Pearl Gourami (scientific name: Trichogaster leeri) or sometimes known as Mosaic Gourami is one of the most beautiful and popular freshwater tropical fish with its striking mix of coloration. An adult pearl gourami only reaches maximum length of up to 12 cm and the male can be easily distinguish from the female with its red color appearance seen only on the gills and belly area with some extending up to the ventral fins.Other than the indication mentioned earlier, the male species of the pearl gourami fish also has a pointy dorsal fin while for the females, they only have the fin which appears to be rounded at the tip. This characteristic can only be observed when the fish reach the maturity age of seven to eight months and this poses a challenge to the pearl gourami breeder who has the intention to breed for the next batch because the person has to ensure there are sufficient fish in a group so that there’s less likely chance to end up either all male or all female.
The aquarium setup to house your pearl gourami should be heavily planted with live aquarium plants and generally those type with large leaves cluster are preferred (examples are Hygrophila stricta and Hydrocotyle leucocephala). This is important because tight spots will provide shelter for the fish to feel secure especially when the fish is still new to the aquarium environment. In terms of community behavior, pearl gourami is generally grouped into the type of peaceful fish and therefore should not be mixed with other large aggressive species especially oscar and cichlids (unless it is the small sized dwarf species such as the Apistogramma). Overall tank temperature is best kept at 25degC with slightly soft and acidic value between pH 6.6 to 6.8.
Breeding your pet gourami
In order to successfully breed pearl gourami, you should get at least 50 gallons or larger aquarium tank so that the adult pair has more space to spawn and you also avoid running out of space for the young. Normally to induce the fish to breed, there are several things which you can do but the most effective method is to mix in a quarter full of rainwater to make up your aquarium tank level. Another thing you should watch out is to maintain water pH close to neutral level and because you will need fast results, I would suggest getting a pH test kit to help you to provide an accurate reading. For the temperature, it is recommended that the level should be raised about 2-3 degC higher than normal temperature and maintain this throughout the breeding period. Get an aquarium heater to facilitate the task.
Since pearl gourami is a bubble nest builder (labyrinth) similar like betta Siamese fighting fish, it is better to leave some aquatic floating plants on the surface of the water such as Ceratopteris pteridoides. This provides a place for the mating pair to sought refuge and establish its nest. During this critical period, one should look into maintaining high standard of water cleanliness at all time so that this will lower the chances for the fish to contact aquarium disease which can be devastating.
Related species of fish: kissing gourami and how to breed gourami fish
