Gouramies Are Breeding - Advice Needed!

[FroggyFish]

I have two female and one male Dwarf Sunset Gouramies. One of the females and the male (Michael) have been showing 'courting' behaviour in the last few days, so I was excited at the prospect that they may breed.

Last night, I noticed a pinkish white ball of what looks like a ball of eggs, under the bubblenest that Michael has made. I presume that one of the female has therefore spawned, as now Michael is guarding the bubblenest where the eggs are. He is quite aggressive toward both the females and chases them away all the time from where the eggs are.

Having read your Dwarf Gourami factsheet on breeding, am I right in thinking I should now remove the females to a different tank while Michael is guarding the eggs? And when should I remove Michael also?

I am new to Gourami breeding - it's the first time I've got them to breed, and it's very exciting!
Any information/advice/tips will be greatly appreciated as this is new to me.

I have all three Gouramies at present in the main tank, with my other fish (9 Cardinal Tetras, 6 Black Phantom Tetras & 2 Bristlenose Plecs, oh and 4 Amano shrimps!). It is a 125 litre planted tank. I have a quarantine tank, which we are going to set up today.

Thanks in advance.

 

[malakye]

You really should have bred them in a seperate tank, unless you are going to remove every fish out of the tank you will be lucky to get any to survive.Your best bet now is, Keep checking the nest, the fry should hatch around 24/30 hours after they have been spawned, but will stay in the nest fo ra further day or two. Gently try to scoop the fry and nest in a jar or tub to move them to the tank. Leave mum and dad behind.

 

[FroggyFish]

You really should have bred them in a seperate tank, unless you are going to remove every fish out of the tank you will be lucky to get any to survive.Your best bet now is, Keep checking the nest, the fry should hatch around 24/30 hours after they have been spawned, but will stay in the nest fo ra further day or two. Gently try to scoop the fry and nest in a jar or tub to move them to the tank. Leave mum and dad behind.

Thanks for your reply malakye.

I wasn't anticipating them breeding - we only bought them from local aquarium shop 1 week ago!! They seem fast movers!

So, let me get this right....I should leave the 3 adult Gouramis in the main tank. When should I move the fry? - when they have hatched, or now? We only found the eggs' spawn in the nest last night, so that should mean they'll hatch into fry overnight s'time/early tomorrow morning.

We have a quarantine tank prepared and ready (used main tank water, and temp. is right - 27 C) for the fry.

Sorry if I sound confused - I'm new to Gouramis breeding! I appreciate any help you can give.

 

[malakye]

You really should have bred them in a seperate tank, unless you are going to remove every fish out of the tank you will be lucky to get any to survive.Your best bet now is, Keep checking the nest, the fry should hatch around 24/30 hours after they have been spawned, but will stay in the nest fo ra further day or two. Gently try to scoop the fry and nest in a jar or tub to move them to the tank. Leave mum and dad behind.

Thanks for your reply malakye.

I wasn't anticipating them breeding - we only bought them from local aquarium shop 1 week ago!! They seem fast movers!

So, let me get this right....I should leave the 3 adult Gouramis in the main tank. When should I move the fry? - when they have hatched, or now? We only found the eggs' spawn in the nest last night, so that should mean they'll hatch into fry overnight s'time/early tomorrow morning.

We have a quarantine tank prepared and ready (used main tank water, and temp. is right - 27 C) for the fry.

Sorry if I sound confused - I'm new to Gouramis breeding! I appreciate any help you can give.

Don't apologise I had to learn quick also, I only had mine about a week when they had their first nest built and were spawning.
I would leave them where they are until the fry are free swimming and then gently move them to the other tank, don't use a net, use a glass or jar or tub to gently scoop up the babies. You could try to lift the full nest now by llifting a tub up under the whole nest and gently lowering it in the other tank but that could be tricky as you would have to take care not to damage the nest.
My first nest I left in the community tank planning to catch the fry when they started free swimming but the nest got ransacked by the other fish in the tank sadly, next time they started I moved the adults into a seperate tank, once the female had spawned I moved her out, when the fry were swimming I moved the dad out, the fry are now about 2-3 weeks old and doing great, but you will be shocked at how tiny they are. You need to buy liquidfry or similar to feed them to start with.

 

[paudie22]

hi guys were have you got ur femae gouramis as they are impossible to get over here...... im in ireland

 

[malakye]

Paudie I just replied to your post about females.

 

[paudie22]

Paudie I just replied to your post about females.

i saw that thank you and i replied back

 

[FroggyFish]

Don't apologise I had to learn quick also, I only had mine about a week when they had their first nest built and were spawning.
I would leave them where they are until the fry are free swimming and then gently move them to the other tank, don't use a net, use a glass or jar or tub to gently scoop up the babies. You could try to lift the full nest now by llifting a tub up under the whole nest and gently lowering it in the other tank but that could be tricky as you would have to take care not to damage the nest.
My first nest I left in the community tank planning to catch the fry when they started free swimming but the nest got ransacked by the other fish in the tank sadly, next time they started I moved the adults into a seperate tank, once the female had spawned I moved her out, when the fry were swimming I moved the dad out, the fry are now about 2-3 weeks old and doing great, but you will be shocked at how tiny they are. You need to buy liquidfry or similar to feed them to start with.

I suppose it's more or less inevitable that with one male and two females they are bound to spawn sooner or later. We just wanted them in our main tank so that they looked great with all the other fish - no plans for breeding them!

So what's the best thing to do next time they look like spawning - move the adults to the separate tank as you say as they start coming together?

Glad to hear your fry are doing well.

 

[FroggyFish]

I would leave them where they are until the fry are free swimming and then gently move them to the other tank, don't use a net, use a glass or jar or tub to gently scoop up the babies. You could try to lift the full nest now by llifting a tub up under the whole nest and gently lowering it in the other tank but that could be tricky as you would have to take care not to damage the nest.

The nest of eggs looks a little worse for wear - it seems to have caught the filter current overnight and is a bit exposed. I'll leave the nest where it is for now & try scoop out the babies when can see them.

 

[malakye]

Good luck with scooping out the fry. Let us know how you get on with it.

 

[FroggyFish]

Good luck with scooping out the fry. Let us know how you get on with it.

Thanks - but now the nest has more or less disintegrated, with it being exposed to the current from the filter.

However, Michael seems to have just made another bubblenest this afternoon on the plant's side away from the current flow !

It remains to be seen whether anything will come of it this time. No spawning has occured yet.