Gourami is a favorite and frequent inhabitant of home aquariums. Gourami: care for shy, but incredibly beautiful aquarium fish

Gourami, maintenance, reproduction, aquarium for gourami, photo - 4.3 out of 5 based on 49 votes

Gourami

Gourami are part of the labyrinth family. Very mobile fish new object in the aquarium arouses their interest.

The body is laterally flattened and elongated. The lower fin of the gourami gradually widens from the pectoral fin to the base of the tail. The upper fin of the male is elongated, slightly pointed; the female is considerably rounded and shorter. Pectoral fins in the form of thin thread-like whiskers, corresponding in length to the length of the body. These whiskers serve as organs of touch.

The color is different and depends on the habitat: from green-brown to golden-green. Against this background, there may be a marble pattern of spots and vertical stripes, or a brindle coloration of light brown stripes.

The length of the fish in the aquarium usually does not exceed 15 cm.

Water parameters for an aquarium with gourami should be the following: temperature 23 ° C-27 ° C, dH up to 20 °, pH 7.0.

A filtration and aeration system is optional, but still desirable. Water is recommended to be changed once a week, replacing it by 1/3.

Lighting you need good, and from above. Sunshine is desirable in the morning.

An aquarium with gourami needs a thick vegetation, but at the same time, there must be space for their games. species composition plants depends on the power of the aquarium lamp. But the presence of either floating vegetation (Riccia, Pistia, Rayasca, Salvinia, etc.), or floating leaves of Nymphaeum or Vallisneria is mandatory. This provides the calmness of the gourami and also for spawning.

For decoration, various snags are perfect. Driftwood releases humic substances that improve the health of fish and make the water in the aquarium look like natural.

Gourami jump well, so for their safety it is necessary to cover the aquarium with a lid.

You can make gourami neighbors different kinds characin fish (minors, neons, rasboras), apistograms, angelfish, catfish (corridors, ancistrus). Excluded: predatory cichlids - labidochromis, pseudotropheus, parrots, goldfish, as well as all viviparous.

Gourami food

The gourami diet should be balanced and varied: various live foods, scraped meat and fish, oatmeal, processed cheese, cottage cheese. It is important that the food is small, as the mouth of the gourami is very small and is not able to regale on food of any size.

It is important not to overfeed the fish. Let them go hungry. Moreover, without food, gourami can last a couple of weeks and will not even lose weight.

Gourami breeding

Male gouramis are different from females big size and more pointed fins.

A good ratio of individuals in an aquarium is one male to two or three females.

If the gouramis do not breed in a common aquarium, then the females may form a cyst from unspawned eggs, and this will lead to the death of the fish. Therefore, if the female has spawned (the fish swims all the time with a thick belly), then she and the male should be placed in a separate aquarium for spawning.

Gourami is bred in low elongated spawning grounds with a capacity of 15-20 liters of water, its level does not exceed 10-15 cm, temperature is 24 ° C -26 ° C.

Before spawning, gourami are intensively fed with live food.

The spawning ground should have areas of dense vegetation, "beds" of large pebbles or clay shards from unused pots - all this is necessary as a refuge for the female, sometimes fleeing from too ferocious actions of the male.

Spawning lasts about four hours. The spawned female is immediately planted from the spawning ground.

During the spawning period, 4-5 litters are obtained from the gourami, each time preparing the producers for two to three weeks.

After the appearance of eggs, the gourami creates a cap of foam on the surface of the water, where the caviar floats up and remains there until the fry emerge from it. The construction of the nest, the diameter of which sometimes reaches 7-8 cm, lasts 2-3 days. All this time, the male gourami takes care of the eggs and eats almost nothing.

Incubation of eggs lasts 24-48 hours. It depends on the temperature of the water, the stability of which must be constantly monitored, avoiding significant drops. Feeling something wrong, such as cooling water, the male can immediately stop caring for eggs or larvae (if they have already appeared) and immediately destroy everything.

After three days, the larvae pass into the fry stage and begin to swim. When the activity of the fry becomes massive and they spread throughout the spawning ground, the male is immediately removed: the hungry male (they do not give him any food while he is busy worries about procreation), coming into extraordinary excitement from the inability to cope with his father's duties, begins to destroy his offspring, mistaking him, perhaps, for living daphnia or cyclops.

