Care
A beautiful species that is available in a number of domesticated colour strains. Most specimens offered for sale are captive bred, although wild-caught specimens are sometimes available and these are often distinguished by their smaller size and more modest colour. In the wild state this species can encounter seasonally lower temperatures during which males and females look more alike, stable tropical conditions in captivity bring them into breeding condition and prompt a colour change. These fishes may benefit from a cooler winter rest to aid longevity.
Recent years have seen the rise of a species-specific iridiovirus that effects many established commercial strains of this widely bred community favourite. This incurable 'Dwarf Gourami Disease' has meant that we now take great care over sourcing this fish and it means that we generally pay more for the enhanced biosecurity involved. Peaceful towards other species of fish, males may become territorial at breeding time when kept together in smaller tanks. Sometimes offered in batchelor groups, males are better in odd numbers to avoid bullying. To see the best from these fish, outnumber the males with females to allow the smaller, more rounded females to escape excessive harassment should the male decide to court them vigorously. A well-planted aquarium with plenty of cover and a gentle water flow will help them to feel secure.
Recent research has resolved the confusion over the scientific name of this species, meaning that after years of familiarity their binomial has changed, having been applied in error to the Banded or Giant gourami (now renamed T. bejae). It might take a while to catch on, but this fish is now Trichogaster fasciata and lalius becomes a synonym.
Feeding
Offer a varied diet consisting of a good quality flake food, green flake food, and small frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, and brineshrimp.
Breeding
A conditioned pair should be acclimatised to a long, shallow aquarium with the temperature set to 29-30 °C. There should be a good amount of floating plants, to help when the male constructs his bubblenest. Once the male has finished building this nest, which can be up to an inch thick and several inches across, he will begin courting the female. This is usually in the form of him "˜dancing"™ around the female and flaring his fins. If the female "accepts" the male, she will swim underneath the bubblenest, where the male will embrace her, wrapping his body around hers. He will turn her onto her side and then her back, at which point, she will release some of her eggs (up to 60), which the male fertilises immediately. The eggs will float upwards towards the nest, and any that stray will be collected by the male and placed into the nest. Once happy that all the eggs are secure, the pair will repeat their spawning/egg collecting actions several times until up to 600 eggs in total have been released. The male then secures the eggs by adding another layer of bubbles beneath the eggs, and it is at this point when the female should be removed. The male will vigorously defend his nest and surrounding territory when the tank is approached. After 12-24 hours, the eggs will hatch, and after another 3 days, they will become free-swimming. The male must be removed from the tank once the fry leave the bubblenest otherwise he will eat them. The fry should be fed on tiny foods such as infusoria or finely powdered fry food for the first week or so, moving on to larger foods as they grow. It is of extreme importance to maintain a warm layer of air between the surface of the water and the coverslides at all times whilst the fry are developing their labyrinth organ, critical during the first few weeks of their life.
