▷ Dwarf Gourami | Trichogaster lalius | All information, keeping and breeding

Data sheet dwarf gouramis

German name:
dwarf gouramis

Scientific name:
Trichogaster lalius

Origin:
South Asia

Size:
Body length 5cm – 6cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length at least 80 cm width

Contents:
from 100 liters

water values

Temperature:
24°-28° C

pH:
6 – 7.5

GH:
below 15° dH

Behave

Area:
upper area

Lining:
omnivores, flake/granulate food, frozen/live food (mosquito larvae, small insects), fresh vegetables (algae, blanched spinach, lettuce); feed as varied as possible

Behave:
Males aggressive towards each other, territorial

Number:
1 male and 3 females recommended in 240 liter aquarium

Difficulty level:
medium

Keeping dwarf gouramis (Trichogaster lalius)

© ksch966 – Fotolia

Dwarf gouramis have a high intraspecific potential for aggression and should therefore be kept in groups like all Colisa species.

Males are aggressive towards each other. It is therefore problematic to keep several males together in one aquarium.

Females, on the other hand, are strongly driven by the male, especially at spawning time. But even outside of the spawning season, a male constantly pursues the female. Females can even be hunted to death.

On the Internet there are numerous inquiries from concerned aquarists as to how the female dwarf gouramis can be protected from the constant pursuit of the males.

It is perfectly normal for gourami males to prey on females who are not ready to spawn. They usually drive the females out of their territory without injury. However, most aquariums are too small for this. A male normally considers the whole aquarium as his territory.

It is often argued that chasing the females to death only occurs in aquariums that are not sufficiently densely planted. It is then usually recommended to set up the aquarium in a labyrinth-like manner, ie to plant densely and provide plenty of hiding places.

It should be possible, e.g. B. in tanks with 54 liters without problems to keep a pair or a trio with 1 male and 2 females.

Dwarf Gourami Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Marta Kwiatkowska

It often remains unclear that small tanks in particular have to become overgrown with fine-leaved plants. The only remedy is a real privacy screen. The plants must grow to the surface so that the male cannot see when the female comes to the surface. Floating plants should be present.

However, it is not enough to just plant the aquarium close to the surface. There must also be vertical structures up to the top of the pool. Caves at the bottom aren’t of much use because gourami are surface oriented.

Structured roots are well suited to which suction cups are attached with stainless steel screws. These are attached close to the surface. Plastic tubes criss-crossed with silicone and also fitted with suction cups are suitable, but not so pretty. But the hiding places really have to be placed in the upper half of the aquarium.

The same procedure is also well suited for dwarf cichlids, whose breeding cavities are to be protected from snails and catfish.

Neon blue Colisa lalia Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Fred Hsu

The female must be able to flee quickly into the thicket or hiding places and be practically invisible to the male. Only then is there any possibility that a hunted female can hide from the male until she has recovered.

The advice to socialize a male with several females is also only suitable to a limited extent. Theoretically, there is the possibility that the aggression of the male is distributed among several females. However, the weakest female is often hunted together by the other dwarf gouramis.
If a second female is used to distribute aggression, the aquarium must still be densely overgrown. But even in a 130l tank, 2 females can also argue with each other in such a way that the weaker female finally dies as a result.

Even in 160 liter aquariums, the problems mentioned often occur. At the latest when building the nest, the male scares away all existing females through the entire 160l aquarium. Even when there is dense vegetation and the females are hiding, they will be tracked down and hunted. At the latest when the females come to the surface, the male is there.

The combination of 1 male and 3 females in an aquarium with a volume of 240 liters has proven itself. In fact, in such a large aquarium, there can be several hiding spots and densely planted corners where a hunted female can rest before being tracked down again.

If dwarf gouramis are kept in smaller aquariums, an alternative tank should definitely be available. Then the animals can be separated if the aggression endangers their health.

Can you keep 2 pairs in one aquarium?

Colisa lalia Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: André Karwath

If the aquarium is large enough, two pairs can possibly be kept in one aquarium. It looks very nice when two males impress. However, heated arguments can arise. If both pairs spawn at the same time, deadly male fights can ensue. Even a very large tank should be planted so densely that the males rarely see each other.

One advantage is that the males reduce some of their aggression towards one another and the females are therefore less stressed. The two males share the aquarium depending on their strength.

While the males defend the territorial boundaries against each other, they do not have time to constantly chase after the females. Normally the whole aquarium is the male’s territory and the female cannot escape. Nobody puts limits on the male. The male constantly chases after the female. The female can’t hide at all.

With another territory owner, the male comes to the limits and first of all with the other male in the enclosure. The female gets a breather and can look for a hiding place.

Neon blue Colisa lalia Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Fred Hsu

However, the males must be used at the same time. If a new male is placed in an aquarium with an existing male, the new male comes into a foreign territory and has almost no chance.

If possible, the existing male can be placed in another tank for a day. The aquarium is then redecorated. It is often enough to implement a distinctive stone or a distinctive plant. Any decorative item that can serve as a territorial demarcation for the males is suitable. The new male and females are deployed first. Then the old male is added.

Both males have to redefine their territory boundaries. Of course, only males of about the same size or strength may be used.

The aquarium can also be divided up for about a week. For example, with a grid or a plexiglass pane in which holes are drilled so that the water can continue to circulate. The fish must be able to see each other. This gives the new male security.

With all fish that form territories, it is difficult to introduce new animals. Sometimes patience helps, sometimes nothing helps. Even if spatial separation does not help, the animals have to fight out their hierarchy. But that can lead to death.

Why do dwarf gouramis have threads?

Dwarf gouramis use the threads, among other things, to search for food.

Spawning dwarf gourami are not necessarily comfortable.

olisa lalia female Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Marta Kwiatkowska

In nature, gourami live in quiet ponds and green, herbaceous plant zones of running waters. Offspring are conceived and raised when adverse environmental conditions prevail. During the dry season, the water temperature increases, water evaporates and the water bodies become increasingly salty.

It is precisely at this time that the males begin to build their foam nests from delicately feathered plants and foam bubbles. This ensures that the young hatch when the maximum amount of food for the young, namely plankton, is available.

Algae blooms are caused by the salinity of the environment. Rotifers then hatch from permanent cysts. The rotifers are food for the newly hatched dwarf gouramis.

When dwarf gouramis build a nest in the aquarium, this is not necessarily a sign that the animals feel particularly comfortable and that the living conditions are good. It is even possible that the opposite is true and the nest is being built due to deteriorating conditions.

Coloration and color variants of dwarf gouramis

There are many color variants of the dwarf gourami. In all variants, the females are always much paler in color than the males. In females, the pattern of the respective color shimmers only slightly through the greyish basic color. The males are clearly colored. Young males are also strongly colored and look like small copies of their fathers.

Clearly colored females are exceptions. In the color neon blue, the females are almost as blue as the males. The males of this color are also pure blue, so they don’t have any red stripes.

Color variants of the dwarf gouramis:

Breeding of dwarf gouramis (Trichogaster lalius)

Colisa lalia Red variant with blue breast coloring during the breeding season Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: Public domain Author: Quatermass

When dwarf gouramis are ready to spawn.

In some males, the willingness to spawn can be recognized by a bruise under the gills or by a blue breast.

The larger and more intense the spot, the more ready the male is to spawn.

At higher temperatures from about 27 degrees, the males become more active.

In females, the longitudinal stripes are somewhat more prominent.

A thick belly in the middle of the female’s body indicates spawning approach.

If the abdomen is more swollen in the lower half of the body, the female is probably full.

Breeding of dwarf gouramis

Colisa lalia male Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: OpenCage

Pairs that are not ready to spawn often swim around in close proximity without making direct contact. When the male is ready to spawn…