Aquarium gourami: how to distinguish a male from a female. Pearl gourami - the pearl of the aquarium
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This fish is suitable even for beginner aquarists: it is so easy to care for. But the marbled gourami itself is not simple; it is a fish with history and character. It is very interesting to watch, and can be kept in a relatively small aquarium along with other species.
If you make a list of the most popular among beginners aquarium fish ok, then marbled gourami will definitely be included in this list. This is truly the most undemanding species of gourami, and the fish look quite impressive. But stories about their peacefulness can be misleading and sometimes even create problems for the other inhabitants of the aquarium.
A little history
Marbled gouramis are a product of artificial selection; this species of fish does not exist in nature. Their ancestors were blue gouramis that live in the waters of South Asia. The honor of creating the species belongs to the American aquarist Cosby, therefore the second name for marble gourami is Cosby gourami.
Features of the view
The name of the genus Trichogaster, to which these fish belong, is literally translated into Russian as “threaders.” All gouramis are distinguished by long, mobile antennae transformed from the ventral fins; They use their “threadlegs” to feel the surrounding terrain, and are also able to show emotions with their movements. All gouramis are very similar, they differ mainly only in color.
By moving its antennae, gourami expresses its mood
Appearance
It is the color that determines the names of most types of gourami; marbled ones are no exception. The dark streaks on their silvery scales are indeed very reminiscent of the shimmer of polished marble. In a large aquarium, adults grow up to 15 centimeters in length; The body of the fish is oval, flattened laterally. Most of all, it resembles a tree leaf, which for some reason floats non-horizontally in the water column. The movements of the fish are exceptionally beautiful - very smooth, gliding, they suddenly become masterfully swift. For its size, the marbled gourami is an unusually graceful fish.
Character and behavior
In nature, gourami can grow much larger than in an aquarium - up to 70 centimeters. Obviously, genetic memory largely determines the behavioral potential of these fish: they perceive themselves as big and strong. Marbled gouramis are confident and calm, but in certain situations they become merciless fighters and even attack fish that are larger than them.
The marbled gourami “remembers” itself as a big and strong fish
But when normal conditions marbled gouramis behave peacefully. The main condition for this is a really spacious aquarium.. Even warlike males will not begin to conflict if each of them can determine for themselves a sufficient amount of their own territory.
Male or female?
By six months, gourami usually reach sexual maturity, but it is quite possible to distinguish a male from a female even at a more tender age. With the same color, females most often exceed the gentlemen in size and have a much more rounded abdomen, this is clearly noticeable. It is easy to determine the sex of a marbled gourami by the shape of the fish’s dorsal fin: in the female it is short and rounded, and in the male it is pointed and long.
The male marbled gourami has a triangular dorsal fin, while the female has a rounded one.
How to distinguish between a male and a female - video
It must be remembered that gouramis are labyrinth fish, which, in addition to the usual gills, have another respiratory organ - the so-called labyrinth (an organ that allows the fish to additionally breathe atmospheric oxygen). It is vital for these fish to have access to fresh atmospheric air in order to swallow it from the surface of the water. In a tightly closed aquarium, gourami die after a while.
Aquarium for gourami
Gourami need space to be able to move normally, so a 50-liter aquarium is not enough for a couple of such fish: they need at least twice the volume. Marbled gourami are tolerant of cool water, but still the temperature in the aquarium should not fall below 16 degrees. The optimal water temperature for keeping marbled gourami is 26–28 degrees.
A large aquarium is the dream of a marbled gourami
Both the gouramis themselves and the aquatic plants among which they live need a lot of light. As for other water parameters, these fish are not particularly demanding of them: hardness values can range from 10 to 20, and acidity should be 6.5–7.5. Like other labyrinths, gouramis do not require aeration or filtration, but this is necessary for the overall well-being of the aquarium.
Marbled gourami prefers live rather than artificial plants
For the bottom of the aquarium, it is better to choose dark rather than light soil, on which you can lay out large shards and arrange other shelters - here the gourami will be able to hide and feel comfortable. These fish also really like the dense underwater “jungle”; a variety of plants will suit them:
Any small plants floating on the surface of the water will not hurt either: in them the spawning pair will be able to build a nest for their offspring.
