Any aquarist, when buying new fish, tries to purchase animals of different sexes so that he can breed them. Sometimes males and females are so similar that only experienced specialists are able to discern the distinctive features that fish of different sexes have.
Male gourami regardless of the type there is always enough impressive size. But it must be said that this sign should be paid attention to when the fish approaches the age of puberty, since before this period the male lags behind the fish of the opposite sex in growth. In addition, the male gourami has a bright color, which intensifies even more immediately before spawning. Thus, most aquarists note the appearance of very bright, saturated colors in the anal fin area, which can become bright orange or scarlet, and also take on a darkened shade. As for the fins, they also have big sizes and always a pointed shape.
Female gourami during the period of active growth, it is characterized by a rapid gain of body weight, which, however, during puberty is always less than that of males. As for the color, it is somewhat paler than that of the male representatives. And even during the spawning period, the color of the female, although it changes, but not much. Also, aquarists distinguish female gouramis by the shape of their fins, which are rounded and fairly small in size in relation to the length of the body.
On the left is a male gourami. On the right is a female
The first thing you should pay attention to is their external differences. Male gouramis are slightly larger than females, but this trait should only be used when the fish reach the age of puberty. This is due to the fact that when the fish are still fry, females grow faster than representatives of the opposite sex. Then you should look at the color of the animals, since males always look much brighter than their companions, and this does not depend on the period in which they are compared - immediately before spawning or long before it. And one more important distinctive feature The point is that in male gourami the fin is always longer, reaching almost to the tail, and pointed, while in the female gourami it has a rounded shape and is not so long.
Conclusions website
- The male's body during puberty is always larger than the female's;
- The color of a male gourami is always brighter and more intense than that of a female, and before spawning his abdomen becomes bright orange or deep red, but can also be dark, and spots throughout the body become more pronounced;
- The fin of a female gourami is small and round in shape, while in a male it often reaches the tail and is always pointed at the end.
If you dream of having your aquarium populated with low-maintenance, friendly and... beautiful fish, then thread-bearing gourami will certainly suit you. And in order for them to reproduce, it is necessary to acquire individuals of both sexes. How to distinguish a female gourami from a male?
Gourami gender: determined by external signs
String gouramis belong to the genus of labyrinth fish, and four main species are bred in aquariums:
- spotted;
- blue;
- marble.
Moreover, in any species, the difference between a female and a male is noticeable to the naked eye.
Firstly, size. In nature, threadworms grow up to 15 cm, but domesticated species rarely grow more than 10 cm in length. The female is smaller than the male and not as slender as him. Girls are more “knocked down” and strong.
The male gourami is larger and has a brighter color.
Secondly, color. The male and female of the same species have a significant difference in this parameter. And here again the male wins: he is brighter and more elegant. This becomes especially obvious before spawning, when pigmentation intensifies. For example, in spotted fishtails the spots on the dorsal fin become brighter, and in pearlfish, the chest and front part of the abdomen become covered with a reddish-orange “blush”.
Thirdly, the dorsal fin. To understand whether the fish in front of you is a boy or a girl, carefully examine this part of the fish’s body. A long and large fin indicates a male, and a shorter and rounded fin indicates a female. It is the shape and size of the dorsal fin that is the most reliable sexual characteristic.
The anal fin is also different in fish: shorter and rounder in a girl, longer and more pointed in a boy.
Gourami's behavior also reveals their gender
Did you know that you can determine the gender of a gourami simply by observing how these fish behave in an aquarium?
Male threadtails are territorial fish, they protect the borders of their possessions and can forget about their friendliness if a potential rival invades. That's why, if your aquarium cannot boast of spaciousness, then you cannot place more than one male in it. But for a large aquarium this rule is irrelevant: the males will divide the territory among themselves and will be able to coexist very peacefully.
Have you noticed that gouramis chase each other? Now take a closer look at who is “running away” and who is “catching up.” This usually happens before spawning: the male chases the female gourami, but this is a kind of courtship dance. In this case, no aggression should be observed. Confirmation of mating games is the color of the male, which becomes more intense and brighter. At the same time, from time to time the “suitor” will swim to the surface of the water and release a stream of bubbles. This sure sign, that it’s time for the couple to leave for spawning.
Gourami mating dance.
