Relax Watching the Unique Habit of KISSING GOURAMI in Your Aquarium

Kissing Gourami fish are also called Kisser fish. They are freshwater fish, originated from Thailand and Indonesia. In fact they are the food of people staying in that region.

Kissing Gouramis can be called typical Gourami fish because of their shape. Their body is compressed and elongated. Their fins are also large and elongated. It is very difficult to distinguish between a male and a female.

Helostoma temminkii in an aquarium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They can grow up to 12 inches in length. The unique feature of kissing Gouramis is their mouth. Their lips are thicker and they are lined with teeth.

They love to live in shallow waters which are slow moving. In their natural habitat, they live in a place which is heavily planted. They will eat algae and they will also eat most of the other plants in the water.

They can tolerate a wide variety of conditions. The temperature of water may be in the range of 75-85° F while the ph level may be in the range of 6.5 to 8.5.

Their name comes from their peculiar habit. When two males meet, they will face each other and press their mouth. Due to this action, they are called Kissing Gourami. Some fish keepers call them talking Gourami. These kisses are not harmful but sometimes because of continuous bullying they can develop stress and may even die.

However, experience has shown that as they grow older, their habit of challenging or combating with each other reduces and most of the time they start living peacefully with others.

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Like most of the types of Gourami fish, they can come to the surface of the water and can gulp air directly from the atmosphere. This is possible because they have labyrinth organ. Naturally they can survive in the water having low levels of oxygen.

If you want to keep them, you should always plan for a large aquarium having capacity of 80 gallons of water or more. You should also provide some in edible plants as well as some artificial plants because they will try to eat every plant present in the aquarium!

Kissing Gouramis can take wide range of foods including live food well as flaked food and vegetables. You should also feed them with vegetables like spinach or lettuce and peas.

As it is hard to find out the sex of the fish, it is better to buy a group of about 8 to 10 and then allow them to pair up. They will not build any nest but they can spawn a large number of eggs. Normally they will lay up to 12,000 eggs per spawning. These eggs will float on the surface of the water and they will stick to the available surface like plant leaves or plant stems. Some experienced fish-keepers put a leaf of lettuce in the tank which will float and the eggs will be attached to it. After some time, it will also develop fungus which will be used by the fry as their food.

While arranging substrate for the aquarium, you should use large gravel and stones because the fish will try to dig the substrate most of the times as a habit.

In short, if you can provide a big tank with a huge surface area, plenty of plants, reasonably warm water and a compatible combination of species in the aquarium, you can entertain your family members and your guests with the unusual habit of Kissing Gouramis.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

Tips on KISSING GOURAMI Care

Kissing Gourami or Helostoma temminckii, are members of the familyHelostoma. Kissing gouramies inhabit the heavily vegetated, shallow, slow-moving backwaters prominent in Thailand and Indonesia. Most of the fish exported for the freshwater aquarium trade industry are commercially raised on fish farms throughout Southeast Asia.

Kissing Gouramis - Photo  by    Clevergrrl  (cc)

All Gouramies and the popular tropical fish the betta fish are part of the suborder Anabantoideimore commonly referred to as anabantoids or labyrinth fish. Labyrinth fish evolved in low oxygenated environments. Part of this evolution included the development of lung-like organ typically referred to as a labyrinth. The labyrinth is inundated with blood capillaries allowing for the absorption of atmospheric oxygen into the blood system. The addition of this organ allows gouramies to survive out of water longer than most other fish. Kissing gouramies have evolved to the point where they need a combination of both atmospheric and dissolved oxygen in order to survive. This is why you will frequently see gouramies and bettas rising to the surface of an aquarium to gulp in air. This gives them the ability to survive in less than ideal water conditions for extended periods of time.

Kissing gouramis are one of the largest gouramies kept in freshwater aquariums. They will reach an adult length of anywhere between 7.5-12 inches even in the confines of an aquarium. These fish have laterally compressed, slightly rounded bodies. Their caudal fins are either rounded or concaved. Their most prominent feature is their mouths which protrude out characteristically outward from their face. Their lips are lined with horney teeth. Their jaw assemblies lack teeth. Kissing gouramies are commercially available in two colors. The one most commonly found in home aquariums are white. 

White gouramies have a pearlescent sheen to their bodies with a pink or orangish tinge and transparent pinkish fins. There is also a dwarf variety available. Dwarf kissing gouramies are a mutated strain of pink gourami. They are frequently referred to as balloon gouramies because of their smaller more rounded bodies.

