Thread gourami are amazing and beautiful fish, which is why the attention of many aquarium fish lovers is riveted to them. The spotted gourami was the first to be introduced into Russia in 1904, other species appeared only after 1945. These creatures of the water world were called so because of the long threads into which their first soft rays of the ventral fins were reorganized. They serve as the organ of touch. The labyrinth family unites more than thirty species of fish. Genus of tropical freshwater labyrinths from the macropod family.
Description
They are found in medium-sized with weak streams or standing, well overgrown with vegetation ponds in Asia. The body is tall, oval, strongly compressed on the sides. The dorsal fin is located in the middle of the back or slightly offset to the tail. The length of its base is several times less than that of the anal fin. Famous threads are located closer to the chest. More precisely, behind the pectoral fins.
The lateral line is complete. The color is varied, depending on the species.
Almost all fish of this family are small, up to 12 centimeters. Serpentine gourami can be up to twenty-five centimeters. In an aquarium, most often grow up to ten centimeters. The intensity of the color indicates health, but not in all cases.
The labyrinth organ is located in the supra-gill cavity. Very thin bony plates are located in this place. Without atmospheric air, in a tightly closed vessel, fish die quickly.
Gourami in the aquarium as orderlies. They quickly eat the hydra that comes with live food, it is an enemy for fish. Hydras are dangerous for both young animals and adults.
Dwarf Gourami
This is a beautiful freshwater fish, rarely found at home. It can live in ditches, small streams, slowly flowing rivers, in rice fields. Small sizes do not exceed four centimeters, hence the name. The color is brown, small red, blue or green scales may occur. In the world they shimmer beautifully. The eyes are blue, the fins are transparent, the fin on the belly is small with a filiform process. In captivity can live no more than five years. Sexual dimorphism is not very pronounced. It is believed that males have a brighter and more attractive color.
Spotted gourami
The species is divided into two subspecies: spotted and Sumatran (blue). In length can be 11-13 centimeters. Both subspecies have a pointed snout, large reddish eyes located in front of the head.
The color is silver-olive, bluish or lilac in color with darker stripes transverse of the same color and two large spots in the middle of the body and at the base of the tail. The fins are almost transparent, with yellowish patches, the anal one has a reddish border. During breeding, the colors of the gourami become more intense. The spotted look is divided into three color types: marble, gold, silver.
Marble gourami
The color is light blue, black spots of irregular shape are scattered on its background. On the green-blue fins - white-yellow dots, on the anal - orange border. The name received due to the color, similar to marble.
Sumatran gourami
The color is white-blue with barely visible transverse blue lines and two spots in the center of the body, as in the other subspecies. On the fins there are milk dots, and on the anal - blotches of yellow and rim of orange.
Pearl Gourami
This species was first discovered by a Dutch biologist. His karyotype consists of four chromosomes, as in humans. Thread gourami have some intellectual abilities. They have organized a hierarchical structure in the pack, they are non-aggressive and curious.
In length, these fish can reach twelve centimeters. They are similar in structure to spotted gouras, but unpaired fins are more magnificent, with elongated soft rays that needle-like protrude beyond the fin blade. Color silver-violet, may be cream. A lot of luminous spots, like pearls, are scattered around the background. From the snout through the eyes to the tail is a strip of black. Color smoothly passes to the fins.
Female pearl gourami are smaller than males. In males, the dorsal fin is longer, the chest and front of the anal are orange, red, or red-violet. In females, the margin of the anal fin is slightly reddish.
Lunar gourami
Individuals can be up to 18 centimeters long. In appearance, it looks like a spotted one, but the back and forehead are elongated more strongly. The snout bends a little upwards, lips are large. The fin on the back is rounded and shorter. Filaments of the ventral fins extend to the edge of the caudal. The body is covered with small scales. The male gourami has a longer and sharper fin than the female. The edge of the anal fin is orange, the threads are orange-red. In females, only threads are dyed in yellow-orange.
