Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii). Pearl Gourami - a color that attracts attention Pearl Gourami

Trichogaster leeri

Scientific classification:

Domain: eukaryotes.

Kingdom: Animals.

Type: Chordates.

Class: Ray-finned fish.

Order: perciformes.

Family: Macropods.

Genus: Thread-bearing gourami.

Species: Pearl gourami.

International scientific name: Trichogaster leerii(Bleeker, 1852)

Synonyms: Trichopus leerii (Bleeker, 1852); Trichopodustrichopterus Cantor, 1850; Osphromenus trichopterus var. leerii Gunther, 1861; Trichopodus leeri Regan, 1909;

The note: H and today Trichogaster are isolated in Trichopodus, some biologists retain the old nomenclature, others use the new one. It has not yet been fully approved. Both options are used to this day in parallel. You can write it this way and that. However, all Trichogasters according to the new nomenclature are now Trichopodus, and all Colises are now Trichogaster!

Water parameters for keeping pearl gourami in an aquarium:

Temperature: 23 - 27 °С;

Acidity: pH: 6.0 - 7.0;

Rigidity: up to 16°;

Aggressiveness: not aggressive 30%;

Pearl Gourami Compatibility

They have a calm and peaceful character, a little shy. Easily gets along with all non-aggressive fish, even with small and medium cichlids. It is not recommended to settle them with veiltails, and similar fish.

Description:The body of the pearl gourami is high, elongated, flattened laterally. The color of the body is silver-violet with numerous mother-of-pearl spots (resembling pearls), scattered not only throughout the body, but also along the fins. An uneven dark stripe runs along the entire body. The length of the pearl gourami reaches 11 centimeters.

Sex differences between male and female pearl gourami

The male pearl gourami is much larger than the female, has a brighter color, elongated dorsal and anal fins. However, there is another, very salient feature- the color of the neck of pearl gourami: red in the male and orange in the female. These differences are already evident in young age, but are especially pronounced in older individuals. And during the spawning period, the male's color differences prevail: the neck and abdomen light up with a red tint, the pearl placer shimmers and sparkles. Therefore, the identification of fish does not express difficulties at any of their ages.

Habitat of the pearl gourami

In nature, pearl gourami lives in the reservoirs of India and Indochina, in the south of Malaysia and Thailand. In reservoirs bearing well-heated clean water with rich dense vegetation. They have been kept in aquariums since 1933.

This type of fish is recommended to be kept in aquariums with a capacity of at least 40 liters for 2 - 3 individuals, with rich vegetation, the presence of snags and grottoes as shelters and places to sleep and rest, and a free swimming area. The soil is preferably dark in color. The water temperature for keeping pearl gourami ranges from 23 to 27 ° C. Water parameters - hardness up to 16 °, pH 6.0-7.0. Light aeration will be very useful, despite the fact that, like all labyrinth fish, the Pearl Gourami can breathe atmospheric air with the help of a gill labyrinth. The latter can cause disease as a result of swallowing cold air, therefore, when keeping Gourami, the next necessary condition is the presence of a cover. And in view of the commitment to clean water - filtration and weekly replacement of up to 30% of the water are not just necessary, but useful for the healthy development of the fish.

Feeding aquarium fish OK must be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotus. The article talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regimen 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, it is necessary to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include food in its diet either with the highest protein content or vice versa with herbal ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, are dry food. For example, all the time and everywhere you can find on the aquarium counters the food of the Tetra company - the leader of the Russian market, in fact, the range of food of this company is amazing. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes both individual food for a certain kind fish: for goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowans, discus, etc. Also, Tetra has developed specialized feeds, for example, to enhance color, fortified or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the official website of the company -

It should be noted that when buying any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy feed by weight, and also store food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

Breeding and propagation of pearl gourami

Breeding pearl gourami does not require much skill or investment. To begin with, these fish can be bred both in a common aquarium and in a separate small spawning aquarium of 20 liters with a water column height of 10 to 15 centimeters.

