To help beginner aquarists about gourami. How to care for them correctly - water temperature, which plants are preferred, what they eat, how long they live and to what size they grow. Among the variety of aquarium fish, a special place is occupied by the labyrinth detachment. And today you will meet the gourami. So!
Gourami is a freshwater fish of the labyrinth family. What does the term itself mean - labyrinth? This means that these fish can breathe not only with gills, but also with a special respiratory organ that resembles the lungs. It is precisely this organ that is called the word "labyrinth", hence the name of the family. "Labyrinth" allows fish to breathe atmospheric air. Thanks to this unique respiratory organ, they get along well in relatively small aquariums. However, it should be noted that they will not feel comfortable in very dirty water. And if you also restrict access to the surface of the water, then the fish will die altogether. Bottom line: atmospheric air is an advantage for gourami and the like!
I will immediately answer all the exciting question - "How many gourami live?" They can live up to 12 years, but usually the average duration is 6 to 8 years. It all depends on the rules of compliance with their living conditions - food, cleanliness of the aquarium, etc.
In nature, gourami grow to an impressive size: about 70 centimeters! But in the aquarium, their "growth" is much less - about 15-18 centimeters. An interesting fact: the larger the volume of the aquarium, the more gourami grow!
Technique for keeping gourami at home:
1. Aquarium
The gourami aquarium should be at least 100 liters in volume. In addition, a cover for the aquarium is also required: they, like many types of labyrinths, love to jump out of the water!
In general, the larger the aquarium, the better for the fish: the aquarium can be decorated by making it look like a beach, forest, or something else.
When filling the aquarium with water, you must remember that it cannot be filled to the brim - there must be a space of at least 7 centimeters (to the top level of the aquarium) to be able to gain free access to air.
Despite the unpretentiousness, in an aquarium with gourami, such devices as a compressor and a filter are needed: the cleaner the water, the healthier the population and the longer their lifespan.
2. Water
Absolutely all fish of the labyrinth family are brightly colored. In addition, they are very fond of warm water.
The water temperature for gourami should not be lower than + 22 * C. Ideally, the water temperature should be + 25 * C + 28 * C. By the way: during the spawning period, the water temperature should be constant, that is, + 28 * C. Water parameters: pH 6, 5-7, dH 8-10 °.
3. Decoration of the aquarium
In an aquarium with gourami, the use of live plants is highly recommended: they do not spoil them, but only use them as nests during spawning. Thus, you should have three types of plants: bottom (javanese moss), rooting in the ground (cryptocoryne, kabomba) and floating on the surface (duckweed, riccia, limnobium).
4. Compatibility
Gourami are exceptionally peaceful aquarium fish. Therefore, they can be kept in the tank even with very small fish species - they do not eat them. However, there are also limitations. For example, you should not settle such nasty-characteristic fish as barbs with them - they will constantly interfere and disturb the gourami. The latter, in turn, can give a serious rebuff to the "brawlers" - this is a fact!
There are about 10 types of gourami in total, for example - pearl, marble, moon, honey, kissing, etc. By the way, about kissing - they all love to kiss, especially during the mating season, watch the video about spawning:
5. Nutrition
As for food, gourami are omnivorous: they are equally happy to eat both dry and live food, and artificial specialized ones. Fortunately, it is easy to buy food for these fish now: it is available in any pet store. But the gourami get special pleasure from eating bloodworms, tubifex or daphnia - they are rich in amino acids and protein, which are necessary for the body of these comrades.
Watch the video how to care:
Photo:
Gourami turquoise
Gourami blue
Pearl
Gourami gold