Brown or serpentine gourami
Individuals reach a length of 20 centimeters. The silhouette is similar to a spotted, but the snout is sharper, the tail fin lobes are heart-shaped. The color is silver, an intermittent strip of dark spots passes through the whole body. Cross body is streaked with dark lines. Young growth has a uniform color.
Blue gourami
Mostly in this species of gourami, green predominates over blue. The temperature of the contents is the same as that of others.
To make it easier and more clear to familiarize yourself with each species, you can read about the content of the gourami. Photos of fish will help them imagine their appearance.
Content
Spotted gourami nenososy, regardless of shape and type, should be kept in aquariums with a capacity of at least sixty liters. The temperature regime of water is from 24 to 28 degrees, it is allowed from 20 to 24. These fish are able to withstand a decrease of up to sixteen for a short time. What will be the hardness and acidity does not matter. The soil will suit dark and dense vegetation. Aeration and filtration are not needed.
The content of pearl gourami is similar to spotting, only the water in the aquarium is advised to filter and slightly aerate. This species can live with small and non-aggressive fish.
Lunar gourami contain the same, but aquariums should be larger than one hundred liters. After all, how does this species prefer to swim freely. Lighting needs dim, slightly diffused. The fish are peaceful, compatible only with small and non-aggressive creatures.
Brown gourami have excellent compatibility. They get along well with other fish. Care - the same as from the rest of the family.
The nature of dwarf gourami, like other species, is undemanding. It is important that there is no strong current. For this species, it is advisable to place not only plants in the aquarium, but also shelters in the form of caves and grottoes. It is better to keep in small flocks, no more than 6 fish. To balance the females should be a little more. They do not like loud sounds, so it is better for them to take a quiet place in the house.
Food
Mostly fish need to be given live food, the food is the same for all gourami, the species do not matter. A small bloodworm, tubule, cycle, shrimp meat, and it is also necessary to give food of plant origin. To supplement the diet, dry or combination food is needed.
Do not forget that frequent consumption of artificial dry food is harmful to fish. Some gourami cease to breed or their offspring are frail.
Fry should first be fed with ciliates, rotifers and egg yolk. It is important to sort young growth by size.
Do not forget that the mouth of the carriers is small, so the food should be small. Also, you can not overfeed the fish, if necessary, they can live without food for a week.
Breeding
Puberty is reached at about the age of nine to twelve months. Gourami breeding is different. Species of fish carry out this process in different ways.
Spotted gourami do not spawn in the general aquarium. To do this, they need a separate tank with a volume of up to fifty liters. They should be sedimented in pairs. Water should be between 26 and 28 degrees. There must be plants, in their midst a female will hide if she is not completely ready for spawning. The male at this time creates a nest about eight centimeters in size and drives the female to it. She tosses up to 2000 eggs, after she is planted. And the male remains to guard the eggs. When the larvae begin to swim, it should also be deposited. Spotted gourami spawn up to four times during the season.
For breeding a pearl look, it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime of 29 to 30 degrees. Nests are made by males from foam and pieces of plants. During the spawning period, the male embraces the female and turns her belly up towards the nest. Caviar with a high fat content pops up, but the male collects it and puts it in the designated place. At one time, the female lays up to 200 eggs.
When spawning the moon gourami also the temperature must be raised to 30 degrees. The male creates a nest of foam with a width of up to 25 and a height of up to 15 centimeters. Fertility - up to 5000 eggs.
Brown gourami build nests about eight in size, up to one centimeter high. Fertility is the same as that of the lunar species. Larvae hatch after 36 hours, begin to feed on the third day.
For effective breeding of a dwarf species, it is better to purchase in pairs of gourams. The price depends on the type of fish and place of purchase and ranges from 0.4 to 3 $. You can take one male for two females.
