Paternal mouthbrooder, not a bubble-nester. The female usually starts courtship; the pair spawn almost upright, the male catches the eggs in his anal fin and the female spits them to him. The brooding male hides and barely eats.
Condition pairs with live food.
100 L planted tank with floating plants, 22-26 C.
Live food conditioning and a cooler water change.
The male holds eggs and fry for 7-20 days, then releases 10-100 free-swimming young big enough for microworm or Artemia nauplii, fed at the surface.
Newly hatched brine shrimp from day 3.
One breeding tank for the frail gourami, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 22–26 °C · pH 5–7.5
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 10 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A 120 cm rack for breeding the frail gourami in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 500 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
Hard to sex, especially when newly imported. Males have a slightly rounded lower jaw from stretchy throat skin used to hold the brood; females have a straight lower jaw and a more pointed head.
Typical for mouthbrooders
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
The female takes the eggs into her mouth and stops eating.
After about 3 weeks the female releases fully formed fry. Many breeders move her to a quiet tank first.
Fry eat crushed flake and baby brine shrimp straight away.
Fry are a few centimetres long after about 3 months.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.