Gouramis are a group of fish that are popular with fish-keeping enthusiasts. There is one particular variety which is a rare customer indeed, and that title belongs to the brilliant Sparkling Gourami.
Not only do they have an appealing name, but they are going to be a standout character if you choose to acquire one for your tank.
These are small freshwater fish that are easy to care for and who are considered quite peaceful to their neighboring community in captivity.
They are found in the wild in ponds, slow-moving waters, and rice fields of Southeast Asia and may also be known as Pygmy Gourami.
We’ll take a look at what makes these little fish so interesting and that little bit more unusual to spot in home aquaria as we go through this article.
Sparkling Gourami Behavior
Sparkling Gourami like to live with other of their kind and are generally peacefully natured, able to get along with suitable tank mates.
They are part of an Order of fish who possess a labyrinth organ and notably are considered the smallest species in this group. No, this does not mean they own a musical instrument and will provide you with musical delights! It’s a hybrid breathing apparatus that allows them to gulp air and respire instead of the usual uptake of oxygen exchange from the water they inhabit.
We just said that they don’t make music, but they can make audible sounds that are unique for a fish. The sound may be almost frog-like in that it’s a croak or a chirp and is indicative of a happy camper in your tank.
As a result of their breathing method, they are often spotted near the top. Once they have a fresh gulp of air, they are happy to overtake any layer in the tank without too much preference. Equal opportunists, if you will.
Although they prefer and almost require group living conditions, they are not considered a schooling or even a shoaling fish.
Aggression is possible, but this is usually a result of males hunting for territory, and they are quite territorial for such little fish. So the ratio of females to males should be at least three or four females for every male to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
They are little explorers in the tank, which also explains their appeal. Busy investigating all corners of your tank, Sparkling Gourami are fascinating to observe for their activity level, noise-making capability, and unexpected breathing capability.
Saying that they are a shy species despite their adventurous forays. If you do not provide enough cover and hiding spaces, they will feel quite exposed, and this will lead to unhealthy, even fatal, levels of stress. So the environment is key to having these explorers do so confidently and with some cover.
Loud, noisy conditions will also spook these fish, so your tank should be somewhere that will not have a lot of loud music or blaring television that will cause them additional stress.
All of these things add up to making a ‘Sparkler’ a great proposition to source if you can for your community.
Sparkling Gourami Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Sparkling Gourami to the letter, you could expect them to live for up to 5 years, but on average, it can be anywhere from 2-5 years.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Sparkling Gourami Appearance
Here we come to their reason for being so special if we hadn’t already pointed out enough interesting facts for you to take in already.
Their name is Sparkling for a reason, and that is because they radiate an exquisite iridescence under even the most mundane of lighting conditions. Their bodies and eyes are iridescent, and if your tank requires something with a little more oomph, these are just the ticket.
Growing to a maximum of about 4 cm, Sparkling Gourami are small but radiate a wonderful presence in your tank. Given that you need a group, they will make a huge impact on your community visually, so if you can source this variety, you shouldn’t hesitate to acquire some if the tank mate pairings to your existing species permit.
The base color of their body is brown and is punctuated by tiny blue dots. All of the Gourami in your group will look unique as they have individual patterning.
Fins are somewhat long, and they appear overall light blue due to the density of dots present but with a reddish-orange toned border.
Their eyes are large and blue with a red border and look quite striking when iridescent under lighting.
Quite a show-stopping fish!
Sparkling Gourami Habitat And Tank Requirements
As always, we want to achieve optimum health for fish we keep in captivity by closely mimicking their natural habitat.
In the wild, they enjoy the slow-flowing waters of the ponds and paddies they inhabit, so we want to keep water activity on the lower end of the scale. They are successful in even poorly oxygenated waters because they have no reliance on the water to breathe, so their range of habitat can be quite varied.
Although small, they should not be kept in inadequate space, and we will look at tank size further down.
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed to provide these little amphibians with a great quality of life that best suits them for optimum health.
Tank Conditions
Sparkling Gourami are happy with just about any substrate when it comes to setting the scene for their tank environment. Recreating their habitat isn’t too tricky to do, so they are suited for even beginner hobbyists.
Their tropical origins mean that they like warmer waters, so a heater and thermometer are necessary to keep suitably warm.
They are not keen on much active water flow, so water movement should be minimal, and you want to keep filtration calm and without any need for additional aeration like air stones since they aren’t respiring in the water anyway.
However, water quality should still be clean, and filtration will be necessary.
In terms of vegetation, these fish love an abundance of plant life for their secretive, shy nature and to keep their stress levels on an even keel. You will ideally want live plants as opposed to silk and artificial.