Care
As already mentioned, in gourami the lower fins are equipped with a filamentous mustache. This is one of the features of these fish. Mustache is a tactile organ. With it, the fish feel objects and navigate in space. This organ appeared among gourami because of their natural habitat, because they usually live in muddy water, in which it is difficult to see something. Another amazing feature is also associated with the habitat. Gourami have a labyrinth organ, which allows the fish to remain without water for up to eight hours. They live in places deprived of oxygen, and therefore could not do without the ability to breathe air.
Breeders did not learn how to transport fish right away, because at first they used the not quite right way of transporting gourami. Leaving was not so difficult. It is believed that these fish are one of the most picky among the aquarium inhabitants. If the living conditions are created correctly, then they can live up to 12 years. Regardless of the type, care for gourams is similar.
Optimum conditions for the habitat of thread carriers
It is easy to create the necessary conditions, since the thread-carriers are unpretentious. It is only important to adhere to the minimum requirements:
1. The fish are mobile and curious, they need free space. Therefore, the aquarium must be of appropriate size.
2. Gourami are able to jump high enough above the water. So that they do not harm themselves, you should cover the aquarium with a lid with holes for air.
3. The natural habitat for them is tropical countries, therefore, the presence of bright lighting is mandatory. To do this, the aquarium should be located next to the window or special additional lighting is used. The better the illumination, the more saturated the color of the thread carriers.
4. It is important to have live algae for shy gourami. The green island will be an excellent refuge. And males in the right period will create nests there.
5. For the gourami, the presence of a filter and aeration is not necessary, since they can breathe air. If you equip them with an aquarium, then there will be no harm from the absence of an aerator. Only there should not be strong currents, fish prefer stagnant water.
6. It is necessary once a week to change the water in the aquarium by 1/3. Do not forget about maintaining the desired temperature.
Aquarium selection of inhabitants
Beautiful creations by gourami-threadbarers. The content does not cause any particular difficulties for the owners. However, many prefer to combine different types of fish in one aquarium. Threaders are peaceful, therefore it is not recommended to place them together with those with aggressive behavior.
Do not fit like neighbors:
- swordsmen;
- barbs;
- goldfish;
- pseudotrophies;
- labidochromis;
- parrot fish.
Experts also do not advise keeping live-bearing fish in the same aquarium with them , as fry can become easy prey for thread carriers.
Best fit:
- apistograms;
- catfish (anticyrus, corridors);
- haracin fish;
- scalars.
Even an inexperienced aquarist can take care of thread carriers. Fish not only have an unusual attractive appearance, but it is always interesting to watch them.
When purchasing a thread carrier in your own aquarium, it is important to make the right choice. A faded color does not indicate illness or stress. When the fish lives in a permanent house, it will get used to the environment, and the bright color will return to it.
Pay attention to the fins and mustache, they must be in good condition, not torn, not shabby and perfectly open. Before you put a fish in a common aquarium, you should first place it in a separate container for a week in quarantine.
This is done for the safety of other inhabitants, since if the new carrier is a carrier of the disease, others may become infected. During the quarantine period, fish are made baths for 15 minutes every day. After the procedure, it is placed back in its clean and warm container with fresh water.
Gourami disease
Trimmers are usually quite hardy. They can get sick from sick fish or because of poor nutrition. Sick individuals must be isolated from healthy ones.
The most common are:
1. Lymphocytosis. It manifests itself in the form of wounds, nodules and swelling. Dark spots and powdery deposits appear.
2. Pseudomonosis. First, dark spots appear, which later turn into ulcers.
3. Aeromonosis. Appears due to a change in the aquarium. Symptoms: refusal of food, going to the bottom, bloated and bleeding abdomen.
Thread gourami are beautiful fish. The larger the aquarium, the larger they are. Their peculiarity is that broken pectoral fins are able to grow again in gourami. Photos will help to make out their attractiveness and uniqueness.
Gourami are simple in maintenance and care, beautiful and interesting in behavior. They decorate any aquatic environment with their presence, because when creating suitable conditions they look bright and original. And most importantly, even a novice aquarist can take care of them.