Sparkling gourami
Trichopsis pumila
easy careOverview
The sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila) is a tiny, jewelled labyrinth fish that packs iridescent blue-green flecks and bright red-ringed eyes into a body barely 4 cm long. It is peaceful, endearing and famous for the audible croaking sound it makes when displaying. A perfect centrepiece for a planted nano tank, it needs calm water and gentle tankmates to show its best behaviour and colour.
Tank & water
A small, densely planted tank suits this nano fish — around 40 litres (10 gallons) for a little group.
- Temperature: hold 22–28 °C with a small heater.
- Filtration & flow: a gentle filter or sponge filter is essential; as a labyrinth fish it breathes at the surface and dislikes current, so keep flow very soft and leave an air gap under the lid.
- Water: pH 6.0–7.5, soft and stable.
- Planting: dense plants and floating cover give this shy fish security.
Feeding
Sparkling gouramis are micro-predatory omnivores with tiny mouths. They do best on small foods: fine flake, micro-pellet, and especially small frozen or live foods like daphnia, cyclops, baby brine shrimp and micro-worms. Crush larger foods, and feed modest amounts they can pick from the water column — see best fish food.
Tankmates
Best kept in a calm nano community with other small, gentle species: pygmy corydoras, small rasboras, ember tetras, dwarf shrimp and snails. Avoid anything large, fast or nippy that will outcompete or intimidate this timid little fish.
Common care notes
- A true nano fish for small planted tanks
- Keep flow very gentle and leave a surface air gap
- Feed small foods to suit its tiny mouth
- Keep only with peaceful nano tankmates
Give the sparkling gourami a calm, planted nano tank and gentle company, and you get a shimmering, croaking little centrepiece full of character.
Sparkling gourami — frequently asked questions
Do sparkling gouramis really make noise?
Yes. Sparkling gouramis produce an audible croaking or clicking sound, especially when displaying or courting. It comes from specialised muscles near the pectoral fins and is a charming, unusual feature of this tiny fish.
How big a tank does a sparkling gourami need?
They are true nano fish, so a small planted tank of about 40 litres suits a little group. Stability matters more than volume — a heater, gentle filter and dense planting keep them healthy in a compact tank.
Are sparkling gouramis peaceful?
Very. They are shy, gentle labyrinth fish that suit calm nano communities. Males display to one another with mild sparring but cause no real harm, and they must never share a tank with boisterous or nippy fish.
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