sparkling gourami bred

**janeloftin** · 04-11-2012, 10:13 PM

To my surprise, I notice one of my sparkling gourami hanging in a protected corner and being very aggressive.

Upon further inspection, not only has she built a buble nest, but there are a mass of fry hanging in the next --- they are sooo tiny.\\

My question: I am new to this hobby and these guys are in a community tank with platys, endlers, german rams, the rasboras. Is there anything I should do to help protect the nest? or the fry?

Or just let nature take its course??

Any help suggestions are greatly appreciated!

**Dave66** · 04-11-2012, 10:43 PM

Howdy and welcome to the forum!

I've copied and pasted the feeding and breeding part on your gouramis from my Anabatoid primer stickied in the Gourami forum.
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In feeding live food is of course best. Wingless Dropsilia species fruit flies are ideal, and they can be easily dusted for color or lipids prior to feeding. See my culture manual in the food forum for culturing information. Pumilus will happily eat Daphnia, but should have a tiny meal of pellets prior to the Daphnia. Foods should float, since that's where these fish mostly feed. Feeding of the live and pelleted variety should be light and twice daily.

Fed much live food, and a slow raise to the upper 70's, and females will began filling with eggs and males build bubble nests under or between floating plants or more likely under overhanging driftwood. Males station themselves under their nests, and flare their fins and intensify their colors. A egg-ladened female approaches, edging sideways with head down. Males may rush at her, and chases if she runs, but if she stands her ground, he'll accept her. The embrace follows. It may be immediate, or it can be hours before it happens. Adult females produce up to 200 eggs, which float up into the nest. Males track down any that escape. She retreats after spawning, and usually resumes normal activity if the tank is sufficiently large.

They hatch in two days, and the fry are free swimming a day or two later. As the fry are tiny, infusoria, particularly Paramecium, is necessary as the first food. Rotifers follow, and it can be up to two weeks for the fry to grow enough to take live baby brine shrimp. With care, warmth, clean conditions and live food several times a day can result in up to a 90 percent yield. Males may have to be separated, since when they spawn, males are quite combative with each other. As pumilus is a popular species, home captive raised examples are commonly available. You may hear a cricket-like sound at night in their tank. It's the fishes vocalizing.
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Dave

**janeloftin** · 04-12-2012, 02:34 PM

This next is in my community tank. I am going to try and move them today as they are expected to fledge! wish me luck otherwise they are all FOOD!!

**janeloftin** · 04-14-2012, 12:41 PM

Here is a photo of the sparkler nest taked 4/13. The nest was discovered on 4/10 and moved on 4/11 to a private 5 gal nursery.
So far the nest still holds and Dad has accepted the change. Waiting to see what happens next. I am currently searching for liquid fry recipes when they free swim.

**Dave66** · 04-14-2012, 06:09 PM

Problem is those liquid fry foods can send the tank water quality in the toilet, unless you do partial water changes (about 20 percent each time) every day for at least six weeks, then daily after that.

Do what I do, and feed them Paramecium. They are easy to culture, and the perfect first food for those fry. Either that or culture general insuforia. The fry will need bacteria-size live food if you have any hope of raising any of the fry to adulthood.

The Paramecium to Rotifers to baby brine shrimp and microworms food progression results in better than 90 percent fry yield. I've raised hundreds of thousands of tetra, barb and gourami fry over the last 35 years doing just that.

Dave

**janeloftin** · 04-16-2012, 03:42 PM

I have looked at every lfs available to me and cannot find fry live food. Where can I get cultures????? It may be too late for this set, but maybe next time.

by the way, I was able to successfully transfer the next to a 5 gal aquarium ---- the fry are now free swimming ---- and Dad is back in the community tank.

The fry are still alive despite me.!! but this has been a learning experience and I guess I'll just do my best here. Photo attached

**Dave66** · 04-16-2012, 04:52 PM

Jane, in my how to culture live foods primer stickied in the food forum, there's information on home culturing Paramecium, Rotifers, Baby Brine Shrimp and Microworms, with online links sources of startups. It isn't at all difficult to culture any of them.

If you wish, PM me your email address and I'll send you a text file of my culture manual where all the links work, unlike the one in the food forum.

One of the highest senses of accomplishment for an aquarium keeper is raising fry from egg to adulthood.

Dave

**Lady Hobbs** · 04-16-2012, 04:58 PM

Very cool little fry. Love the photos. Hope they make it for you.

**janeloftin** · 04-21-2012, 11:29 AM

The Nest was moved successfully! It has been 11 days and I still have fry. They are still soooo small-- see photos (macro and then zoomed!)

To my surprise my second set of sparklers now have a nest in the community tank ---- Don't know if i can keep up with them--- This was to be a hobby, not a full-time nanny position!