The kissing gouramies for a sale at the local fish store are quite young. Juveniles grow rapidly and will quickly outgrow a small aquarium. An adult kissing gourami requires a minimum tank size of 50 gallons. You will need a larger aquarium for a well-populated community tank. These fish have semi-aggressive temperaments. They generally mix well with fish of similar size and attitude. But they are prone to bully smaller, more timid tank mates. They are generally tolerant of conspecifics but males frequently challenge each other for dormancy. Said challenge consists of locking lips and engaging in a shoving match much like a deer will lock horns and attempt to force its challenger into submission. Kissing gouramies have a habit of enjoying digging in aquarium substrate. The best way to minimize this is by using larger, coarser gravel and larger rather than smaller rocks in your aquarium.

This is an omnivorous species. Algae make up a significant part of their diet. They are extremely efficient tank cleaners. It is recommended that you do not clean your aquarium glass during routine tank cleaning. These gouramies will use their toothed lips to scrape algae off the surfaces of your aquarium. This form of algae removal is commonly perceived as kissing. They will instinctively graze on most aquarium plants. Ineatable plants such as java moss and java fern work well with kissing gouramies. Aside from these, plastic plants are highly recommended. Algae pellets in addition to a good quality flake food make an excellent staple. They will also readily accept frozen and freeze-dried food products. Brine shrimp and tubifex make wonderful protein supplements. Kissing gouramies have an affinity toward blanched table vegetables. Lettuce leaves are an all-time favorite. Regular portions of vegetables will finish providing a well-balanced diet.

This fish thrives in water temperatures between 72-82 °F. They function fine in pH levels that vary slightly on either side of a neutral balance; 6.8-8.5. With proper care, a kissing gourami should live between 5-7years of age.

Breeding Kissing Gouramies

Kissing gouramies are sexually dimorphic. Males and females are virtually identical with the exception that females tend to be a little larger and have a slightly fuller body than males.

Proper diet and aquarium conditions will help induce the breeding cycle. A protein-rich live diet such as brine shrimp will help precondition your gouramies for spawning. Raising the water temperature up to 80 °F properly simulates the breeding season. Gouramies are more apt to breed in soft water conditions.

The breeding process is typically initiated by the female and takes place under the cover of floating vegetation. Lettuce leaves provide the necessary camouflage to perpetuate breeding. The breeding ritual begins by the couple circling each other. This quickly escalates to nudging each other, dancing and concludes with a frantic tail beating. Breeding commences when the male warps his body around the female and turns her upside down. The female will then release several hundred eggs. The male fertilizes the eggs as they rise to the surface. Gourami eggs are buoyant and will float.

Kissing gouramies are open-water egg scatterers. Unlike many gouramies, these fish do not build a bubble nest for their future offspring. Nor will they guard their eggs. Once spawning has occurred, the adults should be removed from the breeding tank to avoid predation. The same lettuce leaves that provided a suitable environment for spawning will now function as a breeding chamber of sorts. Gourami eggs will adhere to the lettuce. The eggs will hatch in approximately 24 hours. The lettuce provides a natural source of infusoria for the newly hatched fry. Fry will be free swimming in about two days. Free swimming fry can be fed finely crushed flake food or baby brine shrimp.

By Stephen J Broy The hottest new trend in aquarium ownership is pet jellyfish. Jellyfish require a specially designed Jellyfish Aquarium Fish Tank to remain alive and healthy. Jellyfish aquariums are easier to maintain than a traditional saltwater tank. Pet Moon Jellyfish have become exceptionally popular in recent years with home aquarists both for their unparalleled elegance and ease of care. The market for moon jellies has increased to the point that two US-based websites are now tank raising these exotic creatures to keep pace with the growing demand. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Make Good Efforts to Keep Aquarium Clean When You Keep PEARL GOURAMI Fish

Pearl Gourami is very attractive and very hardy fish so it is very easy to keep for the beginners as well have experienced fish-keepers.

Male Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The body of Pearl Gourami is compressed and elongated. Its fins are thin as well as long, looking like feelers. Its mouth is always up. There are flakes of green color on the body which resemble appearance of pearls. One more specialty on the body of Pearl Gourami is a long black line. This line starts from their mouth and goes up to the tail where it becomes a spot.

