Dwarf Gouramis + Breeding?

[Phinny]

I'm recently new to the wonderful world of Gouramis and I have a few questions.

I've got three dwarf gouramis in my 10g, two males and one female. They are all happy and getting a long, but just yesterday I noticed that one of the males (Fred) was building a nest. I got a little worried and decided to let it be for the night. But I just got home from work and now there is a big nest, and he's still working a way on it. I checked to see how the female (Cinder) is. She is in the back puttering away behind the plants.

My main concern is the two males. Fred is building a big nest and George has a smaller one now under a pile of leaves he pulled off the plants. I'm worried that the males will get aggressive towards each other/Cinder/or the my other few fish that are sharing thier tank.


I also have another question.

Is there any good sites out there that I could get some reading on breeding of these fish? I mean, what do the eggs look like and stuff like that?
I've never had this issue before and it's exciting and I'd like to do some more reading.

Thanks for your help.

 

[SkiFletch]

Courtesy of the stickies here



Breeding these fish presents a challenge as the fry are tiny and the parents become territorial. Before spawning the male will create a sturdy bubble nest anchored among floating plants (which are a must have) and tall plants which reach the surface of the water. You can trigger spawning by lowering the water level to 20 cm's (8") and by providing some small water changes using cool water. Once the male begins creating his bubble nest do not change the water or it will break apart. When creating his bubble nest the male will claim a large amount of territory and will become aggressive to any fish that enter his territory, including the female so spawning is best achieved in a sperate tank. When the nest is completed the male will try attracting the female by showing off his colours and extending his fins. When the female has agreed to spawn he will lead her to his nest and embrace her in an 'S' shape under it. When all the eggs have been put into the nest the male will become aggressive towards the female so it is best to remove her. Be extremely careful not to ruin the bubble nest when you net her out!

The eggs will begin falling out of the nest so don't be surprised to see the male darting after them, placing them in his mouth, then spitting them back into the safety of his nest. Up to 600 eggs may be in the nest. After 24 hours the eggs will hatch and the fry will begin to consume their yolk sacs. After another 24 - 48 hours the fry will have consumed their yolk sacs and be swimming around the breeding tank. It is best to remove the male at this time or he may start eating his young.

The fry are extremely small and will only accept tiny foods. They do best on a diet of Infusoria or microworms but start feeding them brine nauplii as soon as the fry are large enough to accept them. Ground up fish flakes may also be accepted but it is not recommended you feed it since the uneaten food will rot in the water. The water temperature must be 26 - 28 degrees for best growth. Cover Glass is also essential since the fry will develop their labyrinth organ and need warm air above the tank. If the air is too cold they may develop pneumonia and die.

As the fry grow older and larger it would be a good idea to start giving them a variety of foods such as bloodworm (Frozen + Live), Daphnia (Live) and start introducing flakes/dried food into their diet. Frequent water changes are essential to ensure no food rots a pollutes the water.

Additional information:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35308

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

10 gallon tank for 3 gouramies in breeding mode......not good. Especially since you have 2 males to that one female. I'd recommend getting them a larger tank and another female at least to take the pressure off that lone female. Even dwarfs will want room at a time like this. You may not get any fry just yet. It really depends on the female and when she is carrying eggs and feels happy enough to spawn. Not a dwarf expert by any means but I'd imagine you could also have some issues with the two males becoming aggressive and territorial towards each other.
At the very least I'd recommend letting one male move to another tank to avoid fighting and over stressing the female. You may be ok to leave the female in even after spawning but again, with a tank that small.... I can't be positive.
Eggs are tiny as are newly hatched fry.
Read through what Skifletch has put up too. Plenty to learn from there.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Phinny]

Thanx a bunch.

Nothing really happened last night, which is good. The male was getting really aggessive so I made a makeshift divider for the night just to make sure he didn't hurt the other male.

He's busy right now building a better nest and the female is showing a lot of interest in him. I'm really starting to think I should be getting a better tank, (But my mom has threatened me and told me I'm not allowed any more, so it might take a few days. It's her house and all.)

Would you say that the 10g would be a good place to keep the happy couple for now and move the other fish? I think that might be the best solution. I really don't want to distirb their little nesting.

Thoughts?

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

That is probably the best option in my view too. Make sure there's a nice load of plants in the 10g for the pair. Helps stop too much aggression on either part. I have some rather poor images below of my gouramies tank where they breed and live. Just to show how planted I mean.
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Naff pic of bubble nest in far corner.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Phinny]

Yha. I'm thinking I should get some new plants. They have ripped all the leaves off the ones that I have in there.

And thanks for the pics.

With your tank do you just let the plants float around or are there special plants that your gouramis like. I started with a Java Fern and that one's okay it the other plant that they have ripped to pieces.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Use grass like plants. But not those that are overly rigid. They grow into good clumps that they can slide into. There are a fair few different plants in the tank and they do take off leaves sometimes but it doesn't matter much since they grow as well as they do.
A good plant easy to grow.
Another good and easy plant.
I only choose that site because of the pics and it's clarity of what the plants are etc. Worth going through really. I never use fertilisers etc for mine so it just shows that these plants grow very well. And they get big enough to have their leave/fronds floating on the surface anyway. There are no floating plants in that tank. All are planted.
Hugs,
P.