Giant Red Tail Gourami
Osphronemus laticlavius
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 50 cm
- Minimum tank
- 648 litres
- Temperature
- 20–30 °C
Species profile
Giant Pikehead
Luciocephalus pulcher
Common names: Giant Pikehead, Pikehead
Recognized speciesGouramis
Adult size
Up to 20 cm
Up to 20 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A dedicated tank built around this one fish
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A long, slim, pike-like hunter that lurks just below the surface. Keep alone or in a small group in 108 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A long, slim, pike-like hunter that lurks just below the surface. It travels poorly and needs a specialist diet, so it is only for dedicated keepers.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 430–540 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 100–150 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 108 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 120 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- High
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp.
Water Parameters
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
- GH
- 0–10
- Stability importance
- Important
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable. Keep the temperature steady.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
A specialised ambush predator that often refuses anything but live food. Expect to offer live fish or insects, as few will take frozen food.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Mouthbrooder
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Parental care
- Mouthbrooding
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpThe fry can usually take this from the start.
- Crushed flakeA simple addition as they grow.
A mouthbrooder. The female usually holds the eggs and young fry in her mouth for a few weeks, and releases free-swimming young. Give her cover, and avoid stressing her during this time.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Swamp
- Aquarium contexts
- Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Luciocephalus
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Species group
- Fish, Gouramis
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- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4–5.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 55 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
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- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
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- Care level
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- Adult size
- 15 cm
- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
- 25–30 °C