Widely distributed through Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh. Apparent occurences in Nepal and Myanmar are now thought to be as a result oF misidentification. Feral populations also exist in a handful of countries, including Singapore, the USA and Colombia. Nowadays all the fish on sale in the trade are mass-produced for the purpose and you’re very unlikely to encounter wild caught specimens on sale.
Like most Anabantoids, dwarf gouramis do not appreciate fast-moving or turbulent water. Try to keep flow to a minimum in any set-up containing them. They do best in a heavily-planted tank with plenty of shade and hiding places. The addition of a dark substrate and floating vegetation is also recommended to calm these essentially shy fish. The addition of some twigs, branches and leaf litter could make for a very natural-looking set-up.
That said, the modern tank-bred fish are fairly adaptable and can thrive in most well-maintained aquaria, provided they have sufficient hiding places and shady areas. These are important to provide refuges for the female in the face of male harassment, also in a sparsely decorated tank the species becomes shy and withdrawn much more easily.