However, the male may not be so gallant if the female has already shed her eggs. He can drive away the female not only during the construction of the nest, but even if the eggs were eaten by other fish (this very often happens if the female is not placed in a separate aquarium for spawning) - this is how natural instinct works.
True, males can also chase each other, as a rule, without dividing the territory or the “lady of the heart.” In this case, it is the filamentous pelvic fins that are often affected in filament bearers. However, these fins regenerate quickly.
Why is it important to be able to distinguish the sexes of gourami?
- Placing two male gourami in a small aquarium means dooming them to involuntary competition. That's why perfect option- a pair of fish of different sexes.
- Without knowing how to distinguish a female from a male, you may miss spawning time. Or you can accidentally plant a couple of males for spawning and wait for offspring without success. And all because many people mistake a well-fed fat male for a female with eggs.
- By choosing the right gourami, you will ensure their reproduction, and these fish, believe me, are worth spending your time caring for them and their offspring. Gourami - graceful and peaceful inhabitants of the aquarium will diversify the life of a small underwater world and will cheer you up every day.
Many aquarists prefer gourami. This is a fairly popular fish that is not very picky about its conditions. not viviparous, i.e. they lay eggs and do not immediately give birth to offspring. But male gourami take care of the fry.
As you can see, there are interesting features during reproduction, so we will consider them in more detail.
To select fish for breeding, it is important to be able to distinguish the different sexes from each other.
You can determine gender by appearance:
- Boys are different in that they are larger and more active. Females are slightly smaller, their body is dense, and the tummy of mature individuals becomes rounded.
- The female is also distinguished from the male by the type of dorsal fin. She has a rounded shape, while in males it is pointed.
- There are also differences in color: males are bright, females are duller. Before spawning, pigmentation intensifies, and males become even more recognizable - this helps determine the sex of gourami with high accuracy.
Reproduction
Reproduction of gourami at home occurs in a rather unusual way: the future father takes on the main role.
If you decide to breed fish of this species in your aquarium, then get one male and several females.
Their cultivation requires the presence of algae on the surface of the water. During gourami spawning, the male makes a nest there from eggs, so plants help him a lot with this.
You can also breed fish not in community aquarium, and with the help of a spawning tank (a separate container), where future parents are placed. To speed up the process, the water temperature should be slightly increased - about 25–28 degrees.
If you decide to choose a community aquarium for breeding, its size should be large enough so that the fish can share the space. Be careful: male gourami always defend their territory, entering into confrontation with rivals of the same or similar species.
Gouramis have the ability to breathe oxygen, for which they sometimes swim to the surface of the aquarium. That is why for their maintenance it is important that the difference between the temperatures of water and air is small.
When the fish are ripe for reproduction, a foam nest appears in the algae, which the male builds for the female. Until it is ready, it is better to keep the partner separately, otherwise the future father may behave aggressively towards her.
After building the nest, the female is placed in the aquarium. It is important that she is ready for spawning - her abdomen should be thick with eggs.
The future father invites his partner to the nest, where she lays eggs, which he immediately fertilizes. At the same time, he carefully lifts the eggs that have fallen to the bottom to the surface, returning them to the nest.
When the female finishes spawning, she should be placed in another aquarium. Incubation period lasts up to two days (the time depends on the water temperature), during which the male jealously guards the nest, preventing it from collapsing and the eggs from sinking. Then the young begin to appear, the nest is destroyed. After this, the father needs to be put away.
What to feed the fry
The fry do not need food for another 3–4 days, feeding on the contents of the yolk sac. They will then require external feeding. Meals can be provided 5–6 times a day, and portions should be small.
Food for gourami fry can be as follows:
- Rotifer.
- Ciliates.
- Liquid food for fry.
- Hard-boiled egg yolk, pureed through cheesecloth.
After just a few weeks, the fish can be transplanted into a common aquarium, while adding protein-rich food to their diet - it will help the scales develop correctly and add brightness to the color.
Conclusion
So, to help your gourami reproduce, you need to:
- In the spawning tank or in the general aquarium, set the water temperature to 25–28 degrees.
- Provide enough algae near the surface to create a nest.
- Add a female with plump barrels that is ripe for spawning.
- After spawning, remove the female and let the male take care of the nest.