If spawning is carried out in a common aquarium, then the main condition will be the presence of floating plants on the surface (Ricci, hornwort, duckweed and others) and the absence of a strong current, so as not to destroy the foam nest created by the male.

If spawning is carried out in a spawning aquarium, then you need the water to have the necessary parameters: water temperature 24 - 26 ° C, hardness 4 - 10, acidity 5.8 - 6.8, plants floated on the surface, and at the bottom there was a shelter for the female. Further, in the spawning aquarium allocated by us, we first add the male. We feed the couple abundantly, preferably with live food, for a couple of 1 - 2 weeks. Just before spawning, we transplant the female into the spawning aquarium. And we are watching the very exciting games of the couple. Gourami change their color to a brighter one, swim with straightened fins. The male, as a caring father, constantly maintains the foam nest in a whole state.

And he builds his nest from air bubbles released from his mouth along with saliva. It takes about 3 days for the male to build a foamy nest. Do not worry if during this period the male is not active in eating and only huddles near his building. And when the nest is completely built, the spawning of the Pearl Gourami begins. The male tries in every possible way to drive the female under his nest, and having driven it, he begins to fertilize the game, which easily floats to the surface of the aquarium water. The spawning period usually takes 3-4 hours, in several visits. To speed up the spawning process, you can add 1/3 of the volume of the spawning aquarium of distilled water with an increase in temperature to 30 ° C. The caviar that has not fallen into the nest is collected by a caring father and transferred to the nest. Usually the female spawns about 200 eggs, maybe more. At the end of spawning, the fish rush to different sides: the female goes to the shelter, and the male rushes to the nest, where he will look after the eggs until the fry hatch. But the female must be immediately transplanted so that she is attacked by the male, or else she does not damage the nest by eating eggs from an inexperienced father. The incubation period for pearl gourami eggs is 24 to 48 hours. The development of eggs directly depends on the temperature of the water in the aquarium.

Time passes, the gourami larvae hatch from the eggs and hang motionless in the foam of the nest, and having fallen out, they immediately return to their place as a caring father. After 2 - 3 days, the larvae pass into the fry stage and begin to swim. The male is on the alert here too, he collects the fry with his mouth and transfers them to the nest. As soon as all the fry hatch and begin to swim in the spawning aquarium, we also catch the male so that he does not eat his offspring. The male is not fed during the entire period of courting the offspring. When larvae appear, it is necessary to reduce the water level to 6-10 cm and maintain it until the labyrinth apparatus is formed in the fry, which takes at least a month. If there are a lot of larvae, then it is necessary to provide weak aeration in the spawning aquarium.

The fry are abundantly fed with ciliates, fine "dust", curdled milk, and special feeds. But you need to make sure that the food is fully eaten by the fry, and remove the excess in a timely manner. The fry of the pearl gourami do not grow evenly, the larger and more developed ones begin to compete with the small ones, and can eat them. It is up to you to decide whether to constantly sort the fry into groups, or rely on natural instinct and you will have the most developed and strong individuals.

We also mention the features of breeding pearl gourami:

first- the formation of a pair for spawning should occur naturally, based on observation of the grown fish living in a flock;

second- young fish spawn well at the age of 8 months to 1 year, if you miss this period, then you can not wait for offspring at all;

third- Gourami love clean water, so the water in the spawning aquarium should be clear;

fourth- during spawning, it is better to provide the fish with complete rest and cover the front side of the spawning aquarium (with a towel, cardboard, paper, etc.).

What are pearl gouramis sick with?

The most common diseases of pearl gourami, as well as other types of gourami, include: lymphocystosis, pseudomonosis, aeromonosis.

Lymphocystosis (Lymphocystis) - viral disease, contributing to the damaging of the skin of the fish and changing the cells of the mucous membrane. Blisters appearing on the skin can be seen even with the naked eye. The affected cell grows, creates new viruses, and then bursts and all the viruses enter the water. Most often, the disease manifests itself on the outer edges of the fins, and only then it affects cells throughout the body.

