Fact Sheet: DWARF GOURAMI - Colisa lalia

(Original Title: Keeping the Beautiful Dwarf Gourami)

Female and male dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia) showing sexual dimorphism.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Keeping the Dwarf Gourami

The scientific name usually used for the Dwarf Gourami is Colisa lalia. It is native to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and possibly to Myanmar, Nepal and Borneo. It is found in the tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, and is found in slow moving streams and lakes, and can grow in flooded rice fields.

It has been introduced to Colombia, Singapore, Taiwan and Florida in the United States of America. It is probably established in these countries.

It has also been introduced to The Philippines and Canada, but I do not know if it is established in these two countries.

Size

As its name suggests this is one of the smaller gouramis. Although 10 centimetres (4 inches) is reported as a maximum size for this fish, most of the ones I see are more like 5 centimetres (2 inches) long. Water Conditions The normally recommended temperature range for this fish is 25 - 28 degrees C (77-83 degrees F). The Dwarf Gourami comes from the tropics, and is basically a tropical fish. However, part of its range includes waterways in the mountainous areas of India, and it has been reported in Nepal which is not a hot country. The places it has been introduced to are mainly tropical, but it is surviving in the wild in Florida where it has apparently escaped from fish farms. The climate of Florida is not tropical although it certainly does not get as cold as most of the United States. They have been bred outside in Germany (In the summer). A single specimen survived in a garden pond in the Adelaide Hills town of Mount Barker right through the winter. These observations suggest that at least some of this fish species have better cold tolerance than is generally recognised.

A pH of between 6.0 and 7.5; with a hardness of no more than about 19 dH is suitable for maintaining the adults.

Nitrite

The Dwarf Gourami seems to be particularly susceptible to nitrites. A good filter should be used to prevent the build up of nitrites, and the general level of cleanliness should be high. However, this fish comes from sluggish waterways and should not have turbulence in all parts of the tank.

Plants

It comes from water with a lot of plants, so it should be kept in well planted aquariums.

Food

Dwarf Gouramis are omnivores, and they are easy to feed with normal fish foods. These should be supplemented with live or frozen foods like Blood worms or Daphnia. It is one of the types of fish that is capable of shooting water droplets at insects above the water and knocking them into the water.

Breathing

The Dwarf Gourami is a labyrinth fish and can breathe air as well as water. This allows them to survive in still water which can be low in Oxygen. My own observations suggest that this fish cannot get all its Oxygen requirements from the air, and does need some dissolved Oxygen in the water.

Companions

The Dwarf Gourami is a peaceful fish and can be kept with most of the tetras and similar fish. I would avoid the smallest tetras like the Neon Tetra, and also any fin nipping fish.

I would not recommend it as a companion for any of the other Gouramis, nor for Siamese fighting fish or Paradise fish. I would also not put them with any of the livebearers like Guppies, and also not with Australian native fish like the Murray Cod. The reason for the exclusions in this paragraph is to reduce the possibility of transmission of Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au, including one article giving information about the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Dwarf-Gourami-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: PEARL GOURAMI - Trichogaster leeri

(Original title: Keeping the Pearl Gourami in Aquariums)

Photo by h080

The Pearl Gourami, Trichogaster leeri, is also called the Lace Gourami, Diamond Gourami and the Mosaic Gourami, and sometimes the Red Breasted Gourami. It is native to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has been introduced to Colombia, The Philippines and Taiwan.

Length and Longevity

It can grow to about 12 centimetres (4 1/2 inches) long. It will live for up to 8 years.

Water Conditions

This fish comes from tropical countries, and it needs warm water. A temperature of between 24 and 28 degrees C (75- 83 degrees F) is suitable. They come from soft acid water, but the adults are moderately adaptable and a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 with a dH of up to 19 is all right for maintaining them.

Plants

This fish comes from still or sluggishly moving water bodies with a lot of plants in, so at least part of their aquarium needs to have a lot of plants. Ideally these should include floating plants.