After the removal of the male from the spawning ground, the fry are fed. This requires a huge number of ciliates or screened "dust", as well as many aquariums for seating unevenly growing juveniles.

Aquarium fish gourami belong to the labyrinth family. These amazing fish also called thread bearers ventral fins like long threads. Like other fish of this family, they can breathe atmospheric air with the help of a special organ - the gill labyrinth. If you leave them in a closed aquarium without access to air, the fish will quickly die.

Description of gourami

Gourami are very mobile, nimble, curious fish, they are easy to breed, unpretentious in food, therefore they are often found in home aquariums. They got into aquariums from South-East Asia which is their historical homeland.

Fish gourami looks quite modest. The body of the pearl gourami has a discreet silvery-purple hue with pearl specks, the color of the moon gourami is pale yellow, quite bright gold, marble and lemon gourami. The brighter the color tone, the healthier the fish. The size of most types of gourami is no more than 15 cm, serpentine gourami reach 25 cm, but in aquariums, both of them rarely grow longer than 10 cm.

There are several types of gourami. The most common:

  • brown gourami;
  • moon gourami;
  • pearl gourami;
  • honey gourami;
  • kissing gourami;
  • dwarf gourami;
  • chocolate gourami;
  • grumbling gourami;
  • spotted gourami, etc.

How long do gourami live?

Naturally, at home, gourami live longer than in wildlife - the situation is conducive. The life expectancy of gourami is 5-7 years, with very good care and favorable conditions of their maintenance can live up to 10 years. The life expectancy of a marble gourami, more capricious in breeding, can reach 8 years - it is a strong fish, rarely gets sick and withstands, unlike its counterparts, a drop in temperature. The behavior of gourami during illness or before death is expressed in the fact that the fish folds its fins and swims listlessly along the bottom of the aquarium.

In order for your fish to live a long time, you need to follow a few rules:

  • the presence of a small aquarium with a water level of not more than 35 cm;
  • clean water, which must be changed often and little by little;
  • compliance temperature regime- not all species can withstand temperature fluctuations;
  • bright but not hot lighting;
  • feeding regime - you can not overfeed the fish, you need to feed them varied, but little by little, 2-3 times a day;
  • dark soil, driftwood, the presence of plants in the aquarium;
  • neighbors with a similar character and close in size.
Reproduction and nutrition of gourami

The male is responsible for reproduction in gourami. He builds a nest of foam and plants, takes care of the female and squeezes eggs out of her, fertilizes her, makes sure that the eggs fall into the nest and stay in it until the fry come out of them. The female is capable of laying several thousand eggs. Gourami caviar looks the same as other aquarium fish - the fry look like a thread with eyes and a tail.

Gourami and others

Gourami are carnivorous fish, that is, they can be called predators. In nature, they feed on invertebrates and mosquito larvae. At home, they have adapted more to vegetarian food, but they will gladly feast on daphnia, bloodworms, and tubules. Gourami can eat a neighbor who wants to seize their territory or, angry, an opponent, they are able to destroy their fry, but this is typical of many fish. Gourami are calm fish, only males can be pugnacious.

Predators with a big stretch, gourami get along well with other fish, including can easily get along with sklarii and barbs. Gourami will not make friends with goldfish and viviparous fish, but not because of their character, but because of the difference in the desired water temperature.

Aquarium fish from the Labyrinth suborder have long won the hearts of lovers of underwater life. They are distinguished not only by their bright color, but also by their very interesting behavior. They are able to live in poorly aerated water, as they have an additional respiratory organ - a labyrinth. It is a network of airways branched in the gill covers, thanks to this structure, the fish can receive oxygen from the air, rising to the surface of the water. Outstanding Representatives suborder Labyrinth - gourami, care for them can be entrusted even to a schoolboy.

Gourami: popular types

There are quite a few varieties of gourami, but all of them are unusually beautiful, have ventral fins in the form of antennae, with which they feel and study unfamiliar objects. Compared to others aquarium fish, gourami are considered centenarians, because their beauty can be enjoyed for 5–8 years. Most often in the aquarium you can find the fish below.