Setting up housing for fish - video
Feeding
Live food is best suited for feeding gourami:
Natural food is the basis of nutrition for marbled gourami
Monotonous food has a bad effect on the physical condition of marbled gouramis and their ability to reproduce. Organize for the fish good nutrition, alternating a variety of live food with high-quality dry food in their menu. You can successfully diversify your pets' diet by adding lettuce or dandelion leaves (they must first be scalded with boiling water), scraped meat, chopped canned peas and even... semolina porridge.
Compatibility
Marble fish in most cases coexist peacefully with other fish, with the exception of the following species:
In a large aquarium, gouramis do not conflict with their neighbors
But in some situations, this truly peaceful fish suddenly becomes an aggressor and enters into brutal fights: rivals maim and kill each other. In what cases does this happen and what should you pay attention to:
The behavior of marbled gourami is very interesting, and there are interesting points that should be taken into account when keeping these fish:
Marbled gouramis change color before spawning
Breeding
Even a novice aquarist can get offspring from marble gourami if desired, but not everyone can preserve and raise fry. Different kinds Gouramis, when crossed, are capable of producing hybrid offspring, and some aquarists deliberately do this. But, for example, crossing marble gourami with pearl gourami has not yet given any results.
It is very interesting to observe the mating rituals of fish during spawning and how the responsible “young father” takes care of the offspring. In order to prepare the couple for spawning, it should be moved into a spacious, light aquarium, the water temperature in which will not drop below 27 degrees. Future parents need to be fed with high-quality live food several times a day. Soon you will notice how the female’s belly is becoming more and more rounded: eggs are ripening in it.
A male gourami touchingly and persistently courtes his girlfriend
The spawning aquarium must contain at least 50 liters. And no extraneous fish: during this period, the male’s aggression rapidly grows, he even chases his own female, and will simply kill any other neighbors.
The future father begins to equip a “nursery” in a corner of the aquarium in advance - to build a foam nest for eggs from air bubbles. He persistently courts the female, hugging her tightly with his body to help squeeze out the eggs. Then he picks up the eggs and carefully places them in the nest. The female should be removed by this time: she can eat the eggs.
The male will selflessly guard the nest until the eggs hatch. In another three to four days they will be able to swim independently. Then the male must also be removed, and the fry must be fed properly: their survival depends on the quality of feeding.
The first two to three days the fry do not leave the nest.
How to feed marbled gourami fry? At first they are very tiny and can only eat mashed boiled yolk or slipper ciliates as food. But young gourami grow very quickly and begin to willingly eat the smallest crustaceans:
Marbled gourami fry are characterized by uneven growth. It is imperative to monitor this and timely sort the fish by size so that there is no “hazing” of the larger ones in relation to the smallest ones.
Marriage games - video
Diseases
If not maintained correctly, even unpretentious marbled gouramis can get sick. By maintaining constant cleanliness in the aquarium, you reduce the risk that various pathogens of serious diseases will appear in it:
Keep your aquarium clean to keep your gourami healthy.
The most common diseases for marble gourami - table
Gourami are freshwater labyrinth fish, whose “trademark” is their pelvic fins in the form of long threads. These very threads are their organ of touch. Homeland of gourami - Southeast Asia and Indochina. You can often see gouramis using them to feel the walls and decorations of the aquarium.
Like all representatives of labyrinths, gourami breathe atmospheric air, so the aquarium should not be tightly closed - fresh air should always flow under the lid. Gourami are one of the most unpretentious aquarium fish, and breeding them is as easy as keeping them.
The body size of all types of gourami is from 5 to 10 cm, only the serpentine gourami can grow up to 20 cm.
The gender differences of this fish are quite clearly expressed: males are larger than females, brighter in color, their fins are longer (the dorsal fin is large and elongated).
What to feed gourami
Gouramis feed mainly on small live food: daphnia, coretra, tubifex, bloodworms. If live food is not available, you can feed them dry granules and flakes. Many aquarists are pleased with one gastronomic addiction of all gourami - coil and fisa snails. Hungry fish are happy to rid the aquarium of small shellfish.
The water temperature for keeping these labyrinths is 23-26 degrees, hardness up to 16 degrees, pH 6-7, filtration and water change weekly by 15-20% of the volume are required. Gourami are kept in low aquariums with a water level of 35-40 cm, bright lighting and big amount plants, including floating ones. You can place driftwood in the aquarium, which will bring the habitat closer to natural.