Pearl Gouramis like to live in areas of heavy plantation in the nature, so they are happy with the same surroundings in the aquarium. In addition to the base plants, you should also provide some floating plants as a place for their hiding. There should not be much light in the aquarium and the substrate should preferably be of a dark shade.

Pearl Gouramis like to live in slightly acidic water but they can adapt to different conditions also. They can easily live in a community aquarium with other species. However you should take care not to keep aggressive species with them.

Pearl Gouramis will be happy to eat most of the foods which are offered to pet fish. However for balanced nutrition, you should offer them for vegetables like spinach, lettuce and peas. Occasionally, you can feed them with live food such as blood-worms and brine shrimp which will help for preparing themselves for breeding.

The males of Pearl Gouramis are different from the females because of their colors. They have a red and orange color combination on their throat as well as on their breast. Their dorsal fin is also much longer and pointed. On the other hand, the females will have slightly bigger body than the males.

Before their breeding begins, you should feed Pearl Gouramis some good live food like brine shrimp. You should also reduce the water level of the tank, and keep it up to 8 inches. Increase the temperature of the tank up to 80° F and leave lot of floating plants in the tank.

The males will start building a bubble nest and their spawning will begin below it. At the time of spawning the males will wrap their body around the body of the females and the females will start releasing eggs. The females can lay hundreds of legs at a time. You should remove the females from the tank after laying the eggs.

The young ones will come out after 3 to 5 days and they will start swimming. You should immediately remove the males from the tank because they may start chasing the young ones and troubling them.

The young ones should be fed with baby brine shrimp up to two weeks. Crushed flakes of food can also be offered to them. After about a month later, they will grow up and you can shift them to the main tank. During this time, you should look after the conditions of water and you should change it at least every three days.

What other very important feature of Pearl Gourami is their habit of creating waste. They will generate a lot of waste which will be accumulated at the bottom of the tank. This waste will quickly start contaminating the entire water. So when you are keeping Pearl Gouramis, you must keep the water clean both by keeping a good filtration system and by physically removing the dirt from the tank. If they are forced to stay in dirty water, they will immediately get sick. If the fry is kept in dirty water, their growth will be poor.

One more precaution you need to take about Pearl Gourami is regarding their habit of eating. When you feed them to the fish in the tank, the fast more wing fish will grab the folder quickly. However, Pearl Gourami will wait for others to grab the food and they will just collect the leftovers from the bottom of the aquarium. So if you are keeping them with fast moving fish, they will remain hungry.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on PARADISE FISH Care and Spawning

The paradise fish or Macropodus opercularis are members of the family Belontidae. This family grouping includes both betta fish and gouarmis. The paradise fish is a gourami. They are also commonly referred to as paradise gouramis.

Paradise fish are native to East Asia. They populate the rice patties and ditches of Northern Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula. They were one of the first ornamental fish introduced to western society. They were first exported to Europe in the 1800s.

This image shows a Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Despite their long history as a commercial ornamental fish, you are unlikely to see one in a home aquarium. They aren't even stocked in most fish specialty stores. This may be because paradise fish do not make good aquarium fish. Paradise fish are predators by nature. They are combative and harassing. They will attack each other and other species often seriously or fatally wounding them. You can no sooner put two males in the same tank together than you can betta males. Paradise fish are even more aggressive than bettas when it comes to male territorialism. Just like bettas, females can be housed together without incident. The popularity of this species waned with western aquarists when much less aggressive gouramis began to be exported.

Aquarist who levitate toward more aggressive species have a limit number of choices as far as tank-mates for paradise fish. Suitable candidates include larger danios and tetra, catfish and less aggressive cichlids such as firemouths. They can hold there own against most South American cichlids of equal size.

Paradise fish, like bettas and other gouramis belong to the suborder Anabantid. Regardless of geological location, all members of this suborder evolved in low oxygenated water. The rice patties and ditches of Eastern Asia are a prime example of such an environment. They are often muddy and inhospitable to any fish that do not fall into the Anabantid suborder.

Evolution provided Anabantids with a unique means of surviving in these adverse conditions. They evolved a lung-like organ known as a labyrinth organ. The labyrinth allows them to breathe oxygen straight from the atmosphere. You will see all such members of this suborder frequently rise to the surface to gulp air. Without a combination of dissolved and atmospheric oxygen they will not survive.

Paradise fish grow to approximately four inches with an average life span of six years. Paradise fish prefer slightly alkaline water. They can tolerate levels varying anywhere between 6.0-8.0 and water temperatures ranging between 68-78°F. They are omnivores but should be provided a diet reasonably high in protein. The males are more colorful than the females and have larger fins.

