Here's What I've Learned About 3-Spot Gourami Breeding, Fry Habits, Etc.

1. In a 40-gallon tank, both parents seem oblivious to the fry.
2. The discovery of Hikari first-food for fry kept me from losing all the babies.
3. With spawns spaced out every two weeks or so, the older fry don't eat the younger ones, BUT with that said, the survivors from Spawn #1 are big enough that they'd probably eat any newly-hatched siblings.
4. While on his fourth nest-guard duty, Dad became aggressive ~ stunningly beautiful, but aggressive. ~ so he moved in with an elderly mountain minnow in a 10 gallon tank. They swim together.
5. Clown loaches don't appear to eat fry but are suspected of darting to the top & stealing eggs.
6. Again, when I began feeding the special fry food, the natural rate of attrition went WAY down.
7. Watching the oldest (only a few reached the two-month mark; they did great on the micro foods but I didn't start w/the Hikari fry food soon enough) turn from larvae into real fish HAS BEEN THE MOST AMAZING THIN EVER. Watching little Igor take what may have been his first gulp of air was thrilling, I kid you not. Seeing little Moby Gourami & the others develop pectoral fins ~ watch them use those fins as "feelers" just like adults ~ it's awe inspiring.
8. The female is still in w/her young. She remains indifferent. I don't worry about overfeeding because she spends her days snarffling around looking for morsels. Also, the loaches go berserk over the fry food & vacuum the tank. I sit here and watch them do it.
9. When I began feeding small amounts every 2-3 hours, the fry began to grow like mad, visibly larger each day.
10. The bigger the fry, the more they hide. I sometimes don't see the first little gang for days (my tank is feral, looks like a pond in SE Asia).
11. In watching the young interact w/ each other, I can pinpoint when their solitary nature takes hold & they stop hanging with the rest. I'm thinking that when they're newly hatched, they're too small to attract wading birds & other predators, but as they get larger & more visible, they're more vulnerable & therefore hide in the "bushes". As newly hatched ~ as tiny, tiny, tiny creatures ~ the fry seemed oblivious to danger. At 2 months, the survivors have become wary.
12. I am super glad my 3-spots decided to produce a family right at the beginning of the pandemic (for me, w/a lifelong immune-system issue,
January 29 was day one of lockdown)? Non fish people do not understand, but what could be better on lockdown than watching fish ~ for me, a tank of 3-spot gourami fry growing up?

I will have to look into Hihari first food for fry. I am happy for you that you are able to find enjoyment. Sounds like fun. I had to put my tetra fry in a fry breeding net yesterday because the hornwort they were hiding in is breaking down fast and the bigger fish were nipping their fins. Two of the 3 were injured and have trouble hovering but can swim fast in a straight line. I have not seen my 4th fry in over a week. He was very tinny and had been hiding out in the castle. My glow light tetras having been chasing each other again so I hope to see more fry but time will tell. Good luck with your fry.

Retired Viking said:

I will have to look into Hihari first food for fry. I am happy for you that you are able to find enjoyment. Sounds like fun. I had to put my tetra fry in a fry breeding net yesterday because the hornwort they were hiding in is breaking down fast and the bigger fish were nipping their fins. Two of the 3 were injured and have trouble hovering but can swim fast in a straight line. I have not seen my 4th fry in over a week. He was very tinny and had been hiding out in the castle. My glow light tetras having been chasing each other again so I hope to see more fry but time will tell. Good luck with your fry.

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Well good luck to you too! I've learned one other thing ~ the hard way ~ clown loaches DO eat fry. At first I thought I was losing some fry for various reasons other than predation, but nope: I caught a clown in the act. There's nothing for it now; tank is so heavily planted, a few will make it & a few fry are now too big for the 4-5 inch clowns. The oldest gourami fry cohort is too cool; they now look exactly like their parents except for being just under an inch or so long. The spots, the pectoral fin "feelers," the color. Next time I'm in the mood to have hundreds upon hundreds of pets, I'll put Mama in w/the male in the ten gallon where I moved him. In the ten-gallon, which is also a jungle, there's just one other fish, an ancient White Cloud mountain minnow age 7 (his school-mates have expired over the last year). Do you have any pictures of your fry? I'd love to see them.

Here is a photo of two of them waiting for me to feed them if you look they are on the top edge near the corner together and one swimming with others before they were nipped.