- Then remove the father and organize the correct diet for the emerging fry.
The marbled gourami, or spotted gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) is a color form of the blue gourami, the body color of the fish is bluish-blue with dark spots. Reminiscent in body size and shape of its relatives, gourami, maintenance and breeding are simple in a home aquarium. These aquarium fish- long-lived among small species, their reproduction is also easy. Can be purchased by beginners in the aquarium hobby as well as by experienced breeders. Body size up to 15 cm. For a pair of adult fish, a tank with a volume of 80 liters or more is suitable, for young fish - 50 liters.
The nature of the fish is relatively peaceful and calm, however, some males can demonstrate territorial behavior and aggression. Therefore, many shelters should be built for all the inhabitants of the nursery. The marbled gourami is an artificially bred form, but its ancestor, the blue gourami, is endemic to Asia and lives in the slow-moving freshwater waters of Indonesia, Thailand, and Sumatra. Found in rice fields, canals, and streams.
Prefers places with dense vegetation and an abundance of insects. During the rainy season and floods, blue gouramis swim to flood areas, and during the dry season they return to the rivers. Diet: bioplankton and insects falling to the surface of the water. Marbled gourami is the result of selective breeding blue type American breeder with the surname Cosby. Initially, the name of the fish was associated with the name of the scientist, but later they began to call it differently to make it easier to distinguish the color.
Quickly navigate to the article
External characteristics
Aquarium fish marble gourami have an elongated body, flattened on the sides, on which rounded and large fins are located. The pelvic fins have taken on the appearance of thin tendrils-strings, which make it possible to assess the habitat. They have sensitive receptors that sense the smallest vibrations in the water and the approach of other fish. As a representative of the Labyrinth fish family, the marbled gourami can breathe atmospheric oxygen due to a special labyrinth organ, thanks to which it can survive in water where there is little oxygen.
The body color is bright and variegated; during spawning, the male is much more contrasting. The male's scales are dark blue with dark spots scattered randomly, resembling a marble pattern. The fish is large in size, so it is advisable to keep it in a spacious aquarium. In captivity, she lives 4-6 years, provided that she is provided with systematic and proper care. It is easy to distinguish a male and a female: its dorsal fin is long and pointed at the end; the female can be distinguished by a rounded dorsal fin and a smaller body size, a rounded abdomen.
Watch the marbled gourami.
Conditions of detention
Keeping and caring for the fish will not cause any trouble even for a beginner in aquarium keeping. Marbled gourami does not require special nutritional conditions; it can adapt to an ordinary tank, where everything is created comfortable conditions accommodation. They can be placed in spacious aquariums where there are shelters and plants. This is necessary so that the gouramis do not enter into conflicts with each other, and are able to hide from the claims of other fish species.
It is recommended to keep young fish in a 50-liter tank, adult fish in an 80-100 liter tank. Gourami can be placed in pairs, or several fish at once. It should also be remembered that this species needs atmospheric oxygen, so you need to leave a small gap between the lid and the water for air to enter. There should be no difference in water and air temperatures.
Gouramis do not prefer strong currents, so the filter should create a minimum flow. Aeration is acceptable, but not required. Recommended Settings aquatic environment: temperature 22-28 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.0-8.5 pH, hardness from 5 to 30 dGH. The aquarium should have floating plants, driftwood, and caves.
Feeding
Blue gourami fish are omnivores in nature; they eat insects, larvae, and bioplankton. Therefore, their descendants, marbled gouramis, can eat all types of food: live, frozen, dry in the form of flakes or granules. Can be added occasionally artificial food. Suitable live food: tubifex, bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, coretra, earthworms. This type of gourami specifically obtains food on its own - if it sees an insect flying over the water, it knocks it down with a stream of water and captures the prey under water.
Watch how a marbled gourami eats a cucumber.
Compatibility
Marbled gourami gets along with peaceful and small fish, which will not make territorial claims or pluck fins. Male fish have unpredictable behavior - they can show aggression towards males of their own species. It is advisable to stock a couple of fish, or to stock 2 females for one male. Loricaria and characins are suitable as neighbors. It is not recommended to live with Sumatran barbs, tiger barbs and clown barbs, as well as with other gourami, since it is common for male fish to establish a hierarchy in a strict order.
