Breeding Pearl Gourami
How to breed Pearl Gourami (Trichopodus leerii): sexing by the male's red throat, shallow water, a floating bubble nest, and infusoria-fed fry.
Overview
Pearl Gourami (Trichopodus leerii) is a labyrinth fish and bubble-nest builder of intermediate breeding difficulty. The male builds and tends a floating nest, and the species spawns in the typical anabantoid embrace beneath it.
Sexing
Males develop stunning orange or red colouration around the throat area, with extensions to the dorsal and anal fins. Females are blander and plumper.
Conditioning the Breeders
Condition the fish with live food. The male's throat colour brightens at breeding time and is used to court the female.
Breeding Setup
- Shallow water no more than 6-8 inches deep
- Floating plants for nest anchoring
- Gentle air-powered filtration
- Temperature within the species range of 24-28 °C
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The male constructs a large bubble nest up to 10 inches in diameter among the floating plants. The pair touch using modified ventral fins, then spawn under the nest in the typical anabantoid embrace. Between 200 and 300 eggs may be produced; they float upwards and the male shepherds them into the nest.
Egg & Fry Care
When no more eggs are produced the female is chased away and should be removed at this point or she may be seriously harmed. The eggs hatch in around 20-30 hours, and the fry become free-swimming in another 4-5 days, at which point the male is removed. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food for the first week, then progress to brine shrimp nauplii, microworm and powdered flake.
Common Challenges
Timing the removal of the female and then the male is critical to avoid aggression and predation. The shallow, warm water and a calm surface help the male maintain the bubble nest, and the very small first-feeding fry require infusoria-grade food.