Care
Vaillant's chocolate Gourami is known from blackwater rainforest peat swamps. Here the water is acidic, has negligible hardness, and is tannin stained from decaying plant matter.
The aquarium must be biologically mature before this delicate species is added. Provide them with a myriad of hiding places amongst tangles of bogwood, rocky caves, and dense planting, including floating species to help diffuse the light. A dark coloured substrate and background will also help the fish to feel more confident and will bring out their best colours. Filtration should be efficient but water movement gentle, and we'd suggest the use of aquarium botanicals to help emulate the natural water conditions. The addition of leaf litter would further help in this respect - dried Indian Almond leaves (Terminalia catappa) are ideal and are readily available. Much attention must be paid to water quality since all of the chocolate gouramis are sensitive fish, susceptible to elevated nitrates or swings in water chemistry; small partial water changes should be carried out on a frequent basis. These fish are best maintained in groups to dissipate their territorial aggression and a large aquarium will provide room to avoid conflict. If tankmates are desired, they should be small, peaceful, and thrive under soft, acidic conditions. Good companions could include shoals of rasboras or Kuhli loaches (Pangio spp.).
May also be seen labelled as Samurai gourami.
Feeding
May be reluctant to take dry foods but these will be the most nutritionally balanced. Small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, daphnia etc. are eagerly taken.
Breeding
This species is a paternal mouthbrooder and has been bred in the home aquarium. Well-conditioned fish should spawn when maintained under suitable conditions as outlined above and the usual gender roles are reversed, with colourful females courting drab males and displaying to rivals. During spawning, the pair will embrace with eggs and milt released simultaneously onto the substrate. The male takes the eggs up into his mouth for incubation and mostly hides during the brooding period. The eggs (numbering between 20-40) are brooded for up to 20 days before the free-swimming fry are released. The young will require baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) or microworm straight away. In a densely planted tank, some fry may survive, but if you wish to raise larger numbers, they should be separated from the parents once free-swimming. It is of extreme importance to maintain a warm layer of air between the surface of the water and the coverslides at all times whilst the fry are developing their labyrinth organ, critical during the first few weeks of their life.
