by A Morris

Created on: January 30, 2009

Gouramis are a wonderful addition to a freshwater tank, and there are several different sub-species that vary in size and colour. They look fantastic amidst slow-moving fish and plants that weave in the water flow. This species isreferred to as a "bubble-nest builder", which makes them relatively easy to breed. Gouramis can take about three years to fully mature, so don't expect them them to breed as soon as you buy them.

As with any species, your fish need to be settled and happy in a stable environment before the breeding process can begin successfully. The absence of other dominant or aggressive species in your tank will hinder the process, either by devouring the eggs or making the female stressed. In view of this, it is advisable to keep your Gouramis in a special breeding tank to ensure successful breeding, although it is not impossible to breed them in a community tank.

It's common amongst many species of Gourami that the male may become aggressive towards the female after spawning. If this is the case, you may need to move the female to a specially prepared tank to allow her to rest. If moving Gourami, be sure that the temperature and water chemistry are exactly the same, to avoid causing stress.

To tell your Gouramis apart, you need to be able to identify the female. The females tend to be duller in colour, whilst the males generally have a long dorsal fin that may extend over the caudal fin. The male Lace Gourami has pelvic fins which are very long compared to the female, whilst in other species the male may display a red anal fin. All species of Gourami are bubble-nest builders, but the Dwarf Gourami often proves hard to breed as spawning is more difficult and the fry are tiny and difficult to raise.

In order to breed your Gouramis, your tank chemistry must be just right. Most species of Gourami enjoy a temperature of around 24 degrees celsius in most types of water. They will require large plants for shade, under which to attach their bubble nests. They will also appreciate heavy planting towards the rear of the tank, and a few caves in which to hide. Ideally your aquarium needs to be at least 100cm long for the larger species, or 60cm for the smaller ones. Try to provide a gentle flow of water with soft filtration to avoid disturbance of the nest.

Usually the male will build the nest. When he is ready, he will perform a mating ritual of fin-spreading and tail-wiggling to attract the female. The female will appear more rounded with a fuller belly when she is ready to mate. By the time the male has built his nest, the female will be ready to spawn. Once spawning begins, the male will wrap himself around the female and roll her over so that she can release her eggs. These eggs will float to the surface and then be collected by the male and taken to the nest, where he will cover each egg with mucus to protect it and hold all the eggs together. Once completed, the pair will embrace again and the spawning process is complete. Each spawning usually produces around 250 eggs, which the male will protect for about 48 hours until they hatch into fry. After about 5 days the fry become free-swimming and leave the nest.

Rear your fry on a good diet of live foods, such as Infusoria for the first week. After that, they graduate to eating Daphnia and small brine shrimp. You can also add a little fine-powdered fry food, but it is essential that they have fresh live food as well.

Best of luck with your breeding process - it's worth the wait!

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