Pseudomonosis- peptic ulcer, characteristic of many types of aquarium fish, the causative agent of which are aquatic microorganisms from the group of pseudomonads. These organisms can get into the aquarium with soil, plants, infected fish. With a disease, dark spots form on the body of the fish, with their further transformation into bloody ulcers. And already through these ulcers in the body of the fish, the doors are open for others. viral infections. It is best to treat the fish in a separate quarantine aquarium without plants. For treatment, a solution of potassium permanganate is used at the rate of 0.5 grams per 10 liters of water. In this composition, the infected fish is kept for 15 minutes. if you do not have a quarantine aquarium, then the infected fish can be treated in a common aquarium with bicillin-5, adding 500,000 IU of the drug per 100 liters of water, repeated every other day at least six times.

Aeromonosis is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Aeromonos punctata that develops in very dirty and cold aquariums.

Sick fish become inactive, lie down on the ground and do not eat. They have bloating of the abdomen and "tousled" scales. There are blood smudges all over the body and fin. This disease is highly contagious and difficult to cure. In this connection, it is often recommended to completely disinfect the aquarium, and destroy the fish.

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 lively emotions, allowing you to more fully and subtly feel the world of aquarism. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and firsthand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share your successes and joys with us, share experience and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every realization of a mistake that makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us, the more pure and transparent droplets of goodness in the life and life of our seven billionth society.

pearl gourami beautiful photo

– labyrinth fish amazing color was discovered by the Dutch biologist Peter Blecker in 1852, brought to the territory of the USSR approximately in 1947-1949.

Habitat: lives in dense thickets of small reservoirs of India, Thailand, the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

Description: laterally compressed, elongated body of a silvery-violet color, dotted with light spots resembling pearls. The same spots are present on the fins. This feature of coloring determined the name of the species. The back is yellowish-brown and the fins are blue. There is a dark stripe along the body. The breast and throat are orange.

The pelvic fins, which are very sensitive organs of touch, are thin threads. The anal fin extends from the forked caudal fin to the anus. The pectoral fins are colorless and transparent. The mouth is small.

The size Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leerii) in aquarium conditions does not exceed 11 cm.

The dorsal fin of males is longer and sharper, they are brighter and larger than females. Sex differences are most noticeable during mating season. The pearls on the body of the male literally light up, and the chest and throat become scarlet.

Arrangement and parameters of the aquarium: A 60 liter aquarium will be enough for 7 pearl gouramis. At the same time, there should be more females to avoid rivalry between males. At the surface of the water, the air must be well ventilated and warm so that the fish do not catch a cold, so a cover is required.

Gourami prefers bright light, but direct sun is undesirable. The color of the pearl gourami will sparkle with side illumination.

As a soil for an aquarium, river sand of medium silt is suitable.

The pearl gourami is a shy and shy fish, for comfort it needs a thicket of plants in which it can hide. Vallisneria, elodea and pinistolium are suitable for this. Floating plants, such as duckweed, are also acceptable, but care must be taken that they do not cover the entire surface of the water, otherwise the fish will suffocate.

Water parameters: 25-27°C, PH 5.5-6.5, dH 5-10.

A fifth of the water is changed weekly. Filtration is needed, but there should not be a strong current.

Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leerii) peaceful, but finding suitable aquarium neighbors is quite difficult for him. This is due to the special structure of its ventral fins, the strings of which other fish take for food, which is why the gourami is attacked by species that are peaceful in themselves.

Nutrition: prefers live food, but does not refuse dry and vegetable food either. At the heart of the diet are tubifex, bloodworm, coretra, cyclops. Between spawnings, small crustaceans can be fed. The fish have a very small mouth and the food must be crushed.

Reproduction: sexual maturity occurs by 8 months, but fish older than a year may not produce offspring at all.

