Pygmy gourami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pygmy gourami |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Red: possibly extant | |
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Ctenops pumilus J.P. Arnold, 1936 |
The pygmy gourami (Trichopsis pumila), also called the sparkling gourami, is a small, colorful freshwater fish. It comes from Southeast Asia. These fish are known for their beautiful colors and for making a special "croaking" sound!
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Description
Pygmy gouramis are tiny fish, growing up to about 4 cm (1.5 inches) long. They sparkle with bright red, green, and blue colors. Their eyes can look bright blue in the right light. As they swim, their arrowhead-shaped body and tail fins show many colors, like a rainbow!
It's tricky to tell male and female pygmy gouramis apart. Males often have brighter red spots above the stripe that runs through their body. Female spots are usually duller.
Habitat
These fish live in slow-moving waters in their natural home. You can find them in rivers, rice paddies, ditches, and small ponds. They especially like places with lots of floating plants on the water's surface.
Pygmy gouramis can live in water with low oxygen. This is because they have a special organ called a labyrinth organ. This organ lets them breathe air from the surface of the water. Their natural home usually has a water pH between 6.0 and 7.5. The water hardness (dH) is usually 5 to 19. The temperature is often between 25 °C and 28 °C (77 °F to 83 °F). They eat tiny water creatures called zooplankton and small insects.
Notable Behavior
One cool thing about Sparkling Gouramis is the unique sound they make. They can produce a "croaking" or "clicking" noise! They make this sound using special muscles near their fins. This sound is often used when they are trying to find a mate or when they are protecting their space.
Pygmy Gouramis and People
Pygmy gouramis are popular fish in the aquarium hobby. Many people keep them as pets in their home tanks.
In the Aquarium
Pygmy gouramis are quite tough and can handle water that isn't perfect. It's important to have a tank with gentle water movement. Strong currents can stress them out. They also need lots of places to hide. A tank with many plants and soft lighting is perfect for them.
These fish need a little space between the water surface and the tank lid. This is so they can gulp moist air using their labyrinth organ. The water in their tank should be around 25 °C (76 °F) or warmer. The pH level should be less than 7.
Pygmy gouramis are not schooling fish, but they can live peacefully in small groups. They are small and shy, so they might not get enough food if kept with very active or aggressive tank mates. Fish like tiger barbs or large danios are not good tank companions. Male bettas might also pick on them, so it's best not to keep them together.
Because of their small size, pygmy gouramis are great for smaller aquariums. A planted 5-gallon tank is a good size for a pair or a group of three. They are not picky eaters. They will happily eat flake foods, live foods, or frozen foods. You should feed them once or twice every day.
Reproduction
You can encourage pygmy gouramis to breed by slowly raising the water temperature. You should also lower the water level by about 15 cm (6 inches).
When they are ready to mate, the male will hug the female tightly. The female then releases a group of eggs. The male collects these eggs and places them into a bubble nest he built earlier. These nests are usually built under wide plant leaves or among floating plants. In an aquarium, they might even use tubes or filter parts.
It's a good idea to remove other fish from the tank at this point. The male will strongly guard the eggs and might attack other fish. You can leave the male with the eggs until they hatch. The eggs hatch in 1 to 2 days. The tiny baby fish, called fry, stay in the nest for another 2 to 3 days. During this time, they absorb their yolk sac for food.
Once the fry start swimming freely, they are very tiny. They need microscopic food called infusoria at first. As they grow, they can eat newly hatched brine shrimp or small dry food. It's very important to keep the water in the tank clean. This means doing small water changes often.
