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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Frail gourami
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Frail gourami

Ctenops nobilis · Indian paradise fish, Ctenops

Semi-aggressive toward small fish; best kept with similar-sized tankmates in a planted tank.

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10 cmBody length, without tail ✓
15–25 °CTemperature ✓
5–7.5pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Frail gourami eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Frail gourami eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Frail gourami eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

274 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓2–12 dGH
Group size ✓Can live alone
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–7 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Semi-aggressive toward small fish; best kept with similar-sized tankmates in a planted tank.

Food

Live and frozen foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp; will take pellets once settled.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Hard to sex, especially when newly imported. Males have a slightly rounded lower jaw from stretchy throat skin used to hold the brood; females have a straight lower jaw and a more pointed head.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Mouthbrooder · Hard

Paternal mouthbrooder, not a bubble-nester. The female usually starts courtship; the pair spawn almost upright, the male catches the eggs in his anal fin and the female spits them to him. The brooding male hides and barely eats.

Pairing

Condition pairs with live food.

Setup

100 L planted tank with floating plants, 22-26 C.

What starts it

Live food conditioning and a cooler water change.

Eggs

The male holds eggs and fry for 7-20 days, then releases 10-100 free-swimming young big enough for microworm or Artemia nauplii, fed at the surface.

Raising the fry

Newly hatched brine shrimp from day 3.

Common mistakes
  • Strong flow
  • Housing with tiny fish
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionNorth-east India & Bangladesh
Rivers and lakesGanges and Brahmaputra lowlands
HabitatShaded, plant-rich swamps and slow streams
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the frail gourami

A slender anabantoid from the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins of north-east India, Bangladesh and Nepal, and the only species in its genus. It feeds on small crustaceans, worms and insect larvae. Called 'frail' because it ships badly and imports often arrive weak or diseased, though it adapts well once settled.

Scottish naturalist John McClelland described this gourami in 1845. It is a shy, rarely available fish that only became regularly known to aquarists in recent decades.

First described by John McClelland in 1845. Named for 'Nobilis' means noble.

  • Males brood the eggs in their mouths.
  • It is the only species in its genus, Ctenops.
  • It has a pointed head and a long, slender body.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources