Pearl fish: maintenance, compatibility, breeding, description, photo, feeding

Care and maintenance

It is necessary to select an aquarium for pearl gouramis based on their maximum size.
A container of 60 liters or more is quite suitable for young fish, but it is better to keep adult fish in a volume of at least 100 liters. It is better to choose a dark soil; with it, pearl gouramis look more impressive. Aeration in the aquarium is not necessary, but it is better to install a filter. Since fish do not like fast flows, the flow of water from the filter must be adjusted so that the flow of water is not too strong. It is very important not to allow the temperature above the surface of the water in the aquarium to drop, since if they swallow cold air, gouramis can get sick

Pearl gourami in an aquarium

Pearl gourami is a fish of tropical latitudes; a comfortable temperature for keeping it will be 24-28°C. It is better to make the water neutral or slightly acidic (pH = 6.07.0). Hardness does not play a special role; gouramis adapt well to a wide range of values. The pearl gourami has a rather timid character, so it is recommended to keep the aquarium densely planted with plants. It is best to keep them in small flocks, but with a predominance of females: this will reduce the intraspecific aggression of males.

Aquarium

Light

The native habitat for gourami is swamps or ponds with a large number of tall plants, which means that the light in the aquarium must be diffused. To illuminate it, buy lamps with dim, cold light. Floating plants should be placed on the surface of the pond.

The pistia on the surface of the aquarium will protect the crayfish from excessive lighting, and the root system will create additional shelter in the water column.

Filters

It is imperative to filter water. It is best to choose moderate modes, since this species does not like fast currents.

Aquarium preparation

It should contain large floating plants such as elodea, duckweed or riccia. Dark sand is best as a soil.

Original Zhemchuzhinka fish: appearance, maintenance and breeding

The Pearl fish is one of the decorative varieties of the Goldfish breed, popular among aquarists. It is distinguished by its spherical body shape and the original shape of its scales, for which it is called “chinshurin,” which translated from Chinese means “rare pearl scales.”

The breed of this unusual fish was bred in the 19th century, during the reign of the Qing dynasty in China. During its selection, several lines were used for crossing, and in 1926 the new variety was brought to Japan and then to Europe. The Pearl fish belongs to the Karpov family and has a swollen, egg-shaped body, reminiscent of a veil tail, and short fins.

A striking feature of the fish is the surface of the body, which is dotted with convex dome-shaped scales, similar to halves of pearls. According to scientists, this is due to a disease that the fry suffer in childhood, as well as parasites that have settled under the skin.

It should be borne in mind that after damage, new scales grow non-convex, which is why it will look a little tattered. Therefore, when keeping this delicate fish, you need to make sure that there are no objects in the aquarium that have sharp edges on which it can get caught. Fish (English)

Goldfish Pearlscale) are painted in bright colors: orange, red or white, in the last 10 years black, brown, blue and multi-colored specimens have been bred. Among the many types of decorative breeds of Goldfish that have been bred artificially, prominent representatives are: Red and white Oranda, American Shubunkin, Dragon Eye, Calico, etc.

According to the standard, the Pearl has a body depth of about 75% of its length and dome-shaped fins. The wide caudal fin should bifurcate at the ends, separated to the sides at an angle of 90°. The dorsal fin stands upright and has rounded tips. The lifespan of fish is 10-15 years.

Pearl fish: contents, compatibility, photo

PEARL
Order, family: cyprinid.

Comfortable water temperature: 20-23 oC.

Ph: 5.0-8.0.

Aggressiveness: not aggressive10%.

Compatibility: with all peaceful fish (zebrafish, thorns, speckled catfish, neons, etc.)

Helpful tips: There is an opinion (especially for some reason among pet store sellers) that when buying fish of this type, you should be prepared to clean the aquarium frequently (almost with a vacuum cleaner))). This opinion is substantiated by the fact that the “Goldfish” gnawed and left a lot of “poop.” So, THIS IS NOT TRUE!!! I myself have kept these fish several times and at the moment one of the aquariums is occupied by them... there is no dirt - I do a light cleaning of the aquarium about once every two weeks. So, don't be scared by the sellers' tales!!! The fish look very beautiful in the aquarium. And for greater cleanliness and the fight against “poop”, bring more catfish into the aquarium (speckled catfish, Ancistrus catfish, Acanthopthalmus culi) and other aquarium orderlies!!!