Breeding rules
Reproduction and breeding marble gourami simple, like many labyrinth fish. The male builds a nest using foam and saliva. The fry develop in it. Reproduction is possible in a spawning tank with a volume of 80 liters, with plants and a wide surface area of the water surface. The water level must be lowered to 13-15 cm, the temperature increased to 27 degrees. Reproduction is also stimulated by feeding live food twice a day. You can distinguish a female ready for spawning by her rounded abdomen. Shelters for the female are necessary because before spawning the male manages to intimidate her.
When the nest is ready, the male shows the female his colors by spreading his fins and inviting her to the nest. There the male helps lay eggs, pressing against her abdomen. Fertilized eggs are light and float to the surface of the water. During reproduction, the female produces a lot of eggs, 700-800 pieces. When breeding has taken place, the female is immediately removed in order to free herself from the male’s claims. He continues to care for the brood.
The fry will hatch in a few days depending on the water temperature, when they swim (about 3 days), the male should be removed. The fry of the fish are fed with ciliates and microworms, and later Artemia nauplii are added to the diet.
Instructions
One and one hundred percent the right way There is no sex determination for fish. It all depends on the specific breed and age. If you are a beginner aquarist, purchase a reference book with an accurate indication of the breeds and their sexual characteristics. Do not buy fish that are too young - the sex of some fry is difficult to determine even for specialists.
Most often, the secret of gender is revealed by the anal fin located in the lower part of the abdomen. In some breeds, for example, or, the sex is very easily recognized by the shape of the anal fin. In females it has a rounded or soft triangular shape, in males it is pointed or tube-like. With age, the “fins” become more noticeable.
Estimate the size of the fish. Adult females of barbs, guppies, and catfish are larger, while males are significantly smaller. Sexual differences are most clearly visible in viviparous fish - females look much more voluminous, especially in the abdominal area. Males have a more streamlined shape and a narrow body.
Pay attention to the intensity of the color. In many breeds, males are brighter in color. For example, adult male guppies are easily identified by their brightly colored tail and dorsal fins. Pearl gourami during puberty it differs from females in having a bright orange abdomen. However, much depends on color variations within the breed. For example, or can have different shades regardless of gender and a pale colored male can easily be confused with a female.
It is easiest to identify adult fish that have already passed through. Then even the most difficult to identify breeds show external sexual differences. For example, male angelfish acquire a characteristic pronounced profile with a steep forehead. Males acquire white tubercles on their gills, and their pectorals are covered with small serrations.
If you are interested in breeding fish, choose individuals with the most pronounced sexual characteristics. They are more active during the spawning period and produce more viable offspring.
Goldfish are a subspecies of silver crucian carp. Despite the name, these fish may differ in color. Red, white, and black individuals are often found in nature. In addition, goldfish are able to change color throughout their lives. Basically, the change occurs in the first year of life, but in some cases, fish can change the shade of their scales even after puberty. On average, goldfish are ready to spawn by 7-8 months, but it is better if they begin to reproduce after they are 2-4 years old. During this period, they reach maximum brightness of the color of their scales and fins. Until this time, understand exactly what gender you are. gold fish, extremely problematic.
You will need
- In order to understand what gender your pet is, you need to take a close look at it during the spawning period. If two fish of different sexes live in an aquarium, then you can immediately determine which of them is male and which is female.
Instructions
Video on the topic
note
If you want to breed goldfish, then do not forget that they need quite a lot of space for normal coexistence. Therefore, before you buy a partner for your pet, take care of expanding its living space.
Helpful advice
If a goldfish lives alone, it will be quite difficult to determine its gender. True, sometimes males ready for spawning may develop sexual characteristics regardless of whether there is a partner nearby. In this case, many novice breeders get scared and think that the fish is sick with something.
Americans call the angelfish the angelfish for its thin silver fins that flutter like divine wings. The body of this beautiful fish has the shape of a flat triangle and an unusual color with possible bright stripes. By nature, the angelfish is very cautious and does not like noise. That is why it lives in calm tropical waters, where it quickly hides from its enemies among thick algae and reed thickets. This elusive exotic fish aquarists in Europe and Russia have been breeding at home since the beginning of the 20th century, but some of them still do not know how to determine sex angelfish.
