Matthew Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 I noticed my pearl gourami this morning gathering up a whole heap of eggs. I guess i'm gonna be a dad again (not sure what number these will be, fish have too many fry at one time to count). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Always exciting though isn't it? Congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueram Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Good one Matthew, seperating them from the other fish must have worked!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Excellent Mathew Mine spawned a couple of weeks back. First foods are important... use a liquid type for egglayers... then newly hatch brine shrimp... then micro worms. They are hard to see when fist born, but now they are around 5 or 6mm long Don't know if you have aready done it... but mum should go first... then the male once they are free swimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Just curious. For those that have bred pearl gouramis: 1) Did they always blow a bubble nest 2) How long did the eggs take to hatch. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 1) Did they always blow a bubble nest 2) How long did the eggs take to hatch. 1/ They do for me 2/ Within two days. They'll survive on the egg sac for a day or so... so don't feed them till they are fully free swimming. You also will need to lower the water level to around 5-6 inches for a few weeks, and keep the tank covered to avoid draughts. Lower the water through an air line hose to avoid sucking the fry up.. (but you still might get a few) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueram Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Just out of interest, how old do pearl gourami's have to be to breed??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 We have about six pairs (I think).. some gold, blue etc. Males are around 100mm.. females slightly less, and area round eight months old. Looks to be around 300 fry in the tank at the mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 How long before you could see the fry pegasus? My gouramis have bred twice and each time they haven't built a bubble nest. I just notice a swarm of fry on the top of the tank. Makes it difficult to see any fry tails hanging when you don't know where to look. I guess I'm a little fearful that what eggs there were have been disposed of. Oh well thanks for the help pegasus. hopefully I will see some progress tomorrow. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 It went a bit like this... Looked in one of the big tanks in the lounge.. spotted a female full of roe... spotted a male in good colour... put them into a two foot... within hours he starts building a nest.. but she wants no part of it and hides in the corner... nest gets knocked about as he chases her for attention... AHHHH... she finally submits and they cling together in a death roll towards the bottom... during which time the eggs are released and are going in all directions... as they float. This happens a few times, until he finally chases her off and concentrates on the errr.... nest... of sorts, but now he works hard and start to increase the nest size. I catch the female and remove her... (she was quite young) then not seeing many eggs... I promptly catch 'another' ripe female (a few months older and bigger) and drop her in. Within a half hour he had spawned with her also, (still very exciting to watch.. even after seeing it many times) and by now the nest sits about an inch above the surface and around 6" diameter. I removed the female again and lowered the water. Within two days I saw the fry hanging near the surface. My eyes are TERRIBLE... but I use a strong lens to see them. Others I have bred had hardly any nest at all.. as the eggs float.. while others have build enormous nests. I use no water movement of any kind until the fry are free swimming, and have lots of floating plant for them to rest in. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueram Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 A good link about this topic: http://az.essortment.com/breedinggourami_rdks.htm Have fun Blueram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 :) We all have our ways, and I prefer a bare bottomed tank, and like to leave the male in for a while as he tends to the young. Great stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted December 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 I'm convinced that the eggs were devoured rather than tended. might try again tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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