Gourami compatibility
Gourami are peaceful fish and they need the same neighbors. They get along well with irises, lalius, macropods, neons, rasboras, minors, apistograms, corydoras, ancistrus.
Gourami breeding
Gourami are very beautiful during the spawning period. The coloring of the fish becomes brighter and more interesting. For breeding, use a 40-50 liter aquarium with a water level of 25-30 cm.
The water must be settled and fresh. It is necessary to feed during this period. You need to add a bunch of Riccia to the aquarium; when gourami spawn, it is preferable to other plants.
The male himself builds a nest of foam (between floating plants), and the female lays eggs at this time, up to 2000 eggs.
The eggs float to the surface and the male collects them in the nest. He drives away the female; it is better to remove her immediately. The male continues to care for the eggs for another 2-3 days. When the fry begin to swim, the male must also be removed, otherwise he may destroy the offspring. Food for fry – ciliates, nematodes. After only 2-3 weeks, producers can reproduce again. This period can last up to 6 months.
The pearl gourami differs from the usual spotted gourami in its more flattened and tall body.
The color is silvery-violet, with shiny spots resembling pearls evenly distributed throughout the body.
The dorsal fin is elongated and reaches the caudal fin. In the female it is shorter and has round shape. These fish prefer very clean water.
The blue gourami does not have spots on its body like the spotted gourami. Living conditions are similar to other types of gourami.
Marbled gourami was obtained by breeding from blue gourami. It is distinguished by the presence of black spots irregular shape in the back of the body.
Predominant in color green color more than blue. Keeping temperature is 26 degrees, when diluted to 28 degrees.
gourami sunny or golden
Sunny gourami is very beautiful. Its body color is yellow-orange. There are barely noticeable dark stripes on it. The fins are dotted with red and yellow dots.
The body length usually does not exceed 8 cm. The caudal fin has a red or dark border.
Fiery...
Opal
Dwarf
There are several other types of gourami. Their conditions of keeping and reproduction are very similar. The fish differ only in color and body size.
Chocolate
Kissing
Video: gourami breeding.
Of extraordinary beauty, the pearl gourami conquered aquariums around the world in 1933, and in Soviet Union they were first imported in 1949. They are not very capricious and do not require care, and the beauty and grace of the fish have made it an inhabitant of almost every aquarium. Gourami are labyrinthine, that is, they have the ability to breathe atmospheric air for some time.
Pearl gourami
Characteristics of the fish
Aquarium pearl gourami has an oval, slightly elongated body shape, with males being slightly larger than females.
- Body size is up to 11 cm in captivity. IN natural environment habitat – up to 15 cm;
- The body color is silver with a pink tint, studded with pearl dots. There is a black stripe in the middle of the body;
- Life expectancy is up to 7 years with proper care.
You can also distinguish a male from a female by the following characteristics:
- The boy has a brighter, more intense coloring;
- It also has a slightly longer dorsal fin, which gives the impression that it is sharper;
- But the most distinguishing characteristic occurs during the mating season - the male begins to literally shine with every pearl on the body, shimmering with mother-of-pearl, and the abdomen and chest become bright red. This is how he attracts females.
Female and male gourami They have fins growing on their abdomen, more like long threads, in the photo above. They have a tactile function; with them the fish probes the bottom in troubled waters in which they live in natural conditions.
Aquarium for gourami
To properly keep fish, the following conditions must be met:
- Water volume – at least 40 liters;
- pH – from 6 to 7;
- temperature - from 23 to 27 degrees.
Be sure to install a filter and local lighting from a 40-watt incandescent lamp.
Aquarium with gourami It will be a little difficult to equip the aquarium with a variety of living plants; this is a mandatory requirement. Use elodea and vallisneria, and plant duckweed on the surface of the water. Only in such conditions will gourami feel comfortable and safe, and stress is destructive for them.
The aquarium can be shared with other fish, they have good compatibility, but not aggressive like swordtails or. It is also not recommended to introduce too small fish or fry into their aquarium; gouramis can eat them.
Buying gourami
This is not a rare fish; you can buy it at any pet store. Just be careful when choosing so that she is not sick, we will talk about this later.