  • Gourami common. It has several color forms, so on sale you can find marble gourami, spotted gourami, blue gourami. The color combines blue and silver colors, there may be darker spots on the sides or a pattern resembling veins on marble. In captivity, the fish reach a size of about 10 cm.
  • Pearl gourami. The fish are especially beautiful during the spawning season. Against the background of a silvery body with a purple tint, numerous white spots resembling pearls are scattered. In males, the anterior part of the anal fin and abdomen are colored in bright red color. The "outfit" of females is much more modest, they are a little smaller in size. Males in captivity reach 10 cm.
  • Honey gourami. Caring for honey gourami will be easier, since the fish are small, no more than 4 cm, they can be kept even in a 15-liter aquarium. During the spawning period, the fish acquire a red-orange color, however, when adverse conditions the color fades.

Aquarium design and compatibility of gourami with other inhabitants

Most gourami species will require a fairly large aquarium. For the content of marble and pearl gourami - from 60 liters, for honey, as mentioned above - from 15 liters. The fish are very shy, they get used to new living conditions for a long time, so you should not worry if they cautiously peek out of the thickets for the first few days, sometimes not even reacting to food. The fish need to get used to it. Later, you can see that the gourami carefully swim out of their hiding places and thoughtfully study the stones, soil, snags, decor items, feeling them with filiform antennae ...

Given this feature of the fish, you need to plant as many living plants as possible in the aquarium. In thickets of wallisneria, cabomba or Indian fern, they will feel more confident. You can add branchy mangrove driftwood, stones, coconuts to the aquarium. With the help of these items, it will be possible not only to satisfy the need of fish for shelter, but also to divide the aquarium into zones, because most of them are territorial fish.

Bright gourami - keeping and caring for them is simple, but all the splendor of the color of these amazing fish can only be observed in a perfectly designed aquarium. The soil is preferably natural, dark in color. Against its background, the fish will look even brighter, shimmering with iridescent colors. The lighting needs to be intense, but some areas can be shaded with the help of plants floating on the surface: duckweed, riccia.

species aquarium - the best place for the maintenance and care of gourami. If there are too nimble neighbors, the fish will become even more shy, and most time will sit in shelters. But with flocking, care must be taken, as some types of gourami are capable of showing intraspecific aggression. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep two males, let him be better alone among the females, or purchase 3-4 pieces at once so that the attention of the most aggressive individual is scattered. Females have a more peaceful disposition and rarely arrange skirmishes.

Gourami can be kept with medium-sized and friendly fish: swordtails, platies, mollies, catfish corridors. You should not choose too nimble neighbors, for example, minors, barbs. They can bite the delicate thread-like fins of slow gourami. Over time, the fins will grow back, but ugly creases may appear on them.

Water parameters for keeping gourami fish

You do not need to purchase an air compressor to care for gourami, as they are able to obtain oxygen from the air. It is recommended to install an internal filter, because the fish prefer enough clean water, especially pearl gourami. Most labyrinth fish need warm enough water. For blue and honey gourami, the water temperature should be maintained at a level of +24 ° C to +27 ° C, for pearl gourami a little higher - + 25–28 ° C. Fish are able to withstand temperatures down to +21 ° C, but their immunity will noticeably weaken. In order not to worry about the health of the inhabitants, it is recommended to purchase a high-quality thermostat and set the temperature to the desired number.

Given that labyrinth fish breathe atmospheric air, the lid of the aquarium should be closed as tightly as possible. It is necessary that the air under the lid be as warm as the water. Otherwise, the fish may get sick. The fish are undemanding to water parameters, they quickly get used to both soft and fairly hard water. The exception is pearl gourami, for which the water hardness should be no more than 10 °, and the pH value should be in the range of 6.1–6.8.

Gourami care will require weekly water changes even with a filter. It is enough to replace 25-30% of the water with fresh water. When cleaning the aquarium, the walls should be cleaned of algae, using a special siphon, clean the soil, but only in those areas where there are no plants.

Gourami feeding

Keeping gourami and caring for them involves a full and varied feeding. This is the only way to achieve the greatest brightness of fish, especially males. In the wild, fish feed mainly on insects flying above the surface of the water. Experienced aquarists prefer to feed the fish with live food: daphnia, cyclops, coretra larvae, bloodworms. However, when using such food, there is always a risk of introducing infection into the aquarium. High-quality, balanced foods are now commercially available in the form of flakes, chips, or granules. You should not save on the health of your pets and buy dubious food from a domestic manufacturer, and especially dried crustaceans of daphnia or hamarus. Such food can only be used as top dressing, no more than 1 time in a week and a half.

