mikael, Author at Zoomania Aquarium

The dwarf gourami is the ideal decorative fish. It combines stunning coloring, a calm mentality, and intriguing behavior. It grows to be just 3 cm (wild captured) or 6 cm (artifically bred sports) long and, owing to its peaceful nature, may be kept in even tiny tanks.

In terms of eating, the dwarf gourami can happily consume any sort of fish food, whether it is dry, frozen, or alive. The sole stipulation is that food particles not be too large, as the dwarf gourami has a narrow throad. The dwarf gourami is sometimes referred to as Trichogaster lalius, however this is not our view.

Dwarf Gourami, Colisa Lalia.jpg — https://web.archive.org/web/20161104071430/https://www.petshop-zoomania.com/BETA,%20Colisa,Gourami/Colisa%20Lalia.jpg

Overview

The dwarf gourami is a timid and gentle fish. If you have two of them, they will swim together.
Dwarf gouramis are labyrinth fish, which means they breathe directly from the air using a lung-like labyrinth organ and require access to the water’s surface.
If you continue to breed this species, you will notice that their intricate bubble nests exhibit amazing building instincts.

General facts

Scientific Name:Trichogaster Ialius
Different Names: Dwarf gourami, flame gourami, powder blue gourami, red gourami, sunset gourami
Adult Size: 2 inches
Food: Omnivore, eats algae
Breeding: Egglayer, bubble nest
Care Level: Intermediate difficulty
pH value: 6.0 to 7.5
Lifespan: 4 years
Tank Level: Top, mid-dweller
Minimum Tank Required: 5 gallon
Hardnes:s 4 to 10 dGH
Temperature: 72 to 82 F (22 to 28 C)

Appearance and color differences

The popular name “dwarf” fits this fish perfectly because it is one of the tiniest gouramis.

Males are somewhat bigger than females, with a brilliant orange-red body and vertical turquoise-blue stripes that continue into the fins.

Females are duller, silvery blue-gray in hue and never attain the dazzling colors of males. Blue/powder blue, neon, rainbow, and red/blushing are among the color variations.

Powder blues are mostly blue with a hint of red on the body. Neons have a brighter blue pattern than regular neons. Rainbows feature bright orange-red bodies with blue stripes, as well as a green-gold metallic shine. vReds have almost completely red bodies with solid blue dorsal fins.

Gender Differences

Males are typically bigger and more colorful than females.

Males grow longer dorsal and anal fins that come to a tip as they mature.

These fins are shorter and more rounded in females.

Taking care of a dwarf gourami

Dwarf gouramis, like other Anabantoids, dislike fast-moving or turbulent water. Keep flow to a minimum in any setup that includes them.
They thrive in a densely grown tank with plenty of shade and hiding spots. A dark substrate and floating plants are also advised to calm these naturally cautious fish.
With the addition of some twigs, branches, and leaf litter, you might create a really natural-looking setting.

Having said that, contemporary tank-bred fish are highly flexible and can flourish in most well-maintained aquaria as long as they have enough hiding places and shaded regions.
These are significant because they provide safe havens for females in the face of male pestering; moreover, the species becomes timid and withdrawn much more readily in a sparsely decorated tank.

Dwarf Gourami Care and Habitat

Dwarf gouramis thrive in tiny aquariums as well as communal aquariums.

Gouramis are sensitive to noise and should be maintained in a calm environment.

Provide lots of vegetation, especially floating plants that cover only a portion of the water’s surface, because these labyrinth fish require surface air on both sides of the aquarium.

Dwarf Gourami Nutrition and Feeding

Gouramis consume tiny insects and larvae off the water’s surface and feed on algae growth on plants in the wild.

They will eat flake food, freeze-dried food, frozen meals, and vegetable tablets in captivity.

To keep them healthy, supplement their diet with live items like worms on a regular basis.

Breeder pairs should also be fed live meals to condition them.

Tank Conditions

Temperatures in the water range from 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22 to 27 degrees Celsius).

pH: Wild fish like to live in areas with soft, acidic water.
Tank-bred fish are more versatile and can often be kept in temperatures ranging from 6.0 to 7.5.

2 – 18°H hardness

Good Tankmates

This species is often calm and may be maintained alongside other species that are not very big or aggressive.

Male gouramis can become violent when they confuse other brilliantly colored species for competition.

Most bottom-dwelling species, as well as peaceful, tiny schooling fish, make good tank mates.

Dwarf cichlids, cardinal tetras, and neon tetras are all possible tankmates.

Compatibility/Behavior of Gouramis

Is it true that gouramis are aggressive? Not very much, compared to bettas for example, although some male gouramis would earn a reputation of being violent against one another. It’s probably a good idea to keep them separately. Female gouramis typically get along nicely with one another. Gouramis are slow-moving fish that should be kept with fish of comparable size who aren’t fin nippers or overly energetic.

Dwarf Gourami Breeding

Spawning will occur when the water level is reduced to six to eight inches and the temperature is raised to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Male gouramis rely on vegetation to build bubble nests out of plant components, which they subsequently tie together with bubbles.

Nests are intricate and strong, measuring several inches wide and an inch deep.

Limnophila aquatica, Riccia fluitans, Ceratopteris thalictroides, and Vesicularia dubyana are ideal aquarium plants for the breeding tank.

Peat fiber may also be used as a construction material.

After constructing the nest, the male will begin courting the female, generally in the afternoon or evening.

He communicates his intentions by swimming around the female with flared fins, hoping to entice her to the nest, where he will continue his courtship display.

If the female accepts the male, she will begin swimming in circles beneath the bubble nest with him.

When she is ready to spawn, she uses her lips to contact the male on the back or tail.

When the male receives this signal, he will hug the female, turning her first on her side and then on her back.

At this stage, the female will release around five dozen transparent eggs, which will be fertilized immediately by the male.

The vast majority of the eggs will float up into the bubble nest.

The male collects stray eggs and places them in the nest.

The couple will spawn again after all of the eggs have been safeguarded in the nest.

If there are more than one female in the breeding tank, the male may spawn with all of them.

The spawning sessions will last two to four hours and generate 300 to 800 eggs.

When finished, the male will add a thin coating of bubbles behind the eggs to ensure that they stay in the bubble nest.

To alleviate stress on the male, the female(s) should be removed from the tank at this stage.

The male will subsequently take primary responsibility for the eggs, guarding the nest and surrounding area ferociously.

The fry will hatch in 12 to 24 hours and continue to develop under the bubble nest’s protection.

They are adequately matured after three days to be free-swimming.

Remove the male from the tank after the fry have left the bubble nest, otherwise he will eat them.

For the first week, feed the fry micro-foods like infusoria, rotifers, or commercial fry food.

They can be given freshly born brine shrimp and finely crushed flake meals after a week.

How large do they get?

Some sources claim a maximum length of 3.5′′ (8.8cm).
This is most likely referring to males, as females of the species are significantly smaller. Most aquarium specimens are no taller than 3′′ (7.5cm), with females being somewhat shorter at approximately 2.4′′. (6cm).

Where does it reside?

Widespread throughout Pakistan, northern India, and Bangladesh. Misidentification is now considered to be the cause of apparent occurrences in Nepal and Myanmar.
Feral populations can also be found in a few other nations, including Singapore, the United States, and Colombia.
Nowadays, all of the fish for sale in the trade are mass-produced for the purpose, and you’re rare to find wild-caught specimens on the market.

Author: mikael

Colisa Lalia, the Dwarf Gourami – A Fish With Stunning Coloring & Peaceful Mentality