Gourami fry You can take your purchase home directly in a sandwich bag filled with water, but this is only warm weather. If it’s winter outside, then put the fish in a jar, or better yet, in a thermos, wrap it in a warm cloth, and drive home, otherwise the fish will catch a cold.
The price is low - from 50 rubles per fish.
Pearl gourami, diseases
As a rule, their diseases are contagious, so at the first symptoms it is necessary to remove a suspicious individual.
It’s also worth quarantining newly purchased fish!
Typical diseases:
- Fungus;
- Viruses and bacteria;
- Ciliates;
- Worms.
Symptoms of the disease:
- Open wounds appear on the body, the area around which may swell slightly;
- Black spots may also appear;
- Loss of appetite;
- The fish becomes sedentary and apathetic;
- They lie on the ground, or, on the contrary, float only near the surface;
- The stomach will change its mind.
If, on the contrary, the gourami begins to dry out, then most likely it has tuberculosis, and it will no longer be possible to save it.
Fish reproduction
This type of aquarium fish reproduces simply excellent. But there are a few tips to consider:
- Before pregnancy and after giving birth, the female will need very high-quality live food;
- A week before breeding, females and males must be seated;
- A separate aquarium for spawning should be 30 liters in volume with many secluded places;
- Place a bunch of riccia on the surface of the water;
- Cover all windows with paper so as not to disturb the “parents”. At the slightest stress, cannibalism will follow;
- The water temperature should be 28 degrees.
Riccia floating When a separate aquarium is ready and the water is heated, the male is transplanted there first. After a few hours, the female is placed. They both must be at least 8 months old.
The male is gaining bright color and begins to build a nest using Riccia. She herself simply observes from the side, without taking part. Construction lasts about a day, but sometimes it can take up to three days.
After completing the construction of the nest, the female lays eggs there, and the male fertilizes them. Further, the female does not take part in the offspring, the entire burden falls on the father. If desired, it can be removed, as the male may show aggression.
In 2-3 days the fry will appear, and the “dad” must also be removed, since he has not been eating all this time, and from hunger he may lose his paternal instinct and eat all the offspring.
Next, we reduce the water level to 10 cm, and keep it this way for 3 weeks, until the labyrinth organ is formed in the fish. Young animals must be fed with very small live food. From " kindergarten“You can pick them up in a month and a half.
And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!
Spawning of pearl gourami, video
Gourami are considered relatively unpretentious pets. They are kept in fairly spacious aquariums of 40-50 liters. It is very important to create bright lighting that will promote the most saturated colors of the fish. It is necessary to carefully monitor the purity of the water; for this you can install a filter.
The soil should be dark in color: granite chips, small pebbles with pieces of ceramics that will be used for shelters. For the same purpose, it is better to plant aquatic plants more densely.
Gourami can float to the surface of the water from time to time for a portion fresh air. It is necessary to leave at least 8 cm free to the edge of the aquarium and cover it with glass.
Preparing fish for breeding
For breeding, several males and several females are usually selected, which are first placed in separate jars for a week and fed with live food. Males can be distinguished by their pointed dorsal fin; in females it is rounded. A female ready for spawning can be identified by her rounded belly.
The selected female is transplanted into a spawning tank - a separate aquarium of 20-30 liters, with water a couple of degrees warmer than usual, without soil, with algae, including floating ones, such as duckweed. After some time, a male is placed next to her, who soon changes color to a brighter one. For example, a pearl gourami will have an orange throat and belly.
Mating and reproduction
The male begins to chase the female, and in such a situation she must have a place to hide. After the race, the male begins to build a nest from air bubbles held together by his saliva and duckweed particles. Then he hugs his friend, squeezing eggs out of her, and he immediately picks up the white eggs that fall to the bottom and takes them to the nest.
After spawning, the female gourami is usually removed back to the general aquarium, her mission is over. The male watches the nest for some time and returns the eggs that fall out to their place. After a couple of days, the fry appear, for which it is important pure water, since their labyrinth respiratory organ has not yet formed. To prevent the father from eating his offspring, they are resettled at this moment.
In nature, a female gourami lays up to 1000 eggs, but only the largest and strong fry eating their fellow creatures.