Gourami can be called aquarium orderlies. They can eat hydras, planarians, as well as bred snails (coils, physes). The snail shell can be carefully distributed with your fingers and thrown into the water, the gourami will instantly react to the delicacy. But you don’t have to do this, the fish do a great job on their own, literally sucking invertebrates out of their shell.

As you can see, keeping gourami and caring for them is not so difficult. Under favorable conditions, the fish rarely get sick and live long enough even in small aquariums without a filter. All they need is regular water changes, peaceful neighbors, quality food and the care of an aquarist.

Video how to care for gourami

The name of the genus in Latin, to which the aquarium gourami belongs, sounds like Trichogaster, which means “having threads on its belly”. This is what aquarists used to call aquarium gourami thread bearers. Along the ventral part of the fish stretch long ventral fins, which are called rays. These rays, or fin filaments, help the fish navigate through muddy waters. In the aquarium, it is clearly visible how the fish feel its walls and decor items.

Description

Gourami are quite large. The length of the fish in the aquarium can be up to 15 cm. The body is flattened on the sides and elongated in length. The lower fin gradually widens from the pectoral to the beginning of the tail. The long upper fin of the male is pointed, while that of the female is rounded and short. The fins on the chest are like long threads that correspond to the size of the body. These mustache-fins have a tactile function.

The body color of the gourami is very different. It greatly depends on the place of residence and can be from greenish-brown to greenish-golden. Against the general background, there are often spots or vertical stripes that form mysterious patterns. Possible brindle color with light brown stripes. With good care in home aquarium fish can live 7 years.

Content Features

Gourami surprise with their unpretentiousness. They are deservedly called "fish for the lazy." Their content is within the power of even beginners.

aquarium requirements

There is no specific indication regarding the size of the gourami aquarium in the literature. These fish cannot be called large, therefore, a small container is suitable for them. Best Option for a flock of 3 individuals there will be an aquarium from 40 to 70 liters. It is good if it is straight and rectangular - gourami love to swim in the upper layers body of water and there must be a lot. In round-shaped aquariums, the area of ​​​​the upper layer of water decreases and this is not suitable for thread-bearers. IN without fail the aquarium must be equipped with a lid - the fish are very active and can jump out of the water. You need a cover made of a dense transparent material, but not glass (glass does not let air through). The aquarium is equipped with a compressor and filter, but they are not often used.

Water Requirements

Gourami will suit water of any composition. Naturally, pre-settled water is taken to fill the aquarium. The most comfortable temperature for these fish is considered to be from 24 to 27 degrees, but the thread-bearers calmly withstand its temporary sudden changes. Desirable neutral or slightly acidic reaction aquatic environment and its moderate hardness.

Ground and Vegetation Requirements

Dark-colored soil is placed at the bottom of the aquarium. You can use hand pebbles and small pebbles.

The aquarium is populated with algae so that in the thickness of the water space there is a free area for swimming fish. Three types of plants are planted: floating on the surface (duckweed, richia), growing at the bottom (January moss) and those that need to be strengthened in the ground (kabomba and cryptocoryne).

Lighting and decor

As a decor, a variety of snags are placed in the aquarium. Such items saturate with substances useful for fish.

You can feed these fish with any food. And this undemanding to food once again confirms their amazing unpretentiousness. For their nutrition, dry granular mixtures are suitable, small crustaceans live or frozen. Sometimes gourami even eat their own fry.

As a delicacy, they can be offered meat, fish or liver, oatmeal and pieces of cottage cheese. Outwardly calm gourami can even fight with each other because of a tidbit.

Gourami are voracious, like many types of aquarium inhabitants - they will eat as much as they are offered. The task of the owner is not to overfeed the pets in order to prevent diseases of the digestive system.

Many sources recommend feeding gourami twice a day. Using their omnivorousness, the menu can and should be diversified - this is how the body of the fish is saturated with various nutrients, which has a positive effect on their health and appearance.

One more important point- all food offered by gourami must be crushed or ground so that the fish can capture food particles in their mouths.

Fish of this species can live for two weeks without food at all, but such a hunger strike is risky.