To obtain full-fledged fry, thick plants are placed in a spawning aquarium of 20-40 liters with clear water and several shelters for the female are equipped in it.

Before spawning, future parents are kept separately for a week and feed on tubifex and bloodworms.

The temperature in the spawning ground is 28°С, pH 7, dH 4-8. Spawning is stimulated by the addition of a third of distilled water.

The male enters the aquarium for spawning, and after a few hours the female. The male builds a nest from pieces of richia and air bubbles, fastening the "building" with his saliva.

Then he invites the female to the nest and spawning begins. The male carefully places the floating eggs in the nest.

Pearl gourami are unfertile - no more than 200 eggs. Then the female sits down.

The incubation period depends on temperature and lasts 24-48 hours. After a few days, the fry swim, and the male immediately sits down, because from hunger he can confuse his offspring with food.

For fry, the water level drops to 10 cm before the formation of a labyrinth organ in them. You can install light aeration, especially if there are a lot of fry. On the initial stage they accept live dust and ciliates, after 5 days we will allow larger food.

The growth of pearl gourami fry is fast, but uneven, so large ones need to be planted to avoid cases of cannibalism.

In aquarium conditions Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leerii) lives up to 7 years.

Andrey Selitsky is with you, as always, and today I want to publish a post at the request of a blog reader. And he asked to tell about such an aquarium fish as a pearl gourami. As you probably already understood, the word of the readers and subscribers of my blog is law for me, so I gladly took the time to write this article, as they say at the request of the workers. I recently posted a post-answer to a reader's question on the blog. You can read the article. Now I'm doing it again! And so, let's go :)

If you have seen the pearl gourami live, you will agree with me that the fish is very beautiful and interesting. The body of the fish has a light silver color, small white dots go all over the body of the fish. A black stripe runs along the entire back in the midline. When it's time to spawn, the breast of the pearl gourami turns a reddish-orange color. As a rule, the female is not as brightly colored as the male. In addition, female guramoks are relatively smaller in size than males. Adult fish in aquarium conditions can reach twelve centimeters in length, however, the sizes depend in most cases on the size of the jar, feeding, and so on. Another one distinguishing feature, by which in the store you can distinguish a male from a female - the male has a long dorsal fin. In the female, it will be shorter.

If you decide to purchase a pearl gourami in your aquarium, then for these aquarium fish you need approximately the following conditions of detention:

- the water temperature should be within 24-27 degrees;

- carbonate hardness of water from 5 to 12 units;

- active reaction of the environment, it is pH - 6-7.

As I mentioned earlier, since the fish grows quite large, then the dwelling for it needs an appropriate one. I warn you right away - Khrushchevs do not roll :) When you create, do not forget about the dense planting, where the pearl gourami likes to hide. Who can gourami get along with, you ask? I have three pearls in my aquas, and besides them there are, and.

I say right away, I don’t see any problems. All the fish that I have in the aquarium are not conflict. You may be told the opposite, such as according to the table, some fish are not compatible. You can read about the compatibility of aquarium fish. All bullshit! There are also inaccuracies in the compatibility tables, take the same gourami, supposedly they are compatible. However, as the practice of keeping the Sumatrans showed, they gnawed off the tails of my marble gurams.

What else is needed in the aquarium for the successful maintenance of pearl gourami? Naturally, you need a filter and a lamp, you can’t do without them. Although the fish is not demanding in keeping, it is advisable not to allow sudden changes in water parameters. I wrote about aquarium water in an article. Since the fish belong to the labyrinth order, that is, the guramki breathe air, it is better that there is an air gap between the surface of the water and the cover glass. It's not worth worrying too much about. My pearls burst perfectly like bloodworms, tubifex, various dry food. In general, the fish is not a problem.

Breeding pearl gourami

Guramok can be bred both in a spawning ground and in a common bank. There are no special problems in spawning. If you didn't notice a male guramka ready for spawning and didn't transplant him into the spawning aquas in time, he will start building a nest from air bubbles. When choosing a place for a nest, the fish is guided by the rule - the warmer the better. That is, the fish builds a nest near the heater.

