Sphaerichthys osphormenoides is a lovely little aquarium fish called “chocolate gourami”. It is very difficult in matters of maintenance and reproduction. But if everything is done as it should, the aquarium will sparkle with new colors.
The origins
It is believed that wild chocolate gourami lives in Malaysia, on Borneo and Sumatra, although India is indicated as the homeland. In different places, fish differ from each other in their fin shape and even type of color.
It is found by chocolate gourami in peat bogs and in streams and rivers with a special color of water. Since in that area at the bottom of the reservoirs a large amount of decomposing organic matter accumulates, which gives the impression that water is a strongly brewed black tea. But this is a very important point, which reveals what exactly is needed for the fish to live long and to please its owner. What is this about?
The decomposition of organics has a special effect on the softness and acidity of water. Due to the fact that the reservoirs are hidden from the sun by the thick crowns of numerous trees, the pH of the water varies between 3.0 and 4.0.
Chocolate gourami is a very shy fish, the care of which can only be done by experienced aquarists who devote a lot of time to their pets.
Appearance
In general, the fish is very small even at puberty. The length of her body barely reaches five centimeters from the tip of the muzzle to the end of the tail. Like all fish species, gourami, chocolate in shape resembles an eye - an oval body with a pointed nose and outstretched mouth.
As mentioned above, its color varies depending on the habitat, although in general it can be called chocolate. If we talk about the palette, then these are shades from red to greenish brown.
But not the whole body of the fish is the same color. On the sides in contrasting white are from three to five vertical stripes. The fins on the tips are yellow, which gives their pointed edge some zest.
Life in the aquarium
Chocolate gourami in nature - only in soft water with low acidity. Plus it’s dark. What does this mean for the aquarist? In the aquarium there should be a lot of algae and other vegetation, which will not only be planted in the ground, but also float on the surface. Moreover, the water itself should not only be settled, but also with peat extract, which is added either directly to the aquarium or put in a filter. As for the latter, it should create a small current.
The fact that chocolate gourami loves peat does not mean that cleaning should not be done in the aquarium or water should be poured into it. It needs to be replenished by no more than 10 percent of the total. And the lack of regular cleaning can lead to fungal or bacterial diseases, to which gourami are very prone.
Water
Its temperature should be constant - above 25 degrees. In a cooler fish dies. Moreover, everything must be done so that the air is warm and very humid. To do this, it is recommended to put glass on top. This will protect the fish from respiratory diseases.
So, we will draw some conclusions on the state of water, which is required for the content of chocolate gourami. Firstly, the temperature is from 25 to 30 degrees. Secondly, this stiffness is not higher than 10 degrees. And of course, thirdly, this is a pH with a maximum value of 6.5.
Is it omnivorous?
What else is required for a fish like chocolate gourami? Content involves caring for food quality. The brightness and health of not only the fish itself, but also its offspring depend on this. Fish may initially refuse dry food. But over time, this passes.
Nevertheless, professionals strongly recommend feeding fish live and frozen. Gurams are very fond of daphnia, bloodworms, artemia and tubule.
When feeding fish, monotony should be avoided. Alternate food, and the fish will always be healthy and active.
Compatibility
Chocolate gourami is not a flock of fish. She is slow and shy. From this we can conclude that the neighbors must be carefully selected. First of all, you cannot plant with any predators. It is best to choose measured and sedate fish, such as tetras, zebrafish, rassbori.
A curious fact: if there are more than six gourami in one aquarium, then they will form a dominant that behaves accordingly. It will be interesting for owners of large aquariums to watch them.
Experts do not recommend keeping fish with other types of gourami. This is done in order to avoid hybridization.
Gender characteristics
If you plan to breed fish, you need to learn how to distinguish it by gender. Males have sharper traits than females. Boys have a more direct lower jaw profile and a pointed head. Girls, in turn, have a more rounded shape.
In the color scheme, females are considered to be brighter, especially during the spawning season. This is expressed by a reddish throat. Males in this period become almost black.
You can distinguish gender by fins. The boys dorsal fin is more pointed, and the anal fin is more yellow. Girls have a black spot on their tail.
Breeding and reproduction
Before you start breeding, you need to carefully study what should be the chocolate gourami. Maintenance, care and proper nutrition will help to grow beautiful and healthy fish.
For breeding, you need to purchase a separate spawning aquarium, the bottom of which should be sand. It is important to observe all the same water indicators as in a general aquarium. Before spawning, you need to feed the fish exclusively live feed
Two spouses of different sexes are placed in a spawning ground. The boy, ready to spawn, darkens, and the bride turns brown-chocolate. Unlike other fish of the same family, the female is engaged in bearing fry here. In quite rare cases, a fish can make a nest of foam.
Spawning occurs in several stages and lasts several hours. First, the fish in the fine sand current pit. In it, the female later spawns. Then the male fertilizes her, and the female collects eggs in her mouth. There are cases when the male helped the female to do this, spitting them in her direction.
Next is the process of bearing. After spawning, the female needs to hide. She will not eat. It is during this period of time that it is recommended to transplant the female into the third aquarium so that she can calmly incubate the eggs.
On average, the process of gestation of fry lasts from a week to 20 days. When the fry are old enough, the female spits it out. For one spawning, you can get from 10 to 40 fish. Then the hardest part begins.
The fry are absolutely not adapted to any changes, therefore, an aquarium needs special care during this period. Growth is very slow. You can feed the fish with a microworm or cyclops. To change the water as rarely as possible and very carefully. The aquarium in which the fry live also needs to be closed with glass so that the temperature of the water and air is the same.
Knowing what kind of chocolate gourami is in nature, a description of its type and maintenance rules, you can get a bright and beautiful fish in your aquarium.