The difference between a female and a male

Male and female gourami differ markedly from each other. Here are the main distinguishing features:

  • the male is always larger and slimmer than the female;
  • the male is colored brighter and more contrast;
  • its fins are longer;
  • the dorsal fin of the male is elongated, while that of the female is rounded.

Gourami breed easily. But, like any species of spawning, the process of their reproduction has its own characteristics. The fish reach sexual maturity at the age of 9 months. Before breeding, the intended producers (male and female) are seated in different aquariums and fed for at least 2 weeks with nutritious food (this can be a bloodworm or any other type of food). During this period, the color of the fish becomes brighter.

spawning requirements

The volume of the spawning tank is not so important. The main thing is to provide stagnant water in it with a gradual increase in temperature to 29 degrees. The spawning depth should not be more than 15 cm. In such a favorable environment, among the leaves of floating algae, the male arranges a nest.

breeding process

Interestingly, the female gourami can not always get into the aquarium for spawning. If she is ready to breed, her sides swell with caviar. If there are no such signs, the male will show aggression and attack her.

Spawning can last up to 4 hours. After spawning and fertilization of the clutch, the female is placed in community aquarium. In the future, the male takes care of the nest with future fry.

Two days later, larvae appear from the fertilized eggs, at first they resemble hooks with large eyes. After three days, they will become full-fledged fry and begin to swim out of the nest. At this point, the male is removed.

Gourami use ciliates and "live dust" as the first food for babies. After 5 days, the fry can be given small zooplankton and special dry food.

The most common gourami disease is lymphocytosis . The cause of this infectious disease is a filterable virus. In a sick fish, solid formations appear on the surface of the skin and fins - lymphocysts, and copepods settle on the gills.

It is impossible to completely cure lymphocytosis. Lymphocytes on the fins are removed by cauterization. If the skin is damaged, the fish must be destroyed. After removing the infected fish, they clean and disinfect the aquarium, completely change the algae, disinfect the soil and aquarium decor (kept in boiling water for half an hour).

In order to prevent lymphocytosis and other infectious diseases of aquarium inhabitants, quarantine is arranged for the purchased fish. For this “beginner” after purchase, they are kept for 7 days in a separate container (for example, a three-liter jar with aeration) and planted daily for 10-20 minutes in antiseptic solutions (methylene blue, bicillin-5 or oxytetracycline, rivanol).

Types of gourami

According to Wikipedia, there are 6 types of thread-bearing gourami that can be kept in an aquarium.

Trichogaster trichopterus ) - a large fish, in an aquarium it can grow up to 12 cm in length, under conditions wildlife grows up to 20 cm. Representatives of this species are shy, like all their relatives, they love to swim in the upper layers of the water, surrounded by lush vegetation. For fish of this species, clean, clear water and enough daylight. An aquarium for them is chosen longer and lower.

(Trichogaster microlepis) in nature, it reaches 18 cm in length, the size of aquarium representatives of this species is not more than 12 cm. The body is elongated in length and compressed from the sides. The dorsal fin is much shorter than that of other gouramis. The surface of the body is covered with small gleaming scales of a bluish-silver color.

As with other representatives of this genus, a long aquarium (approximately 50 cm) with dark soil and algae that floats in the water column is suitable for this species.

(Trichogaster spec) in aquarium conditions can grow up to 15 cm. Forms of various colors are known: from greenish-brown to golden green. On the main background, a pattern of spots and vertical stripes or variants of a brindle color is clearly visible. There are pure brown specimens.

It is undemanding in care, like its relatives.

Trichogaster leerii ) - a small fish about 9 cm long. The name of the species indicates the original color - the abdomen of males is colored red, the back is coffee. On the surface of the body there are spots that resemble grains of pearls.

The species is unpretentious and undemanding to the conditions of detention, like other representatives of the genus.

(lat. Trichogaster chuna, formerly Colisa chuna)- a medium sized fish. Its length is 5 cm for the male and 7 cm for the female. In representatives of this species, females are longer than males. Body color is yellowish-brown, becomes brighter during spawning, may become orange-red.

This species is as unpretentious as other gourami.

dwarf gourami(Trichopsis pumila) - This is the smallest gourami fish. Its greatest length is only 4 cm. The body of these babies is olive-colored with splashes of blue and green.

This type of fish has no special features in the care and maintenance.