It has also been noticed that these fish really like to eat vegetation - conclusion, do not buy expensive plants for the aquarium.

Description:

Pearl is one of the fish included in the so-called “Goldfish” family. The fish is unusual and very beautiful. It was bred in China. The body is round (7-8 cm), the dorsal fin is vertical, the remaining fins are short, often paired. The caudal fin is two-lobed, cut out 1/3 of the length, and does not hang down. The fish does not swim clumsily, like a barrel.

The fish is colored gold or orange-red. There are completely white species. Each scale is convex, which in the reflection of light looks like small pearls.

These fish are not very picky about their living conditions. The main thing when keeping it is proper feeding - the key to success is the balance of feed. The fish is susceptible to intestinal diseases and gill rot.

To keep pearls you need a spacious aquarium with clean water without impurities. The pearl's neighbors should not be active or even more aggressive fish - barbs, cichlids, gourami, etc.

Comfortable water parameters: temperature 20-23 oC, aquarium water hardness 6-18 o, pH 5.0-8.0. Enhanced aeration and filtration.

The peculiarity of the fish is that it loves to rummage in the ground. It is better to use coarse sand or pebbles as soil, which are not so easily scattered by fish. The aquarium itself should be spacious and species-rich, with large-leaved plants. Therefore, it is better to plant plants with hard leaves and a good root system in an aquarium with pearls.

The fish are unpretentious when it comes to food. They eat quite a lot and willingly, so remember that it is better to underfeed the fish than to overfeed them. The amount of food given daily should not exceed 3% of the fish’s weight. Adult fish are fed twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening. Feed is given as much as they can eat in ten to twenty minutes, and any uneaten food should be removed.

Feeding aquarium fish should be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. The article “How and how much to feed aquarium fish” talks about this in detail; it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime of the fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous; the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, you need to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include in its diet food either with the highest protein content or, conversely, with plant ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, you can constantly and everywhere find food on aquarium counters - the leader of the Russian market; in fact, the range of food for this Tetra is included as individual food for a specific type of fish: for goldfish, for cichlids, for loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. .d. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. You can find out detailed information about all Tetra feeds on the company's official website - here.

It should be noted that when purchasing any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store food in a closed state - this will help avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it

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Reviews

I have blue, mother-of-pearl and pearl gouramis. They are easy to care for. Weekly water changes, dry food intended for labyrinth fish and medium bloodworms. Since I have 8 aquariums, I chose a 300 liter aquarium. I added plants to it, but they especially love grotto shelters and stones. At first the gourami were very shy, but then they got used to it. I really like watching their behavior. Sometimes I can just sit in a chair and watch and admire their beauty, forgetting about time. Victoria

When I was in 4th grade, my mother bought me an aquarium with gourami. They took root very quickly and did not get sick. Although we didn't even have a compressor. Now I also bought an aquarium for my children, the inhabitants of which are pearl gouramis. In addition to their unpretentiousness, they reproduce very quickly. We bought algae to make it safe for the fry to live with the big fish. My children are absolutely delighted, because such beautiful fish will not leave anyone indifferent. Ekaterina, 35 years old, Krasnodar region.

Pearl gourami is a very beautiful fish that comes in different colors to suit every taste. The tail of different shapes and colors stands out especially. He is simply mesmerizing. If you want to have multi-colored gourami, you don’t have to spend money, despite the low price, since they reproduce well on their own. They are not picky about maintenance, and the aquarium looks beautiful thanks to the colorful fish swimming in it. Pavel, 58 years old, Miass.