Breathing

The Pearl Gourami is a labyrinth fish and can breathe air as well as water, so it needs access to the air. It is better if the air is of a similar temperature to the water and is humid, so the tank should be well covered.

Food

This fish is an easily fed omnivore. It will eat all common fish foods. Its diet should include foods of both animal origin like live or frozen bloodworms, daphnia or brine shrimp, and also things a vegetable origin like algae wafers, lettuce or lightly cooked zucchini.

Hydra

Although the most popular fish for eating Hydra is the Blue Gourami, Pearl Gouramis also eat it readily. They are smaller and more peaceful than Blue Gouramis and are sometimes kept in tanks as small as 60 Litres (15 US gallons), so there are circumstances where the Pearl Gourami would be the fish of choice to get rid of hydra.

Bruising

The Pearl Gourami has a soft body and care needs to be taken when handling this fish.

Companions

It is a very peaceful fish which is often, but not always, shy. It can safely be put with fish smaller than itself although I would not put it with fish as small as Neon Tetras, but most of the more peaceful tetras are suitable companions as well as all the corydoras catfish like the Bronze Catfish.

You need to avoid fish that nip fins or are large and aggressive.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au including pictures and breeding information about the Pearl Gourami at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Pearl-Gourami-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

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How to Breed DWARF GOURAMI

Cichlids are not the only species to create a spawning site or to practise parental control over their young. Members of the Labyrinthfish group, such as Gouramies and Siamese Fighting Fish - also have a refined method of reproduction.

Dwarf Gourami female (Colisa lalia).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is preferable to give these fish a separate tank in which to spawn; this is not just out of courtesy but perhaps to preserve the tranquility of the community aquarium. In this example, the Dwarf Gourami, Colisa lalia, might be thought a peaceful species but during the build up to spawning the male turns quite ferocious. In a tank containing mostly livebearers, one ardent Dwarf Gourami managed to kill off the majority of the other species before anyone realized what was happening.

There is no difficulty in sexing these fish. The male's flanks are adorned with bright red diagonal stripes and as the onset of spawning occurs his throat and chest region take on a turquoise hue. In contrast, the female can be said to be a little dowdy, just a silvery blue-grey color with only a hint of lines on her side. Of course, following a period of conditioning she will fill out as the eggs build up in her body.

The procedure of the spawning ritual is this: the male constructs a floating bubble-nest using saliva and also fragments of plant material. Usually this is placed in a quiet area of the tank, away from any flow of water returning from the filtration system. The nest extends 2-3 cm (1") into the air and has a diameter of around 10 cm (4"). At the end of this construction phase, the male then entices the female to inspect the structure and, if approval appears forthcoming then the next part of the spawning occurs. However, should the male decide that the female is not quite acceptable to him or she disdains his invitation and shows little interest in his labours then it is likely that he will attack her.

It is therefore important that the spawning tank is well-planted so that the female can escape from the male until she can be rescued (by removal from the tank by the fishkeeper). Of course, plant material is also welcomed by the male to provide building materials for the bubble-nest.

It is possible to condition a pair of Dwarf Gouramies in the spawning tank by using a piece of glass or sheet plastic to divide the tank into two sections. Simply place each fish in their respective halves of the tank and feed well for a couple of weeks.

At the end of the conditioning period, remove the partition and watch what happens, being prepared all the time to step in if the female is attacked. It may be that if a sheet of glass had been used as a partition, the male fish will have had continuous sightings of the female during the conditioning period and may well have begun, or even completed, building a bubble-nest in anticipation of their reunion.

Assuming that all goes to plan, the two fish will embrace beneath the nest, the female will roll over on to her back and the released eggs will be fertilized by the male and float up into the bubble-nest. At the end of the spawning action, the female will probably make a dash into the nearest plants, at which time she should be removed as she will take no further part in the spawning procedure.

Left to his own devices, the male sets about patrolling beneath the nest, regularly repairing parts of it that may be disintegrating and restoring any of the fry that fall out.