If you use this breeding method, then you will not wait for a significant offspring. If you want to breed guramok on an industrial scale, then you simply need a spawner. First of all, you need to plant the male, then the female. They are kept separate from each other for a couple of weeks and fed for slaughter like chicken brollers :) It's a joke!) They are fed plentifully, not for slaughter). A catalyst for reproduction can be the addition of fresh water to the spawning ground. As soon as the male is ready for spawning, a girl is quickly added to him :)

How can you determine the readiness for breeding guramok? First of all, the behavior of the fish. The male begins to actively drive other fish from the nest, and the female constantly slinks towards him) In order for the fish to spawn, the water temperature should be within 24-26 degrees, hardness from 4 to 10, acidity 5.5 - 6.5. The required water level in the jig is about 15 centimeters. Also in the spawning area, you need to create corners of dense vegetation for the female. Bushes and cabombs are suitable for this. In my clearing between these plants, the fish are constantly hiding. Shelters from aquarium plants are needed if suddenly the male is not yet ready for spawning and is very aggressive so that the female can successfully hide from him.

When a couple of guramoks are placed in a spawning ground, before spawning they dress up in a bright outfit, straighten their fins and the male begins to show off in front of the female. When the moment comes, the male will actively care for the lady, and the end of the preparatory period is the construction of the nest.

Here are a few breeding tips for pearl gourami:

- not all pairs of guramoks are suitable for each other, that is, pairs will be formed naturally;

- only young fish will not mind spawning, usually up to a year. If you miss this moment, then then the fish may completely refuse to spawn;

- the water in the spawning tank should be as clean as in the general aquarium. When the spawning period begins, it is advisable to cover the area near the nest and the open walls of the aquas so as not to disturb the fish.

When the pearl gourami builds a nest (within 3 days), he begins to jealously guard his building and does not want to eat anything. When the nest is ready, the male drives the female into the nest and fertilizes the eggs, which float to the surface after fertilization just into the nest. After spawning, exhausted fish sink to the bottom of the aquarium and scatter along different ends aquarium. After that, the female must be removed from the spawning ground, and the male is left in the spawning ground. If the eggs go beyond the nest, then the male carefully, paternally, collects the eggs in his mouth and returns them to the nest. As soon as the fry hatch from the eggs, the male must be removed from the spawning ground, since he has not eaten anything all this time and is pretty hungry. If you do not want to destroy the offspring, then it is better to remove the folder from the aquarium.

You need to feed the young with the smallest food, such as ciliates, yogurt and fine dust. The young growth will not grow evenly, larger fry should either be left in the tank and donate the other half of the fry, or a trifle should be constantly sorted. The temperature in the spawning should be at least 24 degrees.

That's all I have, I hope I didn't miss anything important. If I missed something, then don’t make me angry, I bred fish for a long time and I could forget small details :) I’m waiting for comments on the post and subscribe to blog updates. Next time I want to publish the first part of an article about friends and enemies of aquarium plants. That's all for now, everyone!)

Of extraordinary beauty, pearl gourami conquered the aquariums of the world in 1933, and in Soviet Union they were first brought in in 1949. They are not very capricious and not demanding to care for, and the beauty and grace of the fish made it an inhabitant of almost every aquarium. Gourami belong to the labyrinth, 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 slightly larger than females.

• Body size - up to 11 cm in captivity. AT natural environment habitat - up to 15 cm;
• Body color - silvery with a pink tint, studded with pearl dots. In the middle of the body - a black stripe;
• Life expectancy - up to 7 years with appropriate care.

You can also distinguish a male from a female by the following features:

• The boy has a brighter, more intense color;
• It also has a somewhat longer dorsal fin, which gives the impression that it is sharper;
• But the most distinctive 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 are filled with bright red. So he attracts females.

