher), they will rapidly contract fatal fungal infections, Oodinium and fin rot, dying in a few days. Their bodies evolved in Malaysian peat bogs so acidic that they are sterile (pH between 4.0 and 5.5). In order not to kill them, it is mandatory to use 100% Osmotic water, active peat to lower the pH and make it Coca-Cola colored.

Very Difficult Eaters (Hunger Strike):

Surviving the first 30 days is the feat. 99% of Chocolate Gouramis in stores are Wild Caught. When they arrive home, they are terrified and wasted. They will strongly and disdainfully refuse any flake or pellet food. Either you prepare beforehand with live cultures of Daphnia, live mosquito larvae or microscopic white worms, or the fish will starve themselves to death. After acclimatization, you can try with high quality frozen food.

Intolerance to Chaos:

This is not the species for the joyous dining room aquarium full of children or sudden movements. They live constantly in the shadows. They need dedicated aquariums (only for them), filled with twisted wood and a thick blanket of dead leaves on the bottom and plants on the surface. Absolutely avoid roommates, apart from some passive Micro-rasboras.

Fish profile

Temperament
Estremamente timido, passivo e ritirato. Lenti e delicati, si spaventano per ombre improvvise e fuggono nascondendosi tra le radici al minimo accenno di movimento in vasca.
Diet
Micro-Insettivoro esigentissimo. Spesso le importazioni si rifiutano di mangiare. Rifiutano quasi sempre i cibi secchi commerciali. L'alimentazione viva (moina, daphnia, enchitrei, larve di zanzara) è obbligatoria per farli acclimatare, per poi passare al congelato di altissima qualità.
Tank level
Zona media e inferiore. Si annidano nel buio tra i legni e le grandi foglie sotto la superficie.
Minimum group
4
Adult size
5 cm
Minimum tank
60 L
GH
1 dGH - 3 dGH
KH
n/a
TDS
n/a
Conductivity
n/a
Sex ratio
Piccoli gruppi (si calmano a vicenda). I maschi hanno una mascella inferiore dritta e la pinna dorsale appuntita. Le femmine hanno un corpo più tondo e la mascella inferiore arrotondata e distensibile (indispensabile per l'incubazione orale delle uova).
Feeding frequency
Piccolissime dosi 2-3 volte al giorno di prede vive o surgelate.
Bioload
Bassissimo
Flow
Corrente Nulla. Sono labirintidi d'acque putride e torbiere immobili.
Reproduction
Allevamento in cattività per soli esperti. Incubatori orali materni (Maternal mouthbrooders). Dopo un lungo e delicatissimo corteggiamento vicino al fondo, le uova vengono fecondate e la FEMMINA (rarità tra i labirintidi) le raccoglie e le trattiene in gola senza mangiare per 2-3 settimane fino al rilascio degli avannotti perfetti.
Compatibility
NON INDICATO per gli acquari di comunità generalisti. Va allevato in 'Species Tank' dedicati esclusivamente a loro. I soli compagni di vasca ammessi (per farli sentire sicuri) sono piccolissime rasbore blackwater del genere *Boraras* (es. *Boraras brigittae*) o *Sundadanio*.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.