Plants in your tank setup should include floating varieties and a wide variety of freshwater vegetation. That can occupy every level of the tank if you wish. Just ensure it isn’t too difficult for them to navigate to the surface and have adequate room to breathe.
Speaking of the substrate, you will likely want to show off your group to their finest so use a darker substrate where possible which will offer the highest amount of contrast for your sparkling group.
Water changes will need to be weekly and at least 25% changed over.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6-8
- Water hardness between 5-18 dGH
- Temperature between 72-80.5ºF (22-27ºC)
- Lighting needs to be adequate to keep lush live vegetation happily growing
Tank Size
The minimum tank size needed is 15 gallons for a single one (57 L) and another 10 gallons for each fish after the first. They may be small, but they need a lot more space than you would expect, and this is often a surprising aspect for prospective owners.
So size and grouping matter if you plan on having this species for optimum health and growth.
Choosing Tank Mates For Sparkling Gouramis
When it comes to finding friendly species for your Gouramis to cohabit with, there are quite a lot of options.
Any tropical freshwater fish that are suitably non-aggressive will do well with your little Gouramis. You will want to keep them alongside similarly-sized fish, but only ones that are not exceptionally fast swimmers. Highly active and speedy fish, even of a similar size, can result in fin-nipping.
Some excellent tank mate pairings would include:
- Dwarf and Pearl Gouramis
- Rasboras
- Tetras
- Corydoras
- Neon Rainbowfish
- Otos
- Danios
- Guppies
- Cherry Barbs
- Dwarf Pencilfish
- Small Shrimp varieties and snails
Ones to avoid are Tiger Barbs, male Bettas, and Black Tetras.
Feeding Sparkling Gourami
Tank Gourami are happy eating dry and live or frozen foods, flakes, and pellets. They need diverse diets to give them plant nutrition as they are not much for grazing on live plants that they meander around in the tank.
It goes without saying that live foods are the most nutritious and will help them thrive and look their best.
Sparkling Gourami Common Health Issues
If your Sparkling Gourami appears quiet or more reserved than usual, chances are something is wrong. Check that they are getting adequate food of that the quality of the food is high enough in protein.
They are not particularly prone to disease, but like most freshwater fish, are susceptible to Ich (White Spot Disease), which, as the name implies, is easily distinguished.
Ich is treatable when caught early and suitably medicated. If left untreated, Ich is usually fatal.
Another disease that can occur is Fin Rot which is transmitted by a pathogen that causes sores on the fins and fin walls. Fin Rot is treatable with antibiotics and aquarium salts if you spot it early enough.
Fish Fluke is a disease caused by parasitic worms. Fish become lethargic as the worms take their nutrition and create issues with their organs. If diagnosed, there is medication to help treat, but a full water change will be required to eradicate.
All of these issues are a good reminder of why maintaining good water quality is important, although these fish don’t need to obtain their oxygen from it.
How To Breed Sparkling Gourami
An excellent fish for even the novice to try breeding, the Sparkling Gourami makes life quite easy for the hobbyist in this respect.
As you will be keeping a group of them anyhow, you will find that they naturally pair off when you acquire them. Here we will highlight again that it’s important to have a least 2 females but ideally 3 or 4 per male in the tank to reduce aggression between males.
Raising the tank temperature a few degrees can stimulate the process in addition to reducing the water level in your tank. A female will normally exhibit a more pronounced and rounded abdomen when she is ready to spawn.
Males will make a bubble nest using saliva and foam that is usually attached to the underside of a plant leaf. Broad leaves are preferable if you decide to supply your Gouramis with one at breeding time.
Males will also be the ones who guard and protect the fry before and after hatching also.
When the female spawns, she will release about 15 eggs, the male will fertilize the eggs, and you can expect to see him catching them and relocating to the foamy nest.
This process will repeat several times until there are eventually hundreds of eggs in the nest. When the female is done, you should relocate her to a separate tank and allow the male to stay with the nest until the fry hatch in a few days.
Once the fry hatch, they stay in the nest until they are large enough to leave. When you can easily observe this, the male can then also be relocated, or else he is likely to start consuming them.
Conclusion
Are Sparkling Gourami a good idea for your tank? They add a dash of glamour and light up a tank that could use some pizzazz.
Their easygoing nature and easy but interesting to observe breeding habits make them ideal for a beginner, and they are fairly easy to accommodate within a tank community.
The fact that these Gouramis are so hardy despite their flashy looks makes them ideal, as many other glamorous-looking fish tend to be on the sensitive side.
Adding a group of Sparkling Gouramis is an easy way to add a truly show-stopping fish to your tank and without a great cost of a lot of extra effort. They provide some unique behaviors and may even give you a fishy soundtrack to get used to over time as you get accustomed to their noises.
