by Tammy L Mahan

Created on: May 22, 2010   Last Updated: May 23, 2010

The Dwarf Gourami is one of the easiest fish to breed especially when talking specifically the gourami species.

The male Dwarf Gourami which is a vibrantly beautiful fish does almost all the work in the dwarf breeding process.

First, a little about the Dwarf Gourami. It is the smallest fish of the gourami species as the name implies “dwarf.” They only grow a mere two inches in length. The male is slightly rounder than the female and much more attractive looking. The males have vibrant colors and the female has dull colors, it is very easy to tell them apart.

Therefore, when you are shopping for your female and male Dwarf Gouramis’ for breeding it is unlikely you will end up with two fish of the same gender.

For breeding you will need a separate aquarium, a ten gallon should suffice. If you plan on breeding more than one pair at a time, you will need a separate tank for each pair. You will also need a larger aquarium to put all the fries in once they are ready. Each breeding pair of Dwarf Gouramis can produce between three-hundred and eight-hundred fries. The is a lot of fish, especially if you choose to keep them all or have a difficult time selling them to a pet store or aquarium store. These are just a few factors to take into consideration before you begin breeding. You will also need special food for the fries. For the first week of their life they should be fed a micro-food, like rotifers or store bought fry food. The second and next few weeks they will need to be fed finely ground store bought food and fresh hatched brine shrimp.

The Dwarf Gouramis have a rather unique breeding process. Once the breeding aquarium is ready with six to eight inches of water and a water temperature of eighty-two to eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit. Place the male and female in the breeding tank, the male will build a bubble nest. It is also important to note that a male will breed with two or three females during this breeding time.

The male will begin courting the female(s) in the late afternoon or evening. The male will swim around the female with his fins flared. Once the female agrees, she will follow the male to the bubble nest where the will swim around one another in a circle. When the female is ready to spawn the eggs, she will touch the male on either his tail or backside with her mouth.

The male will then embrace the female, turning her on her side, then on her back. She will then release the eggs. The male will fertilize them and even gather any of the eggs that didn’t make it to the bubble nest. When all of the spawned eggs are in the bubble nest, the male and female will spawn again. The breeding process per female takes place between two and four hours per female.

The male Dwarf Gourami will guard the eggs and fries. The eggs hatch in twenty-four hours and are free-swimming within seventy-two hours.

Once the fries are free-swimming, the male needs to be removed and placed back into the community tank.

Learn more about this author, Tammy L Mahan.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.