Instructions
There is another more accurate method for determining gender angelfish. It will also require a close inspection of your fish. The essence of sex determination is that the frontal part of males is wider and more convex, and has the shape of a steep tubercle. In the female, on the contrary, it has a concave shape. In general, males are always larger than females.
One more hallmark male is the presence of a long dorsal fin. The female can be recognized by the presence of a convex abdomen and a small tubercle, which is located next to the genital opening.
note
Angelfish are schooling fish and do not tolerate loneliness very well. There is an opinion that, once meeting, a male and a female remain faithful to each other for the rest of their lives.
Helpful advice
If you plan to breed angelfish in home aquarium, then it is advisable to immediately purchase a school of fish of about 20 pieces.
Make sure your fish grow in a comfortable and clean environment. The aquarium must be large and have a filter installed. Add as much aquatic vegetation to your artificial pond as possible. Feed your angelfish with selected food High Quality.
Sources:
- Angels... in an aquarium.
Age people are determined by the number of years they have lived or by a mark in their passport and birth certificate. It is documented, as is the age of the pets. Age trees is determined by the number of rings on the cut trunk. How many rings, so many years. How to determine age fish?!
Instructions
This method is similar to determining the age of a tree. Just cut fish no, you have to catch her. Take the caught one fish y and pull out several (10-15) scales from it under the base of the first dorsal fin above the lateral line. Try to keep the scales correct form, without defects.
Examine the scales with a magnifying glass, loupe or microscope. They, like a cut tree, have rings. The number of rings is believed to indicate age fish s.
U fish with small scales, age is determined by gill covers, ear bones, vertebrae, ray cuts pectoral fins. Before examination, bone material is dried, degreased, clarified, and sometimes boiled. The annual rings are also clearly visible on it.
It must be borne in mind that this method can only give an approximate determination of age fish s. Because in addition to the annual rings there is also a fry ring and additional rings that appear on the scales depending on changing conditions fish s. It will take time and observation to learn how to tell your age. fish.
Video on the topic
Goldfish are a decoration for any aquarium. Some people think that caring for them is very simple, but in fact there are several nuances that require special study. One of these issues is reproduction. How to find out floor this type aquarium fish?
Instructions
Goldfish reach floor reaches maturity only at two years of age. Before this time, do not try to identify them floor, this is practically impossible. However, there were cases when, with ideal housing and a diet rich in proteins, males matured to floor morning years. These fish do not develop well in small rooms, so the volume of the aquarium should be at least one hundred liters.
Observe during the ripening period. At this time, the females’ bodies take on a rounded shape, and the males remain lean. It is at this time that you can notice the first ones in the building gold fish miscellaneous floor A.
Using a magnifying glass, examine the front pairs. In mature males, you can see characteristic notches on them, reminiscent of a saw with small teeth. By this feature one can distinguish floor the fish are not even in mating season, but only for floor density of mature individuals.
At first floor mature ones enter the period of courtship and mating games. Males begin to differ very much from females in behavior. They are very active, chasing females throughout the aquarium, vigorously and passionately courting. After watching the mating game, you can easily distinguish floor their pets.
Also, if you carefully examine the fish’s head through a magnifying glass, you will notice another main sign of a male. White tubercles appear on the head and gill covers during the spawning period. The main thing is not to confuse them with signs of illness. gold fish, in which a partly similar to semolina. Spawning signs appear only during the breeding season.
After spawning, be sure to plant fish into a previously prepared reserve reservoir. This is done to prevent their offspring from being eaten. The sedimentation tank, just like the main reservoir, must be equipped with a filter and a supply clean air.
Video on the topic
Guppy- small aquarium fish. They are very popular among aquarists because of their bright colors and unpretentious conditions. Define floor Guppy is not at all difficult.
You will need
- -live aquarium fish;
- - attention and logic.
Instructions
Guppies are viviparous, unpretentious and very. Sorting can begin as early as two weeks. This is best done after feeding. At two weeks of age, female guppies become noticeably dark on the abdomen near the anal fin. True, not all individuals exhibit it at the same time, so sorting is carried out repeatedly. In light-colored breeds, the spot is light, not dark, it does not have a silvery tint. In males it is absent; the abdomen has a uniform silvery tint.
Loading...