Fins grow on their abdomen, more like long threads, in the photo above. They have a tactile function, they probe the bottom in the muddy waters in which they live in natural conditions.

Aquarium for gourami

For the correct maintenance of fish in 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.

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 fatal for them.

The aquarium can also be divided with other fish, they have good compatibility, but not aggressive, like swordtails or. It is also not recommended to run too small fish or fry into their aquarium, gourami can eat them.

Buying gourami

This is not a rare fish, you can buy it at any pet store. Only when choosing, be careful that she is not sick, we will talk about this later.

The purchase can be carried home directly in a sandwich bag filled with water, but this warm weather. If it is winter outside, then run the fish into a jar, or better in a thermos, wrap it with a warm cloth, and go home by car, 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, therefore, at the first symptoms, it is necessary to deposit a suspicious individual.

It's also a good idea to quarantine freshly bought 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 inactive, lethargic;
• They lay down on the ground, or vice versa, they float only at the surface;
• The stomach will think.

If, on the contrary, the gourami began to dry out, then most likely she has tuberculosis, it will not be possible to save it.

Fish breeding

This type of aquarium fish breeds just fine. But there are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Before pregnancy and after childbirth, the female will need very high quality live food;
2. A week before breeding, females and males must be seated;
3. A separate aquarium for spawning should be 30 liters in volume with many secluded places;
4. Place a bunch of Riccia on the surface of the water;
5. Cover all windows with paper so as not to disturb the "parents". At the slightest stress, cannibalism will follow;
6. The water temperature should be 28 degrees.

When a separate aquarium is ready, the water is heated, then the male is transplanted there first. After a few hours, the female is planted. They must both be at least 8 months old.

The male gains a bright color and starts building a nest using Riccia. She just watches from the sidelines without taking part. Construction lasts about a day, but sometimes it can take up to three days.

After the construction of the nest is completed, the female lays eggs there, and the male fertilizes it. Further, the female does not take part in the offspring, the entire burden falls on the father. If desired, it can be planted, as the male can show aggression.

After 2-3 days, fry will appear, and the “dad” must also be transplanted, since all this time he does not eat, and from hunger he can lose his paternal instinct and eat all the offspring.

Next, we lower the water level to 10 cm, and keep it this way for 3 weeks, until the labyrinth organ forms in the fish. Feed the young should be very fine live food. From " kindergarten You can pick them up after a month and a half.

And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!

Spawning pearl gourami, video

awesome appearance Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii) rarely leaves anyone indifferent. This is one of the most beautiful aquarium fish. In nature, pearl gourami can be found in low-lying, densely overgrown water bodies of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India. Unfortunately, economic activity human leads to the disappearance of the natural populations of fish and in many countries it is listed in the Red Book. A special organ, the labyrinth, allows these fish to survive in conditions of lack of oxygen. Due to its presence, pearl gouramis are able to swallow atmospheric air from the surface of the water and use it for breathing. Long stay of the fish in containers with a solid lid will quickly lead to their death.

Appearance

The body of the pearl gourami is laterally compressed and has a silver-violet color with a large number of scattered spots, very reminiscent of pearls. This feature gave the species its name. Spots in pearl gourami are also found on the fins. The dorsal fin is a striking sexual feature: in males it is elongated in the direction of the tail and pointed, while in the female it is short and rounded. Males have a bright red chest and throat. The color becomes especially bright during the spawning period, each point on the body of the pearl gourami literally “burns”. A dark stripe runs along the entire body of the pearl gourami. The pelvic fins, like those of all members of the Trichopodus family, have evolved into long thin filaments that allow the fish to feel the surface. The usual size in an aquarium is 10-12 cm.

