Honeycomb Combtail Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Honeycomb Combtail is a large, distinctive labyrinth fish with an elongated body, rounded fins and a strongly serrated or comb-like edge to the tail, which gives the species its common name. Its base colour is usually brownish, olive or reddish, and individuals can show darker bars, mottling and warm orange tones, especially when displaying or breeding. The exact pattern varies with mood, age and locality.

This species has a sturdy, somewhat deep-bodied appearance and a powerful presence in the aquarium. It is able to breathe atmospheric air using its labyrinth organ, an adaptation that helps it survive in warm, slow-moving waters where oxygen levels may fluctuate.

Honeycomb Combtails are intelligent and observant, but they are not typically peaceful community fish. Adults can be territorial and may chase or injure smaller, slower or similarly shaped tankmates. They are often best appreciated as a solitary specimen or as a carefully managed pair.

In the wild, they occupy quiet habitats with submerged roots, leaf litter and thick marginal vegetation. Their behaviour is usually deliberate rather than frantic, although males can become particularly assertive when defending a territory or nest. The species is less commonly kept than smaller labyrinth fish, partly because of its adult size and demanding temperament.

Honeycomb Combtails are native to tropical Southeast Asia, with populations associated particularly with the Malay Archipelago, including Sumatra, Borneo and Java. They inhabit slow-moving, shaded freshwater environments such as forest streams, swamps and heavily vegetated waters.

A single adult should have at least 200 litres, with a footprint of approximately 120 × 45 cm; a larger aquarium is preferable for a pair or any community arrangement. Use a secure lid with a humid air space above the water because this labyrinth fish regularly breathes at the surface. Provide subdued lighting, gentle filtration, floating plants, dense planting, driftwood, roots and caves or other visual barriers, while leaving open areas for swimming. A soft sand or fine rounded-gravel substrate is suitable, and the layout should allow the fish to establish separate territories if more than one is kept.

Up to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length. Females are often slightly larger and deeper-bodied than males, although reported adult size varies with diet, space and overall care.

Honeycomb Combtails are opportunistic omnivores with a strong preference for meaty foods. Offer a varied diet of high-quality carnivorous pellets or flakes alongside earthworms, insect larvae, bloodworm, brine shrimp, prawns and other suitably sized frozen or live foods. Occasional vegetable matter can be included, but animal protein should form the main part of the diet. Feed moderate portions and remove uneaten food, as adults can be messy and prone to overfeeding.

Honeycomb Combtails are best kept alone unless a compatible male and female are introduced to a suitably large, structured aquarium. If attempting a community setup, choose robust, peaceful tankmates that are too large to be swallowed and that occupy different areas of the aquarium, such as larger peaceful barbs, sturdy rasboras or peaceful loaches. Avoid small tetras, delicate long-finned fish, timid species and other territorial labyrinth fish. Do not house two males together, and be prepared to separate a pair if aggression becomes severe.

Honeycomb Combtails are bubble-nesting labyrinth fish. Provide a spacious, quiet breeding aquarium with dense floating or surface vegetation, then condition a compatible male and female with generous live or frozen foods. The male generally builds a nest beneath cover, courts the female and tends the eggs after spawning. Remove the female if she is persistently harassed, and monitor the nest closely because the parents may eat eggs or fry. The young require very small first foods such as infusoria before progressing to baby brine shrimp and other appropriately sized foods.

Males are commonly more intensely coloured and may develop longer, more pointed dorsal, anal and caudal-fin extensions, particularly when mature. Females are usually somewhat plainer, rounder-bodied and shorter-finned, especially when carrying eggs.