Sparkling Gourami

<p>These fish are brown with small blue and green spots all over the body, their fins are blue with red markings and edges, they are very small only reaching 1.6 inches. Sparkling Gouramis are labyrinth fish, these have a special organ called labyrinth organ that acts like a lung allowing them to breathe atmospheric air so a covered aquarium filled to the top isn’t recommended. To keep these fish in captivity, there should be a slow water flow, water temperature should range from 72ºF to 78ºF and water pH should be between 6.0 and 7.5. The tanks should have many plants and floating vegetation to help dim the light, it should also have rocks, driftwood and hiding places. These fish are very peaceful and can be kept in a community aquarium, however, aggressive tankmates should be avoided. They should be kept in groups of 4 or more.</p>

<p>This species is omnivorous. In the wild it feeds on insects. In captivity it can be fed with vegetable based dried foods and with live food like shrimps or bloodworms.</p>

<p>To breed this species in captivity, the breeding tank should have a cover, however, there should be some space between the cover and the surface of the water forming a layer of warm air in the aquarium, this layer helps the fry develop the labyrinth organ. The male starts by building a bubble nest, afterwards, he will go and display to a female, once he gets her attention they will spawn and the male will gather the eggs in the nest and guard them. The eggs take 1 to 2 days to hatch and the fry become free swimming after 2 to 3 days.</p>

<p>This species originated in southeast Asia.</p>

<p>The drip method is recommended. The aquarium lights should be off and lights in the room should be dim, the bag in which the fish is should be placed in the surface of the water to float for about 15 minutes, this allows the water in the bag to adjust to the water in the tank. The bag contents should be poured into a 1 gallon bucket that has never been cleaned with any chemicals, the fish should be enterally submerged. A siphon, using airline tubing, should be set up and a drip line should run from the main aquarium to the bucket. Several loose knots should be tied in the airline tubing to regulate flow. Sucking the end of the airline tube that goes to the bucket will begin a siphon, the flow should be regulated to 2 to 4 drips per second. Once the water in the buckets doubles, half should be discarded and the process should be repeated until it doubles again. Afterwards, the fish can be moved to the aquarium.</p>

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