Samurai Gourami

Sphaerichthys vaillanti

The Reverse-Dimorphism Ghost (2.5 inches / 6 cm). The Samurai Gourami is an ultra-rare, ghostly, blade-shaped labyrinth fish from the heart of the Borneo jungle. It is incredibly famous among elite hobbyists for two reasons: its insane fragility, and the fact that the FEMALES are the brightly colored ones. When ready to breed, the female explodes into a mesmerizing zebra-striped 'Samurai Armor' pattern of deep blood-red and emerald green, while the male remains a dull, dusty brown leaf color. Keeping them alive is a master-class challenge.

Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Borneo (Bacino del fiume Kapuas)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

24 °C - 28 °C

4 - 6

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Middle

Adult size

6 cm

Care and observations

The Extreme Blackwater Mandate:

The Corrosive Acid Requirement. This is not a standard community fish. Do NOT attempt to keep them in tap water or standard planted tanks. In the wild, they live in pitch-black peat swamps filled with rotting leaves, where the water is stained dark tea-brown (Tannins) and the pH is incredibly, intensely acidic—often dropping to a staggering 3.5 to 5.0. If you keep them in clear water with a pH above 6.5, their immune systems will completely crash, and they will rot away from bacterial infections in weeks. You MUST use 100% Reverse Osmosis (RO) water heavily steeped in Indian Almond leaves and peat moss.

Feeding and The Starvation Risk:

The Timid Phantom. They are achingly slow, shy, and easily terrified by bright lights or fast movements. If you put them in a tank with standard Tetras or Barbs, the Samurai Gourami will be too scared to compete for food. They will hide in the darkest corner of the tank and quietly, tragically starve to death. They demand a strictly 'Species-Only' tank dimmed by thick floating plants, and must be target-fed live or high-quality frozen micro-foods (Daphnia, Baby Brine Shrimp).

Fish profile

Tank level: Middle
Adult size: 6 cm
GH: 0 dGH - 5 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a

Image gallery

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

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