Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater
Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater (Copyright: @giueliaf On Instagram)

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater – When you think of building a blackwater tank, you should first decide what kind of fish you want to put in your aquarium. There are many popular aquarium fish where the natural habitat is to inhabit the brown color water environments.

After that, you can start to design your blackwater tank to resemble their wild habitat (biotope). Or, you can make your own tank design.

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Normally, characteristic of these tropical fish can survive in low acidic water, and lower dissolved oxygenates. These species could be found in some blackwater rivers and streams in South America, Asia, and Africa, which have slow water movements and tea-colored water (by decomposing of many vegetations).

Below we will share some Asian blackwater fish species. May you be interested in creating their biotope tank in your home.

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater

 

Licorice Gourami

Parosphromenus deissneri, commonly called “Licorice Gourami,” is a freshwater aquarium gourami fish type native to blackwater environments. These fish are endemic in the Bangka Belitung province of Indonesia.

They usually inhabit forest streams and swamps where the water is slowly moving and dark-colored in their natural habitat. These areas are generally located under the dense canopy of tree branches and thick vegetation.

An adult Licorice gourami fish grow around 2 inches (5 cm) and can live up to 5 years.

Read Also: COMPLETE Blackwater Fish Tank Setup Guide

 

Wild Bettas

Most of the wild Southeast Asian wild betta fish species collected from medium to slow-moving blackwater streams. Some betta species were discovered from that environment, including Betta Pugnax, Betta Hendra, Betta Channoides, Betta Coccina, Betta Picta, Betta Bellica Betta Dennisyongi, Betta Tussyae, Betta Raja, Betta Rutilans, Betta Ibanorum, and Betta Persephone.

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater
Wild Betta Hendra Male In Blackwater Aquarium (Copyright: @peatswampaquaristik On Instagram)

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They are unique and hardy fish. In the extreme environment, they can be survived with some evolution. Some of them are mouthbrooders that mean the female or male carrying their eggs until they hatch. It may be their part of evolution to thrive in their extreme natural habitat.

Wild bettas generally are carnivorous. They tend to prey on some tiny aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, larvae, and tiny insects. But in the captive, they start to introduce dried food from the stores. Some of them may accept these foods.

Read Also: “Azolla Cristata” Is The Best Live Floating Plants For Betta Fish Tank

 

Chocolate Gourami

Next is sphaerichthys osphromenoides, also known as Chocolate Gourami. These dark water fish species mostly live in peat swamps and other blackwater stream types. They are origin from Sumatra and Borneo Island in Indonesia; some populations are also found in Malaysia.

Their body is flat and oval-shaped. They have pointed mouths with small heads. Generally, the S. osphromenoides have three or more vertical yellow-white bands throughout their bodies. The mature chocolate gourami may have a body length around 6 cm (2.4 inches) with a lifespan between six-eight years.

These blackwater gourami fish types are timid and slow movements. So, they will look perfect when put in the quiet, dark water aquarium as the inhabitant. But, if you are a beginner in a fish hobby, we recommend you don’t try to keep them. They are hard to maintain and need special conditions. If it is not, they susceptible to being infected with parasites and bacterial.

Read Also: The Complete Guide To Keeping Sparkling Gourami Fish

 

Samurai Gourami

Sphaerichthys vaillanti or usually known as “Samurai Gourami” or “Vaillant’s Chocolate Gourami,” are other smaller freshwater aquarium gourami fish types found in this environment. They are an endemic tropical fish species of Nangah Sebroeang located in southern Danau Sentarum National park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

This small gourami is interesting and different from most other Osphronemidae families. The female is more colorful than the male which most of the gourami are not like that. The male also has an important role in carrying the eggs after mating. He will incubate them in their mouth around 7-21 days.

Most samurai gouramis grow only around 2 inches with a lifespan of up to 8 years. They are shy fish and grow well in tank species with a small group. These fish may breed in groups or a couple. But, be ensure to adjust the spawning aquarium with the number of fish before it.

Read Also: The Complete Guide To Keep Dwarf Gourami Fish (Tank Setup And Mates, Appearance, Feeding, Disease, Breeding)

 

Clown Loaches

Chromobotia macracanthus, popularly called “Clown Loach,” is the Asian freshwater dwelling bottom fish species originating from the tea-colored river in Borneo and Sumatra Island of Indonesia. They commonly inhabit the main river and migrate to the smaller downstream tributaries to spawn during the wet season. These areas usually become temporarily flooded in these conditions.

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater
Small-Group Of Clown Loaches (Copyright: @imperialtropicals On Instagram)

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In the wild, they are carnivores. Their natural diet including worms, insects, invertebrates, aquatic mollusks, and sometimes feed on soft-leaved aquatic plants. In the captive, breeders may offer them some instant food such as fish flakes or pellets, and they accept it. So, they are not picky fish, and worried about their snacks is unnecessary.

The adult clown loach can reach 12 inches in body length. In an aquarium with good conditions, they may live more than 10 years. They are larger schooling fish with orange and black stripes through the body as their characteristic makes them perfect bottom fish for your tank. At least you will need a 75-gallon tank to keep them.

They are one of the most popular tropical fish among fish hobbyists and are available almost in all countries globally. You can purchase them in fish stores or online pet stores for around $9 each.

Read Also: 10 Good Reason Why You Should Have An Aquarium Fish At Your Home

 

Glass Catfish

Kryptopterus vitreolus (Glass Catfish) has many names, including phantom catfish and ghost catfish. These catfish types are originally from Thailand and inhabit moderate to slow-moving rivers and streams. Like their name, these tropical freshwater aquarium fish types have transparent skins, and you will see their organs and bones through the body.

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater
Three Awesome Glass Catfish (Copyright: @aquarium_for_the_soul On Instagram)

It just only terrific but also help them to camouflage from their predators. They are difficult to see because of the clear color that makes the predators hard to hunt. Their expected lifespan is about 7 until 8 years and maybe longer if keeping them in the right tank environment.

Their body length can reach 5 inches when fully mature. Recommended to keep them in the small groups between 5 – 6 fish in the aquarium. They will show an interesting schooling skeleton-like display in your tank.

Normally, they are peaceful fish species and may keep them in the community tank. Ensure to research their suitable tankmates to get wonderful tank community life.

Read Also: Are Axolotls Good Pets For You? It’s A Complete Guide Of Keeping, Feeding, Behavior, Characteristics

 

Harlequin Rasbora

Trigonostigma heteromorpha, also known as Harlequin Rasbora, is the smaller tropical freshwater aquarium fish types that live in soft flowing sections of jungle streams and tributaries where the water tends to brown-yellowish color.

Asian Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish Types That Originally Live In Blackwater
A Small Group Of Harlequin Rasboras (Copyright: @darkguard On Instagram)

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In their natural habitat usually plenty of vegetation and less light because covering by the canopy of trees. These aquarium schooling fish species native to Sumatra and Borneo island in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Generally, the Harlequin Rasboras grow seldom reach up to 2 inches. Since make them are fitted with any size of tanks. In better environments, they may live until 5 – 8 years.

They are peaceful small aquarium fish and are recommended to keep them in at least 5 fish groups. Then, they will show interesting swimming together behavior (schooling) in the aquarium.

Harlequin is easy to keep, and they are not picky fish. You could feed them a flake or fish pellet from local fish stores. In the trade, they normally sold around $4 for each.

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