A distinctive feature of gourami is a special supra-gill organ - a labyrinth, which arose as an adaptation of this kind of fish to exist in shallow depths and with a lack of oxygen. Gourami survive without water for up to 8 hours.

But the labyrinth organ in gourami babies functions only 2-3 weeks after the appearance of the larvae, so the fry in the aquarium need a compressor.

Not knowing about the ability of gourami to breathe oxygen from the air, attempts to deliver fish alive to European countries long time ended in failure. The fish died in containers filled to the brim with water.

Only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, in 1896, they noticed that gouramis periodically swim up to the surface of the water and swallow a portion of air with their mouths. Then, during transportation, the vessels with spotted gouras were filled with water by 2/3 and the fish were brought to their destination alive.

For beginner aquarists, it is advisable to select types of fish that are unpretentious in their care. This will allow you to learn how to properly care for the fish at first. If the result is positive, then it's time to start other species that require some experience and knowledge in care.

Among the most common species is the gourami fish. She is easy to care for, and her friendly nature will always cheer up all the inhabitants of the house.

Description of Gourami and her photo

The list of the most common aquarium fish means gourami. It has long gained popularity with its unpretentious content, pleasant appearance and friendly character. Experienced aquarists also call it a fish for the lazy.

The photo clearly shows that Gourami is distinguished by pectoral fins in the form of a long mustache. In my own way appearance they look like tiny hands. They are organs of touch for the fish. Because of this, the fish are also called thread-bearing gourami.

Gourami belong to the genus of tropical freshwater from the macropod fish family. IN natural environment they live mainly in Southeast Asia. There they feel great in stagnant water with slow flow. Depending on the habitat, Gourami differs in shape and color.

Gourami fish did not immediately get to the European mainland. Spotted Gourami were the first to be brought to Europe. Since then, modern breeders have managed to breed many species with different colors.

As you can see in the photo, these beautiful and unusual fish have an elongated oval body. aquarium species most often with a body up to 4.5–10 cm long. There are specimens that grow up to 15 and even up to 35 cm. The latter are considered real champions.

The body of the fish is flattened on the sides with pectoral filiform fins. Almost to the tail there is a solid lower fin. According to him Can you tell a female from a male. In males, the back and anal fin are sharp and elongated, while in females these fins are rounded and short. On the body of a gourami, there are always spots and stripes, and the natural color is traditionally light silver. You can find different colors of Gourami, but the brighter its color, the better its state of health.

It is believed that in captivity this aquarium fish can live 5-7 years, but sometimes this species lives up to 12 years. Much in life expectancy will depend on the conditions of detention.

In the process of evolution, Gurami developed a labyrinth. He is accessory to gills respiratory organ . The labyrinth is located in the cavity above the gills and consists of the thinnest bone plates. The plates are covered with a mucous membrane and are all permeated with a network of vessels. This organ begins to develop only after 2–3 weeks from the moment the fry appears from the egg.

Types of gourami

There are many types of these beautiful and mobile aquarium fish. The most famous among aquarists are the following species:

Most close-up view is a brown (serpentine) gourami, since the fish can grow up to 20 cm in length. It resembles a spotted one in its color, but only with a sharper snout. The body as a whole has a silver color, but along it there is an intermittent strip of dark spots. Dark lines run across the body. Young serpentine Gourami are distinguished by a uniform color.

Gourami breeding

At the age of 9–12 months, the fish reach sexual maturity. Gourami breeding process very unusual and in many species it occurs in different ways. Males at this time are distinguished by a brighter color, so they can be seen in all their glory.

Needed for spawning prepare a special container with a volume of 20-30 liters with soft and clean water. Place floating plants in it. In order for the spawning place to be more comfortable and speed up the breeding process, the water in it should be about 5 o C higher. It should definitely contain more live food.

The spawning process occurs in stages:

  • first, the male builds a nest from pieces of algae and his foam;
  • he constantly flaunts in front of the female and, after building a nest, begins to invite her to spawn, pushing her with his nose;
  • when the female is ready to spawn, she swims up to the nest and sweeps up to 2,000 eggs over it;
  • the task of the male is to pick up the fallen eggs and attach them to a permanent place.




The male continues to take care of the eggs and the nest. After a couple of days, fry appear and when they reach the age of 10 days, adults should be resettled in another container. They can damage the fry or eat them. After 2-3 weeks, adult gouramis are ready to breed again.