Care and maintenance

It is necessary to select an aquarium for pearl gourami based on their maximum size. A capacity of 60 liters or more is quite suitable for young individuals, while it is better to keep adult fish in a volume of at least 100 liters. It is better to choose a dark soil, with it pearl gourami look more spectacular. Aeration in the aquarium is not required, but it is better to install a filter. Because fish don't like rapid flow, the water flow from the filter must be adjusted so that the water jet is not too strong. It is very important not to allow the temperature to drop above the surface of the water in the aquarium, because swallowing cold air can make gourami sick.

Pearl gourami is a fish of tropical latitudes, a comfortable temperature for its maintenance will be 24-28 ° С. It is better to make water neutral or slightly acidic (pH = 6.0
7.0). Rigidity does not play a special role, gourami perfectly adapt to a wide range of values. The pearl gourami has a rather timid character, so it is recommended to keep the aquarium densely planted with plants. It is best to keep in small flocks, but with a predominance of females: this will reduce the intraspecific aggression of males.

Compatibility

Usually pearl gourami calmly treats its neighbors in the aquarium, even during the spawning period. Rasboras, neons, tetras, calm scalars will become good neighbors. It is not recommended to plant with active fish such as barbs - they are able to bite off the pectoral threadlike fins. It is also better to exclude the closest relatives (for example, marble gourami) from the aquarium, skirmishes of males can be observed. Small shrimps can be considered as food by fish, so it is better not to plant them in an aquarium with pearl gourami.

Feeding

The basis of the diet of pearl gourami in nature are insects and their larvae, as well as zooplankton. Complete dry food from Tetra is suitable as the main food for fish in an aquarium. It is worth considering that the gourami has a very small mouth, so the food must be selected appropriately. The following foods are good choices:

1. TetraMin is a flake food that is perfect for all types of small tropical fish. More than 40 types of raw materials are used in the production. The food is completely balanced, contains the necessary vitamins and probiotics to improve digestion.
2. TetraPro Menu is a modern food in the form of chips, made using gentle low-temperature technology. In one jar there are several types of multichips: for increased vitality, color, growth and with algae content, which allows you to diversify the diet of pearl gourami.
3. Tetra Micro Sticks is a food in the form of sticks floating and gradually sinking to the bottom. Contains animal ingredients and plant origin. The small size of the sticks (1.5-2.5 mm) is perfect for fish with small mouths.

Breeding

Reproduction of pearl gourami is usually not difficult. First of all, you will need a suitable aquarium for spawning. Its volume should be at least 50 liters, with a large surface of water. Water is poured to a level of 10-13 cm. The temperature must be raised to 28 ° C, pH = 7. It is useful to create several corners of dense plants in the aquarium (vallisneria, cryptocorynes, cabombas), in which the female can hide if she is not yet ready for breeding, and the male behaves aggressively. Floating plants (for example, riccia) will be a good help for the male when building a nest. The best age for spawning pearl gourami is from 8 to 12 months. Fish older than a year breed very rarely. A few days before the expected spawning, the pair, ready to produce offspring, actively feeds on high-protein feeds. After landing in a spawning aquarium, the male builds a nest from air bubbles, saliva and plant particles.

After the construction is completed, the female is invited to the nest and spawning begins. The male hugs the female with his body, helping to squeeze out the eggs and watering her with milk. The eggs are very light, the male collects them and puts them in the nest. After the completion of spawning, it is best to remove the female. Spawning lasts an average of about two hours, during which time the female spawns about two hundred eggs. All worries about the development of offspring fall on the father. For the next few days, he does not eat and is only engaged in guarding the nest, where he carefully folds the falling eggs. On average, after two days the first larvae appear, and after another three days, the fry sets off for free swimming. During this period, it is necessary to transplant the male, otherwise the juveniles can be eaten. It is also necessary to lower the water level to 6-8 cm. starter feed for fry are ciliates or small living dust, after which the fish are transferred to larger feed. For the first few weeks, it is necessary to arrange weak aeration for the pearl gourami fry, since the labyrinth organ does not form immediately. As they grow, the water level in the spawning aquarium rises, and the fish themselves are periodically sorted by size.