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There is such a fish as marble gourami! On her body you will find blue shades and gothic spots. Gourami not only decorate the water area, but also make it cleaner, they easily deal with various water parasites in the aquarium.
Gourami are often called marble, as the body color is similar to marble. This species has similarities with its closest relative - the blue gourami, it only stands out for its color, as a whole it has the same length and the same habits.
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Sellers often recommend marble gourami to inexperienced aquarists, as this fish is unpretentious, easy to breed, and can live in artificial environments for a very long time.
Marble gourami reaches a length of 15 centimeters, but usually its size is much more modest. Young individuals can be allocated an aquarium with a volume of up to 50 liters, but adults will need a larger area, up to 90 liters.
Story
If you plunge into the world of wildlife, you will not find marble gourami there. He was bred in an artificial environment, but, despite this, the individual is found in the wild, but not a marble one, but its blue clone.
An aquarium enthusiast named Cosby domesticated the blue representative and produced from it a breed called today the marble gourami. Many years of marble were named after the creator - Cosby. It would seem that a beautiful name, but fish lovers did not like it, they began to call this species marble more and more often.
If you look at the blue gourami, then it will seem to you that marble is in front of you, in fact, these are two different species. Blue can be seen in Indonesia and Thailand; it most often lives in calm waters rich in vegetation. So, it can be captured in swamps, canals and streams with a calm, quiet course.
In nature, it loves territories without currents, but with the highest concentration of aquatic vegetation. During the rainy season, it begins to leave the rivers, and will move to the spill sites, after the end of the rainy season it again leaves for the rivers. Natural gourami loves to feed on bioplankton and insects.
Overview
Gurami is considered a large aquarium fish, reaching a size of 15 centimeters and living up to 6 years! The body is very long, there are practically no lateral deposits. The gourami have rather large and round fins, while the ventral fins have become miniature tendrils, thanks to them the fish experiences tactile sensations.
Fish can consume atmospheric oxygen, such a skill makes it possible for marble gourami to live in the most unpretentious, extreme conditions. The body is extremely beautiful, especially when the males are in a state of excitement. The body itself is covered in dark blue, spots are found on almost the entire body.
Care and feed
Marble gourami is not picky - eats everything they give! Fish can live in a variety of conditions and get along well with various types of fish. It can be safely advised to beginners who only practice in aquarium.
The only negative - the males love to fight with each other, and different types of gourami, not only marble ones, can be involved in the fight.
Fish is omnivorous, but in natural conditions prefers only insects or larvae. A person can use different types of food in the aquarium - artificial, frozen, live. However, it is better to feed the fish with live food: brine shrimp, bloodworm, and tubule.
A feature of all gouras is their hunting ability, you won’t believe it, but gourams are able to shoot down flying insects.They launch a powerful stream of water from the mouth, which usually hits exactly the target.
Content: conditions
The older the marble gourami, the more space he needs: if juveniles get along in 40 liters, then adults sometimes lack 70 liters of water.
Fish uses atmospheric oxygen, which means that degrees are important for gourami! Make sure that both indoors and in water are approximately the same degree. The temperature itself can be completely different: both a 22 degree norm and a 27 degree norm are suitable, but still there is the most optimal option - 24 degrees.
Preferences
Gurams love to fight, especially this statement applies to males. You can not keep them alone in the aquarium, as they will begin to hunt for peace-loving fish. It is best to populate a flock of gourami with 2 or 3 males so that they can measure their strength in front of the females.
As a rule, the weaker gourami escapes from the battlefield, for the losers it is necessary to prepare a good shelter so that they can regain their strength in this shelter.
Marble cannot be kept with predators! The best friends for gourami will be fish with similar sizes and similar habits.
Gender characteristics
Males have a very long dorsal fin with a tip at the end, but females have a shorter and rounded fin. And males are more dense and significantly larger in size than females.
Aquarium
It's important to know! Many inexperienced breeders buy marble gourami and immediately run into a common aquarium, but what is the result? All fish begin to die, and very quickly! The fact is that marble can carry a lot of deadly bacteria, it does not feel them, because it has resistance to diseases of various types.
After the purchase you need to support the gourami in an isolated environment. Create a special vessel with 40 - 50 liters of water and partially cover it with a glass lid, but see that the distance from the water to the lid is significant, because fish needs atmospheric oxygen.
The quarantine must be kept for at least 10 days, at this time the fish must be given antiseptic agents, namely, to arrange antiseptic baths lasting up to 20 minutes, and also to carry out other procedures aimed at removing harmful microflora from the fish’s body. After treatment, it is necessary to place the fish in fresh, stable water.
Priming
We recommend using black soil, as the fish feels safe when there are a lot of dark colors in the aquarium and there is a minimum of bright decorations. Granite chips, pebbles, sand are suitable as soil. At the bottom, it is better to put small shelters like stones, snags and plants.
The soil should be equipped with many dense plants for the reason that gourami can attack peaceable fish. If there are many plants, then the fish will easily hide from brawlers.
Breeding
Many labyrinth rocks breed thanks to the nest that the male makes of foam. According to the same principle, marble gourami are bred, and there is nothing difficult to breed, all that is needed is a large aquarium with many plants and a large water mirror.
A person needs to prepare fish for spawning, namely - to feed a couple of live food, and it is necessary to feed two to three times a day. Over time, the female begins to gain weight, as many eggs appear in her body.
Spawning process
A couple are placed in an aquarium with a volume of more than 55 liters. The amount of water in the spawning should be 12 - 16 centimeters and a high degree, reaching 28 with a plus sign.
As soon as the female completes her work, she needs to be removed from the spawning grounds, as the male at this time is overly aggressive and even able to kill the female. The male must remain in the spawning ground, his task is to correct the nesting ground.
Small fish began to appear and run away from the nest? Take away the male, otherwise he can eat a lot of his newborn children. Young growth is best fed with a microworm and infusoria, after which, with development, it can be given heavier food.
Marble gourami is a decoration for any aquarium. Its unusual habits will appeal to beginners and even experienced aquarists. The most interesting thing is to watch the couple during spawning. You can admire this watch for hours.
Video: marble gourami aquarium fish
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