One problem with the Dwarf Gourami is the size of the fry or, to be more specific, their need for tiny food. Here the fishkeeper must fall back on to liquid fry food at least, or try a piece of hard-boiled egg yolk squeezed in a piece of cloth in some aquarium water. Do not add too much for fear of tank water pollution. Another possibility is to use 'green water'. This is something that is anathema to pond owners but it can contain microscopic life forms that the fry can eat. Unfortunately, this must obviously be produced ahead of the spawning in order to be ready when needed, so it takes a little forethought to prepare a jar of water and stand it in bright sunshine for a couple for weeks, although you could time it to coincide with the parents' conditioning period.

Eventually the fry will reach a size where they can move on to the usual fry-feeding programme.

There is often quite a high mortality rate of the fry. Some say this occurs around the second week and often point it to cold air entering the aquarium when the hood is opened. To this end, many drape a towel over the hood to exclude draughts but this must be done with caution if the hood is not to over-heat from the lights inside.

By Dedi Walker Dedi Walker is a writer and fish enthusiast. She shares additional information in sites such as Fish Tank and Tilapia Fish [http://www.tilapiafish.net]. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Breeding GOURAMIS

Gouramis are a quite popular chocies among fish hobbyists. For novice fish breeders, breeding gouramis can be an appealing challenge. Getting them to spawn and raising the fry can be a rewarding experience.

Colisa lalia (Neon Dwarf gourami) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gouramis are labyrinth fishes. They have labyrinth, which is an air-filled breathing hole, located under the gill covers. This kind of fish can often be seen going to the surface of the water to take in fresh air, making them survive waters with low oxygen levels. There are many different types of gouramis, which all originally came from South and Southeast Asia. Most species are easy to breed, however a few species like Helostoma temmincki (the Kissing Gourami), Osphromenus goramy (the Giant Gourami), Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (the Chocolate Gourami) are rather difficult. Some of the favmost popular species include the Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri), the Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) and the Honey Gourami (Colisa sota). And these are the species I am going to say a few words about breeding.

The pearl gourami is one of the most beautiful of all the gouramis. The body and fins have lovely mosaic pearls that shine in the lights. The length for female can reach 10cm, 12cm for male. These gouramis love shallow, warm (around 27 C), and slowly flowing waters. They are very calm fish and easy to keep. They eat just about anything; however green flakes and Grindal worms are preferable. The breeding aquarium should be 80 cm in length or larger, with some suspended and anchored plants. The aquarium should be filled with about 15-20cm of water with no air or filtration, temperature 29C. Up to 2000 eggs can be laid in one spawning. When the fry become free swimming the male should be removed from the aquarium. The female should be removed right after spawning.

Click the cover

The dwarf gourami has diagonal turquoise blue stripes on their reddish orange body. The males are larger and more colorful than the females. The male becomes very brightly colored at spawning time. Their nature and needs of treatment are similar to those of the pearl gouramis, they will eat anything they are being feed, however they prefer live foods and prepared mixtures. Best spawned in a separate aquarium especially setup for this purpose. Place a well-conditioned pair into a 40-liter or 60-liter, thickly planted aquarium with a lot of floating plants. The spawn can consist of 300 to 700 eggs. After spawning is completed, the female should be removed. The male will tend the spawn until the fry become free swimming, and then he should be removed too.

The males of honey gourami have beautiful bright orange-yellow color. The females are plain, have slightly shaded brownish orange body with a silvery fluorescent glow. They prefer aquariums with some thickly planted areas and with some open swimming areas. They usually eat anything you provide them with. These fish are moderately easy to breed, though a little more difficult than the dwarf gourami. For a pair, prepare a 40-liter aquarium without air stone or filter. The male will build a large bubble nest. The eggs will when laid float up into the bubble nest, where the male will guard over them until they hatch and the fry becomes free swimming, which is when he should be removed. The female should be removed right after spawning.

By William Berg William Berg is an experienced aquarist and writes for http://www.aquaticcommunity.com and have articles featured on alot of other aquarium sites such as http://www.clownloach.info Article Source: EzineArticles

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