The Sparkling Gourami (Trichopsis pumila) is one of the smallest species of anabantoid at all – and one of the prettiest! The charming and totally peaceful species attains a maximum length of only 3-4 cm and is perfectly suitable for an community tank with other tiny, peaceful species of fish. The tank should be well planted. The water temperature can be between 22 and 26°C. Some dead leaves (best choice is beech, but Indian almond or oak may also be used) and some caves (half coconut shells or something like that) should not miss. T. pumila prefers to build the small bubble-nests (maximum size of the nest is about as large as a hazelnut) in caves or under broad plant leaves about 10-15 cm over the bottom of the tank.
These fish bear their name “sparkling” with good reason; at least the males do, the females do not sparkle at all. But the males can produce silent croaking sounds. This is usually associated with mating behaviour or displaying. The sound is comparable with the sound produced by a flapper, but much much less noisy. One has to listen carefully to hear it. The sound is produced by bones that stretch over sinews on the swimming bladder. So one can say: these fish play the guitar!
For our customers: the fish have code 470803 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Thailand |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 2-3 |