Appearance of pearl goldfish

We can talk about the appearance of this fish for a long time - the Pearl is amazing. A non-standard body shape in the form of an egg or a ball, a beautiful flowing tail and the main difference from which it got its name – scales. Its large scales are distinguished by their convex shape and characteristic pearlescent luster. Regardless of the color of the goldfish itself, the scales are several tones lighter, which creates a magnificent effect of volume. The fish seems to be illuminated from within with a soft glow. The body is short, even slightly swollen, the fins are small, in general, the fish clearly does not look sporty. The minimum body length is 5.5 cm, the average size is 10-12 cm, although in favorable conditions the length can be more than 20 cm. The pearl is traditionally orange, red or white, although there are also chocolate, blue and combined colors. The lifespan can reach 20 years, more often about 10 years.

Pearls actively consume oxygen, which must be taken into account when keeping fish. Preference should be given to long aquariums rather than tall ones, since in this case the surface area, and therefore the amount of oxygen absorbed, is much higher. The minimum acceptable conditions for keeping fish in an aquarium are 20 liters of water. Neighbors for her should be selected very carefully - they should be calm and friendly fish who will not take food away from the Pearl. It should be taken into account that the Pearl moves rather slowly due to its spherical shape and significant dimensions, so it may simply not “make it” by lunchtime.

Changing the water in the aquarium - a third or a quarter of the volume is updated weekly. The suitable temperature is 18 - 22 degrees. These fish eat a lot and produce a lot of waste. It is best to choose a 30-liter aquarium and increase the size of the tank by 10 liters with each new fish (this is what foreign aquarists advise, in any case). It may be more logical and economical to immediately purchase a suitable container, taking into account the planned residents. For “youth” the formula applies: for every inch of body length you need one liter of water. A tank with a lid is preferable to one without - what if the fish decides to look at the world from the outside and, despite its impressive belly, jumps? In addition, the lid reduces evaporation. Illumination on the lid will allow you to create an enchantingly beautiful show and present the Pearl as effectively as possible.

Gravel and stones are preferable to medium sizes, without sharp corners. Snails can be added as a biological filtration agent. As for algae, fish like to dig, so non-living plants are better, optimally - from special silk. The pH in an aquarium ranges from 6.0 to 8.0. A large volume of water is vital for the normal growth of the fish.

Diseases

Any type of fish has a list of inherent diseases. Pearl gourami was no exception. One sick fish can infect all the inhabitants of the aquarium. Therefore, it is so important to keep them in good conditions and monitor their health. Often, fish begin to get sick due to injuries received during transportation, temperature changes, inappropriate water parameters in the aquarium, poor care and low-quality food.

Common diseases for pearl gourama are:

Lymphocystosis

This is a virus that infects the scales of fish and changes the cells of the mucous membrane. Blisters appear on the skin of the fish, which can be noticed immediately. The affected area becomes larger over time, then it breaks down and the virus begins to spread in the aquarium. Often the first signs can be seen on the fins, then they appear in other areas.

Pseudomonosis

This is a peptic ulcer caused by bacteria belonging to the group of pseudomonas. They end up in aquarium water with sick animals, soil and plants. In a sick individual, dark areas form on the scales, developing into bleeding ulcers. Infected fish are kept in a separate container without plants. Potassium permanganate is used for treatment. Dilute 0.5 grams of the drug per 10 liters of water and leave the fish in this environment for 15 minutes. When there is no separate container or aquarium, treatment is carried out with bicillin 5, 500,000 units of medicine per 100 liters of water. This procedure is repeated 6 times, after each use you should take a break for 1 day.

Aeromonosis

This is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Aeromonos punctata, which most often appears in dirty, cold aquariums. Sick fish refuse to eat, move little and lie down on the ground. The fins and body are covered with blood stains, and the abdominal area is swollen.

The disease is not only contagious, but also difficult to cure. Sick fish are killed, and the aquarium is disinfected with a special solution.

Aquarium fish Pearl

Goldfish pearlscale is an aquarium fish of the Cyprinidae family.

Appearance and gender differences

The very spectacular and unusual Pearl was bred in China. This fish got its name for its convex, dark-colored scales reminiscent of pearls. According to the assumptions of Nozhnov A.I. This convex shape of the scales is due to a disease suffered at an early age and parasites that have settled in the skin. The body is ovoid, up to 15 cm in length, the profiles of the head and back converge smoothly. The first rays of the vertical dorsal fin are equal in length to half the height of the body. The remaining fins, often paired, are short. The two-lobed caudal fin does not hang down and is cut out a third of its length. The main color is orange-red or gold; there are completely white specimens. Everyone likes excellent decorative pearls in the aquarium. The pearl fry take on their characteristic round shape at the age of 1-2 months.

