Chocolate gourami - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Chocolate gourami takes pride of place among the fish that are in demand among aquarists. Water inhabitants belong to the labyrinth family, they decorate the tank and look beneficial in a species aquarium. Interestingly, the fish live long enough. If they provide all the conditions for a comfortable existence, the life of the gourami can reach 7 years or more. The fish is unpretentious in care, does not require elite nutrition and a large aquarium.

Content

1. Fish of this group do not start quarrels, they have a relatively peaceful character. However, if the gourami will live with fry or small fishes, then he will consider them food. Representatives of the family are in no hurry to swim quickly, their movements are measured, smooth. Therefore, other, more active pets can pester gourami and bite their fins.
2. It is necessary to acquire a spacious aquarium so that a flock of 6-10 individuals has at least 60 liters. It is important that all pets have enough space. Since gourams love to jump out of the water, cover the tank with a lid. Leave a small gap and do not fill the aquarium to the brim. Fish can breathe atmospheric oxygen, so they periodically rise up.
3. To make pets feel as comfortable as possible, imitate a natural biotope. Choose dark ground, make sure that bright lamps are installed. Lighting is best placed at the top. If it is possible to place the tank near natural light, then use it.
4. Fish will fully acquire a bright color if they are provided with dark-colored soil and proper lighting. Gurami are lovers of dense vegetation, as well as other shelters. Plant the plants along the walls of the aquarium so that the middle part remains untouched (for swimming). Additionally, send floating species to the aquarium; males will build nests.
5. Gurams do not like fast current sources, so you do not need to install a powerful filter. It is enough to purchase an internal device with a sponge. As a decoration, give preference to smooth pebbles, snags, grottoes and pipes.
6. It is important to create all conditions for fish, in particular, to take care of the temperature regime of water. Watch indicators so that they do not fall below 23 degrees and do not rise above 27 degrees. Once a week, 1/3 of the old water is replaced. That is, it merges, a prepared new one is added.
7. If all conditions are provided to water pets, then they will live up to 7 years. It will also be useful for some busy people to find out that adults of this family can do without food for one week. This is true if you are planning a vacation.

Feeding

1. It is allowed to purchase absolutely any food, but it must be balanced. Fish will always prefer live food to dry or frozen, keep this in mind.
2. Alternatively, you can treat the water guests with Daphnia, bloodworms, and a pipe maker. It is only important to remember that the family has a small mouth. All feed is ground in advance.
3. Fish are fed twice a day. At the same time, the portions should be small so that the inhabitants eat them in 3 minutes maximum. When spawning begins, the amount of feed increases, animal products predominate.
4. It is worth remembering that chocolate gourami love to eat and constantly want to do it. Consequently, they quickly undergo weight gain and die. Therefore, watch how much they eat.

Breeding

1. Few beginner aquarists know that gourami are not viviparous.Females, like most fish, spawn in a classic way. The fish reach puberty at the age of about 1 year. Also, do not lose sight of the fact that 2-3 males should fall on one male. You can do more.
2. Please note that during spawning, it is highly recommended to use a separate aquarium. For this, about 30 liters will be enough. The problem is that the fry do not survive in the general aquarium, they are simply eaten. It is worth knowing that young growth needs high water temperature. It should be within 28 degrees.
3. Pick the right ones for spawning and transfer to a separate aquarium. Feed the fish plentifully with live food for 13-15 days. In parallel, spawning should increase the temperature of the water. Thus, spawning is stimulated. Change the water systematically, it must remain clean.
4. Place various small plants in a spawning place in advance. Thus, it will be much easier for the male to build a nest for the female. In addition, other algae must be present in the aquarium. This is necessary so that the female can hide from the male after spawning.
5. If all the necessary conditions are met, the male will begin the construction of the nest. The process comes from plant twigs and foam that floats on the surface. After completion of construction work, the female proceeds to throw eggs. The male will constantly revolve around the nest.
6. Before throwing caviar, you will see that the female’s belly is rounded off. This will be evidence that eggs are ripening in the abdomen. Consider, if fertilization has not occurred, and the female has remained thin, transfer her to a common aquarium. She is forbidden to leave with a male. He can kill a female to death.
7. If a female has successfully spawned eggs, the male with great desire begins to care for her. Before that, he lures the female into the nest. After spawning, the male appears aggression. It is for this reason that the female begins to hide in dense algae. Put her in a shared aquarium. Carefully follow this moment.
8. At one time, the female is able to spawn about 2000 eggs. It is customary for the male to follow the young generation of gourami. The first fry are born after two days. You only need to maintain the necessary conditions in the aquarium.
9. Keep in mind that it is important to provide bright lighting in the aquarium. In this case, the water temperature should be within 28 degrees. If the male considers that the environmental conditions are unfavorable, he will simply destroy all the eggs. With the advent of fry into the light, the males are immediately transplanted into a common aquarium. Otherwise, he will start to eat young animals.
10. Often fry are fed with ciliates. As soon as the young growth is a little older, they are allowed to give zooplankton. Fish can reach puberty as early as 8 months of age. After 2 months after birth, the fry can be safely transplanted into a common aquarium. If you saw still very small individuals, leave them for a while in spawning. They need to grow up.

Chocolate gourams are allowed to start even for beginners. Fish do not require special conditions for maintenance. It is enough to provide individuals with quality food. Create favorable conditions for spawning in order to breed fish without problems. Keep an eye on the environment in the aquarium.

Video: chocolate gourami aquarium fish