The fry grow quite quickly, but unevenly, and therefore it is necessary to ensure that the babies remain together of approximately the same size, otherwise the large ones will eat the small ones. The fry are usually fed with nauplii of crustaceans; dry food gives less successful results.
Marbled gourami - Trichogaster trichopterusSquad, family: labyrinthine.
Comfortable water temperature: 24 - 28°C.
Ph: 6,5-7,5.
The note: Today, Trichogasters are classified as Trichopodus; some biologists retain the previous nomenclature, while others use a new one. This has not yet been fully legalized. Both options are still used in parallel today. You can write it either way. However, according to the new nomenclature, all Trichogasters are now Trichopodus, and all Colyses are now Trichogasters!
Compatibility of marble types: in fact with all fish, even small and medium-sized cichlids. I do not recommend keeping it with veiltails and similar fish.
Marbled gourami is a popular fish. A peaceful fish, but sometimes it gets aggressive. Some individual individuals can even be very aggressive. Still, we must not forget that labyrinth fish are characterized by intraspecific aggression.
Description: Marbled gourami is a mutation of the blue gourami, an artificial breeding form of the blue gourami. Large fish. Individuals of the marbled gourami species can reach 13 cm in length. The body is oval, high, laterally compressed. The pelvic fins are long and filamentous. The anal fin is wide. The body color is marbled: there are dark gray spots of irregular shape on a light gray background. The anal, dorsal and caudal fins are dark gray, with numerous yellow spots. The pectoral fins are transparent and colorless. The male differs from the female in having a narrower body, bright coloring with elongated, more pointed dorsal and anal fins.
It is better to keep it in a large aquarium with a volume of at least 50 liters, but preferably 100 liters. for a couple.
Water parameters for keeping marbled gourami: temperature 24-28 degrees (withstands lowering the water temperature in the aquarium, down to 16 C), constant hardness 10-20, acidity level 6.5-7.5. Dark soil made of pebbles or gravel is placed at the bottom. You can arrange several shelters at the bottom from large stones, shards from flower pots, and driftwood. The aquarium is densely planted aquatic plants- cryptocorynes, echinodorus, pinnate, hornwort, elodea, Thai fern and others. Riccia, duckweed, salvinia, and piscia are placed on the surface. The fish themselves do not need aeration and filtration of water, since they breathe atmospheric air, capturing it from the surface of the water. But this is required by the aquarium itself; without aeration and filtration, the biobalance of the aquarium will be extremely unstable.
Feeding aquarium fish must be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. The article talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime for fish.
In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous; the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, you need to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include in its diet food either with the highest protein content or, conversely, with plant ingredients.
Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, food from Tetra, the leader, can be found on aquarium shelves all the time and everywhere. Russian market, in fact, the range of food from this company is amazing. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes individual food for certain type fish: for goldfish, for cichlids, for loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the company’s official website -
It should be noted that when purchasing any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store the food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.
In the photo, the sexual differences between male and female marbled gourami
The sex can be determined by the dorsal fin. The male marbled gourami has a dorsal fin that is longer and pointed at the end, while the female's is shorter and rounded.
Like most labyrinths, the marbled gourami reproduces using a nest, which the male builds from foam in which the fry grow. Breeding marbled gourami is not difficult, but you need a spacious aquarium, with a sufficient number of plants and a spacious water table.
A couple of gouramis are fed generously with live food, several times a day. The female, ready for spawning, becomes significantly fatter due to the eggs.
The pair are placed in a spawning tank with a volume of 50 liters or more. The water level in it should be 13-15 cm, and the temperature should be increased to 26-27C. The male will begin to build a nest of foam, usually in the corner of the aquarium, at this time he can chase the female, and she needs to create an opportunity to hide.
After the nest is built, mating games begin; the male pursues the female, spreading his fins and exposing himself at its best. The ready female swims up to the nest, the male hugs her and helps her lay eggs, inseminating her at the same time. The eggs, like the larvae, are lighter than water and float into the nest. Typically, a female can lay up to 800 eggs.
Good video story about gourami
All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also with live emotions, allowing you to penetrate the world of aquariums more fully and subtly. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and first-hand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share with us your successes and joys, share and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every awareness of a mistake, which makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us there are, the more pure and transparent drops of goodness there are in the life and everyday life of our seven billion society.
Photo selection of marbled gourami