Breeding Paradise

To induce spawning, place the male and the female in a breeding tank with a divider between them. Male paradise fish may kill a female if she is not carrying eggs. You will want to have an abundance of plants for the female to hide in once the divider is removed. The water temperature should be toward the higher end of the fishes' tolerance level. They are less likely to breed in cooler water. Have your water filter turned down. Paradise fish breed in still waters in their natural habitat.

If the male feels the inclination to spawn he will use his labyrinth to build a bubble nest on the water's surface mixed with small pieces of the plant matter you provided. If this occurs it is safe to remove the divider.

If the female accepts the male's invitation to breed the two fish will embrace releasing both the eggs and semen into the water. After each embrace, the male will gather the fertilized eggs and spit them into the bubble nest.

Once spawning has occurred, the male no longer has any use for the female. Promptly remove her from the tank to prevent the male from killing her. Leave the male with the fry until they hatch and begin to swim freely. Now the male must be removed to prevent him from eating the fry.

Free swimming fry can be fed infusoria. In a few days their diet can be switched to newly hatched shrimp brine or powdered fry food.

Aquarium keeping is a fun and rewarding hobby. Freshwater aquarium fish care is the easiest and most economical way to enter the field of aquarium ownership. Less than a decade ago freshwater or saltwater fish were the only options available. But that has all changed.

By Stephen J Broy Keeping pet jellyfish is the latest trend in the world of aquariums. Pet jellyfish are a happy medium between the ease of freshwater fish and the demands and expense of keeping saltwater specimens alive and healthy. Jellyfish have much slower metabolisms than saltwater fish. Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums are less expensive to set up and maintain than saltwater tanks. Pet Moon Jellyfish look absolutely incredible under a fading LED lighting system. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Top 10 Tips on Keeping DWARF GOURAMI

There are different names for Dwarf Gourami fish. Some call them as powder blue Gouramis while others call them as neon blue Gouramis. They have a peculiar habit of swimming together in a pair. Originated from India, they are tropical freshwater fish.

If you plan to keep Dwarf Gourami fish in your aquarium, here are some important tips for you -

1. While buying them from the pet fish shop, you should consult the shop staff and buy them in appropriate proportions. They should be bought in the proportion of three females to one male and you should buy at least a group of 7 to 10 of them at a time. They can live up to four years in aquariums and they will grow up to 4 inches in length.

Dwarf Gourami - Photo by jfinnirwin 

2. The food habits of Dwarf Gourami fish are slightly different from other Gouramis. They will prefer meaty foods as well as algae. Occasionally they will eat flaked food. So you should plan their diet plan carefully. If you notice that their color is fading out, you should increase the proportion of live food in their diet. They will not pick their food as soon as you feed them. Instead they will take it from the bottom of the aquarium once it settles down.

3. They will require a reasonable amount of water and swimming place around the aquarium. So you cannot keep them in a small aquarium.

4. They are playful by nature so they should be kept in a group. If they are kept alone, they will develop stress and get sick.

5. Though all they are comfortable in all types of waters, if you keep them in a tank with the temperature of 75-80° F and with the ph level of 6.0 to 7.0, they will be happier.

6. They require a calm and quiet environment. So if you plan to keep them in the aquarium, you should not set up your aquarium in a noisy place. You should also see that there should not be any direct sunlight coming to the aquarium. The lighting should be moderate and there should not be much movement in the water.

7. If you plan to keep several males, you should remember that they will have territorial ambitions. So they will fight over an area in a small aquarium and may hurt each other. If you see them in a shop, you will always find them fighting. If the aquarium is sufficiently big, they can live peacefully. So you should plan your aquarium size carefully before introducing them.

8. They are always described as wife beaters! Particularly at the time of spawning, they will be impatient and will hurt the females. As a precaution, you should introduce at least two or three females For a male and they all should be shifted in a separate tank. Once the female lays eggs, she should be immediately removed from the tank.

9. The males will take care of the eggs after the spawning. However, when the new ones start coming out, you should shift the male to the main aquarium.

10. Usually the fish keepers are interested in knowing the information about the frequency of breeding of Dwarf Gourami fish. They breed once in a month and at one time they can lay hundreds of eggs. However, they will take a break after 3 to 4 months. This break will be around one month and they will start spawning again.

Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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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.

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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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