Simple breeding guide on the Dwarf Gourami
Step by step breeding and rearing page.

Introducing the female to the breeding tank. The female must be healthy, of full maturity, conditioned, and carrying eggs! Dropping the water level by six inches and raising the temperature a few degrees to induce breeding is uncalled for. I don't do it because if you start playing about with the water chemistry, eg topping the tank up with raw water, or raising and lowering the temperature, you're only going to put the vunerable fry into shock. Another problem created in doing this is how can you position the water-heater and the sponge filter correctly in 4 to 6 inches of water? The sponge filter should be secured at the back of the breeding tank with the U-shaped nozzle just above the surface, creating a gentle stream, adjust the air flow with a "tubing clamp".If you have tidal waves on the surface it will be impossible for the male to build the nest, and they may spawn in open water, I've seen this happen and the pair just eat the eggs as they are released. Net the female placing her into the tank alone, leave her for a few days to get used to her new surroundings. The brine Shrimp Hatcher Kit.         The Brine shrimp hatchery tube is significant, without feeding the fry newly hatched shrimps your success rate will plummet. Purchase the kit before you start breeding, and a small 30 grams bottle of "Artemia Revolution" (Brine shrimp eggs without shell). Set the tube up inside your main community tank, read the instructions and learn how to obtain a good egg-hatch-ratio before you start breeding, the fish in your community tank will eat the shrimps that you grow.     Introducing the male to the breeding tank. Net the male placing him along with the awaiting female. Give him an hour or so after he's checked in and to view his breeding prospects. All things being well he'll start to look for a nest site, this is usually at the ripple free side opposite the sponge filter output. He will start to blow tiny bubbles on the water surface. Once he's got a start or "hold" he'll keep blowing bubbles till they form a nest shape of clear sticky bubbles. Building the bubble nest. During the nest construction the male has no time for the female whatsoever. He alone builds the nest. Never mind the romantic authors who tell you the female helps in the construction, it just doesn't happen! He'll start to use bits of leaf to weave into the bubble nest to make it stronger as seen in my photo left. The big squeeze When the nest is completed the pair will be ready to mate, the male will then curve his body into a U-shape underneath and between the female's body and squeeze the eggs from within her fertilizing them at the same time (photo below right). The eggs will float underneath the nest, any strays will be picked up by the male and placed within the nest, this act may occur two or three times. After the spawning immediately remove the female from the tank, leave the male to guard and maintain the nest. In about 18-24 hrs depending on the water temperature the nest will break apart, issuing hundreds of black comma shaped fry, eggs that have missed fertilization will appear with a coating of fungus and will be non-productive, remove them from the tank. PS If the Gouramis breed without a bubble nest like in the photograph both fish mostly eats the eggs when expelled from her body. The tricky fry rearing stage. You now want to concentrate on rearing the tiny fry onto adults. This is where the Liquifry No1™ and the newly hatched brine shrimps play a vital part on the fry's survival rate. It's also the time when they can start dying by the dozens, many first time breeders fail to get them past ten days old.       Don't be despondant if you fail on the first or second attempt, it took me some time before becoming successful. The main reason for my initial failures was trying to raise the fry on powdered flake, let me tell, you it just doesn't work!