Conditions of detention

Calm in character, peaceful Pearls get along well with equally calm neighbors. You need to keep pearl goldfish in an aquarium with a volume of at least 50 liters per fish, it is better if it is an aquarium of at least 100 liters, in which a couple of fish will be placed. When increasing the size of the aquarium, the population density can be slightly increased, so in an aquarium with a volume of 150 liters you can put 3-4 fish, and in a 200 liter aquarium - 5-6, etc.

But with increasing population density, attention should be paid to good water aeration. These aquarium fish love to dig in the soil, so it is better to use pebbles or coarse sand as it, then it will not be so easy for the fish to scatter it

The aquarium itself should be spacious and have a view, in which large-leaved aquarium plants should be placed. However, pearls quickly spoil delicate plants, or the surface of the leaves becomes dirty by settling particles of waste suspended in water on them. To avoid this, plant plants with a strong root system and hard leaves in the aquarium. Plants such as egg capsule, vallisneria, sagittaria, or elodea are very suitable, as they are the most hardy. Pearl goldfish are kept in the same aquarium along with calm species of aquarium fish. The aquarium must have natural light and good filtration. All varieties of goldfish prefer good aeration. Fish are not particularly sensitive to the water parameters in the aquarium. Water hardness should be 8 – 25°, with an acidity of 6-8. It is advisable to regularly change some of the water in the aquarium. In general, the pearl is not very demanding in maintenance. However, there are a number of points that beginners may not be able to cope with when keeping this delicate fish. The pearl is susceptible to gill rot and intestinal diseases. Ammonia and nitrites should not be present in aquarium water. Pearls are unpretentious when it comes to food; they eat a lot of everything. Their diet should contain both living and plant foods. Despite the gluttony of goldfish, you should not overfeed them. The amount of food they consume daily should be approximately 3% of the fish's weight. Adult fish should be fed twice a day - the first time early in the morning, and the second time in the evening. The amount of food is calculated for 10-20 minutes of feeding, then the remains of uneaten food are removed from the aquarium. Adult fish that receive proper nutrition can endure a long week-long fast without harm to their health.

Breeding

All goldfish, including Pearls, can spawn in an aquarium with a capacity of 20 - 30 liters. It is necessary to place sandy soil in it and plant small-leaved plants. For spawning, it is customary to plant one female for two or three two-year-old males. Before spawning, they should be kept separately for 2-3 weeks. In the spawning aquarium, it is recommended to maintain the temperature at 24 – 26 °C. To stimulate spawning, it is necessary to gradually heat the water until its temperature rises by 5-10 °C. At the same time, the males begin to quickly rush around and chase the females, who lose their eggs, scattering them around the entire perimeter of the aquarium, mainly they end up on plants. In total, the female lays about 10,000 eggs. As soon as the spawning is over, the producers must be removed from the aquarium. The initial food for the hatched fry will be “live dust”. They can also be given special food, which is now available in abundance on the market, intended for feeding goldfish fry, for example, Sera Mikron.

what a man dreams about, find out here

Compatibility

Pearl gouramis are calm and non-aggressive fish, characterized by timidity. They will hide until they get used to their new habitat. Therefore, at first it is necessary to ensure that the gouramis receive food. Compatibility of gourami with other fish similar in character and size is good.

Gouras feel great in the company of tetras. The photo shows minors and pearl gouramis in the same aquarium.

Other gourami species can be aggressive towards their neighbors.

Good compatibility

• Neons;
• Rainbows;
• Boots;
• Tetras;
• Danio;
• Cichlids;
• Angelfish;
• Minors;
• Catfish.

Poor compatibility

• Barbs;
• Cockerels;
• Parrot fish;
• Goldfish;
• Astronotuses;
• Discus;
• Shrimps;
• Piranhas.

