Breeding Moonlight Gourami (Trichogaster Microlepis) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in standing and slow flowing waters in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It lives in small groups in lowland reservoirs, morasses or sloughs with floating plants.

Body description

Colour of the body is silvery-olive with delicate moonlight shine. This species has concave angle of the head, so it looks like it has a „pug nose”. The pelvic fins are elongated and they create thread-like appendages which is red-orange for male and clear or yellow for females. Females have the dorsal fin shorter and rounder than males. This species has extra auxiliary respiratory organ known as the labyrinth organ. This organ allows fish to breathe with the atmospheric air.

Temperament and behaviour

This is quiet and shy species which doesn’t fight for food and it hides often. Males can be territorial and aggressive towards each other or others species from the same family when they get older. They can nibble plants, especially when they build a nest.

Aquarium decoration

This species likes a spacious tanks with effective but gentle filtration system. This aquarium should include floating plants. Temperature of the air over the water surface should be similar to water temperature. A partial water changes (about 30% once per week) should be regularly done.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You can stimulate fish to spawn by reducing water hardness, gradually increasing water temperature up to 32-33°C, reduce water level up to 15-20cm and by abundant feeding. You should breed these fish in a separate tank with dark substrate and floating plants. Male builds the nest out of plant elements and bubble on the water surface. Then he lures female, wraps his body around her and turns her upside-down. Female lays eggs, male immediately fertilizes them. The roe is transported to the nest. The breeding may take up to 2 hours. You should remove female after this time. Male takes care and protects the roe and the fry. The eggs hatch after 2 days. The fry starts to swim and feed 2 days later. Then you should remove male too. The fry feeds on very fine food and it is sensitive to chemicals in the water. You should stop any partial water changes until the fry will grow to around 2cm.