Data sheet mosaic gouramis
German name:
Mosaic Gourami
Scientific name:
Trichogaster leeri
Origin:
South East Asia
Size:
Body length about 12 cm
Aquarium
Length:
Length at least 60 cm width for smaller specimens, at least 120 cm width for larger ones
Contents:
from approx. 200 liters
water values
Temperature:
25°-28° C
pH:
6 – 8
GH:
0° – 6° dH
Behave
Area:
upper area
Lining:
prefer live food (e.g. mosquito larvae, water fleas), frozen and dry food as well as vegetable food also possible
Behave:
need a lot of rest and dense planting
Number:
approx. 5 – 6 younger in a sufficiently large aquarium
Difficulty level:
Beginner
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Trichgaster leerii male Source: picture on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.0 Author: Stefan Maurer
mosaic gourami, Trichogaster leeri, grow to about 12 centimeters. Sexually mature animals are easily territorial. But they are not particularly aggressive.
The water should be warm, soft and slightly acidic.
If a sufficiently large aquarium is available, a group of around 5-6 younger animals should be purchased. When buying, you have to pay attention to the good growth of the animals.
One male and two females can be kept in an aquarium with 112 liters of water. In such a tank they should be kept alone or at most with a few, calm companion fish.
Trichogaster leeri male Source: picture on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Alexander Siering
The more companion fish are kept and the more restless it is in the aquarium, the more difficult it becomes to keep the animals in a species-appropriate manner. The space required for a good posture then increases significantly. Sumatran barbs and similarly lively animals cause too much trouble for gouramis.
Mosaic gourami need a lot of rest and very dense planting in the tank. They thrive best when there are sufficiently dense and thick cushions of floating plants in the tank. They stand under the floating plants for hours looking for food.
In a weedy 112 liter species tank with lots of Riccia on the water surface and roots to swim through and hide, Gourami are much more curious and uninhibited than in the company of other fish.
The water surface must be covered with a thick carpet of weed. The entire aquarium must be overgrown with plants so that the fish cannot see each other.
The lively behavior in dealer tanks has nothing to do with the calm behavior of the adult animals. Gourami do not like surface movements of the water at all. If there are many floating plants in the aquarium, the water on the surface is only slightly agitated. It can therefore come to a scum skin. A scum skin can be beneficial for the animals.
Only with such a calm setup do Gourami unfold their full behavior and the males show their colorful splendor.
Mosaic Gourami hunt each other.
Trichogaster leeri Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: SuperJew
Like other gouramis, gourami hunt each other. Adult male gourami will not tolerate females in their territory unless the male wants to start a family.
Often one animal is then ready to spawn and the other animal is not. If there are not enough alternatives in the aquarium, this often ends in the death of the hunted animal. There must therefore be plenty of hiding places in the aquarium. There should be plenty of thickets of plants and floating plants. The lighting should be relatively dim.
Sometimes it helps if 2 to 3 females are kept for one male. Under certain circumstances, however, the weakest animal is also suppressed by the other animals.
Other fish can also be herded around. Especially when feeding other fish are chased away.
gender differences
© Vladimi Wrangel -Fotolia
Males have a pointed dorsal fin. Females have a rounded dorsal fin. It is difficult to tell the sex of young animals. Only when the animals are as big as a child’s hand do the different dorsal fins and colors become apparent.
In larger animals, the distinction is easy. Males are magnificent fish with a long, sweeping dorsal fin, an orange-red belly including the fin. The threads can also be red. The anal fin is extended in small threads.
Breeding of Mosaic Gourami
After spawning, the young hatch after a day or two. The young are so small that they can hardly be seen with the naked eye.
If there are no brood eaters in the tank, only very small amounts of food need to be given. Crushed dry food is suitable for this or infusoria. Artemia nauplii can only be fed after two weeks.
Suitable rearing food:
- Liquifry No. 1
- Sera Micron
- Protalon granules for breeding forage crops
If there are predators in the tank, the foam nest should be moved with the help of a saucer.
FAQs – Frequently asked questions about the Mosaic Gourami
What is a mosaic gourami?
The Mosaic Gourami belongs to the order of the perch-like climbing fish. These beautiful fish can be kept very well in the aquarium. The animals owe their name to their brown-edged and silvery shimmering scales. The pattern is very similar to a pearly shiny mosaic.
Mosaic gouramis can be kept in pairs in community tanks. Peaceful species that prefer to stay in the lower layers of the water are ideal as neighboring fish. For this reason, angelfish, cichlids or Sumatran barbs are not suitable. They like to nibble on the threadlike fins of the gouramis, which is particularly painful for this calm fish.
What does the mosaic gourami look like?
The mosaic gourami have shiny silver scaleswhich are bordered blue-green to brownish.
This creates the well-known mother-of-pearl pattern, which gives the fish its name. A black and narrow longitudinal stripe is also pronounced. This starts at the mouth area, runs over the eye to the fin on the tail. The mosaic gourami is bred in many colors.
Where does the mosaic pattern come from?
The small white spots that run through the body like a mosaic pattern are very noticeable on these colorful fish. Even the fins are decorated with such a pattern. In this way, the body generally appears larger.
The caudal fin lacks that white color and looks like a web. A longitudinal black band begins at the front of the pointed mouth of the fish, which is more strongly interrupted towards the end of the tail due to the light pattern on the body and ends in a dull spot in front of the fin on the tail. In the males, the pectoral fins are formed into long, paired threads, which also give the fish this name.
How does the mosaic gourami reproduce?
Not only the color of the mosaic gourami should make them look bigger than they are. The frayed-looking anal fin of the male reinforces this impression. In the female, on the other hand, the anal fin and the dorsal fin are round.
An additional feature of distinguishing the sexes is the color of the abdomen and throat. The males wear a conspicuous red-orange at this point, the females are white to light brown here. After an elaborate and interesting mating and courtship ritual of entanglements and pursuits, the eggs laid by the female are collected by the male, which happens with the mouth. He then places these under the foam nest, which he previously built from air bubbles coated with saliva and in this way wooed the female.
This can be up to 30 square centimeters in size and protrudes a little above the surface of the water. After conception, the female is expelled.
The males of the gouramis are not as violent towards their partners as other fish species. The male then guards the foam nest and steadily expands it until the young fish hatch.
How is the mosaic gourami kept?
Gourami are very popular fish for the aquarium and are very popular with beginners due to their uncomplicated and easy care. The fish can live very well together with the blue gourami. In addition, these very beautiful fish are quite peaceful in contrast to other species.
The adult gouramis can be accommodated very well in warm aquariums with an edge length of 80 centimeters or more. The pH value plays a subordinate role for the fish, but because there must be plenty of plants, a pH value of around 7 is usually normal.
Since the gouramis like flat shore areas, the water level should not be higher than 30 centimeters. The males are mostly quarrelsome. Therefore only one with several females should be kept in the aquarium. Aggressive fish such as cichlids should be avoided.
Keeping in the aquarium
An aquarium is required to keep the mosaic gourami, which should be at least 60 centimeters long for the smaller specimens and twice as long for larger fish. The pool should be able to hold about 200 liters of water. The ground is filled with fine gravel or sand. The fish feel very comfortable here.
At the same time, areas with dense planting be where the fish can withdraw. But because these are surface-related, the entrance should not be closed at the top. The mosaic gourami takes in food and can breathe. The current should be as low as possible, especially if the owner wants to devote himself to breeding. The values of the water depend
Mosaic Gourami Females:
Mosaic Gourami:
Pairing:
Mating and rearing:
hatchlings: