# Breeding Pearl Gouramis



## Simoex (Apr 23, 2013)

Hi guys, I am wondering about pearl gouramis and breeding them. I want to start a breeding tank up and was thinking about cost effective plans. Another thing is in my current aquarium I have one male pearl gourami that seems to have realized his bubble nest in one of my plant, but there is no female it has only been a day or two since he was introduced to the tank so would it be too late to add a female, and how long will the nest last?
*c/p*


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Is there anyone else in the tank? Or just the one male?


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## Simoex (Apr 23, 2013)

3 Congo tetras (adolescent) a zebra loach and a Chinese algae eater but I was going to potentially buy a cheap 10gal for the others temporally


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

You could even just use the 10g to breed in. I breed my paradise fish, which are cousins of the gourami in a 10g. I made a sponge filter and used a tuperware lid for them to make a nest on. And once I had free swimmers I moved the parents back to the main tank. Once you have fry, your going to want to lower to the water to about half. The fry won't be strong swimmers, and if they can't reach the surface, their labyrinth won't develop right and theyl die.


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## Simoex (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks, I think I will get a 10g for the gouramis I have never bred before so are there any tips you have for raising fry to babies/adults and minimalizing casualties?


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

I only did it the one time. Water quality is key. They are calm water fish in nature. Also they are native to low oxygen levels. So no worry with that. Take the pair and put them in the tank together and keep an eye on them, make sure they get along. I just used a plastic lid, but you have to provide something that floats for them to make a nest on. I use bare bottoms on my breeding tanks. Just easier to keep clean. I do put something in the tank as a bio filter a porous rock or some driftwood, then a spong filter is the best for this. I made one. When I'm on a computer and no my phone ill do a write up. Its really cool to see them court each other and eventually breed. They wrap around each other and the female will release her eggs at the same time the male releases his sperm. After the eggs are fertilized the parents will spend all their time making sure the eggs stay in the nest. Now once they hatch it will look like the nest has like black mold on it. That's actually the fry hatching. Once they hatch they will stay attached to the nest until their yolk sack is finished. After the become free swimming remove the parents and carefully remove some of the water. The fry need to be able to swim to the top to breathe. Get yourself a turkey baster. It makes it easy clean the bottom of the tank. There is a lot of good fry food. Most people like to use BBS, I always just used super crushed powder like flakes until they were bigger. Water changes are paramount! In the wild fry will actually release certain hormones while growing. The purpose is so it gives the strongest a better chance to survive and the seeker fry will end up food. So by changing water and taking those hormones out of the water. The fry will grow faster and you will loose less of them. But of course make sure to dechlorinate and temp match the new water.


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## Simoex (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks a lot I will heed your device I will post what happens!


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Ya good luck! Its a lot of fun and very rewarding. Keep us posted. Take pics! I wish I had done a photo journal.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

With gouramis the male tends the eggs and the fry for the first 3-4 days(he keeps them in the nest as they are weak swimmers).The female should be removed when done spawning as the male may then kill her.I have bred pearls before (along with ,blue,gold and dwarfs) and they are my favorite gourami.A sponge filter on very low flow is all that is needed for the first month,and should not even be on for the breeding and first week or so.


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