Based on the table presented, you can create a favorable, peaceful environment in your aquarium.

Gura are fully compatible with angelfish and platies.

They can get along with guppies and loaches. Completely incompatible with bettas, astronotus, shrimp, piranhas, and goldfish.

Fish and chips

To prepare this dish, you need to take a fish fillet and bake it with potatoes in a soft milk sauce. Potatoes can be replaced with another vegetable, such as cauliflower. In any case, the result is a fairly healthy and tasty dish that is perfect for a family dinner.

Required ingredients:

• pearl fish fillet - 1 kg;
• potatoes - 10-12 pieces;
• onion - 2 heads;
• sour cream - 200 grams;
• milk - 300 ml;
• cheese - 150 grams;
• flour;
• ketchup;
• salt;
• pepper.

When all the ingredients have been collected, you need to proceed to the next step. Boil the potatoes, but not until fully cooked. Grate the onion on a medium grater and lightly fry in vegetable oil. Then add flour to the onion, mix everything and let simmer for another couple of minutes.

Add sour cream and ketchup to the contents in the frying pan, stir, and let simmer a little. Then add milk and boil for several minutes. Season the resulting sauce with salt and pepper.

Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes and place on a greased baking sheet. Place the fish on top of the vegetables, then pour the prepared sauce over the contents and place in a preheated oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 220°C. 10 minutes before the dish is ready, to get an appetizing crust, you need to sprinkle it with grated cheese.

What is pearl fish?

Maxim Potashev

Sometimes on Russian shelves you can see an unusual product called pearl fish. The sellers do not explain what it is and what it is eaten with. But in vain: sometimes completely different inhabitants of the sea are called this way, some of which cannot even be eaten.

Pearl sea fish: how to cook

The most delicious bleak dish is sprats. However, the cooking process is quite labor-intensive and requires a lot of patience.

We list the main steps in preparing the dish:

1. Catch or buy several kilograms (up to five) of fish.
2. Place the entire catch in one large container and gut each fish. The surface layer comes off very easily, you can do everything only with your hands without using sharp objects. After the procedures, the carcasses need to be washed thoroughly.
3. The entire volume of fish must be salted with an amount of salt that is 10 times less than the weight of the fish itself. After this, keep the dish in a cool place for 24 hours. During this time, the carcasses will release juice and acquire significant elasticity.
4. Take a large saucepan and lay out the bleak layer by layer. Sprinkle each layer generously with spices - pepper, bay leaf, cloves.
5. This entire “pie” is filled with sunflower oil to the very edges - so that all the fish is covered.
6. Place to simmer in the oven.
7. Then put the finished dish in glass jars, which can wait in the refrigerator until winter.

: how pearl fish hide

This video will show how a sea pearl fish hides in another, no less bizarre inhabitant of the sea - a sea cucumber:

Appearance

The body of the pearl gourami is laterally compressed and has a silver-violet color with a large number of scattered spots, very reminiscent of pearls. This feature gave the species its name. Spots on the pearl gourami are also found on the fins. The dorsal fin is a clear sexual characteristic: in males it is elongated towards the tail and pointed, while in females it is short and rounded. Males have a bright red chest and throat. The color becomes especially bright during the spawning period; every point on the pearl gourami’s body literally “burns.” A dark stripe runs along the entire body of the pearl gourami. The pelvic fins, like those of all members of the Trichopodus family, have been modified into long thin filaments that allow the fish to feel the surface. The usual size in an aquarium is 10-12 cm.

Reproduction

If you want to get offspring from pearl gourami, keep in mind that males and females reach puberty by the age of 1 year.

Differences between a male and a female

How to distinguish a female from a male? In pearl gourami, you can notice the differences between individuals at a young age:

1. The male has elongated fins, while the female has rounded fins.
2. Gentlemen are significantly larger than ladies.
3. The neck of the female is orange, while that of the male is red.

Spawning

Have your pets grown and matured? It's time to get offspring! First , you need to select pairs for spawning and 2 weeks before it, place the males and females in separate containers .

During this period, the fish should be fed with protein food (live cyclops or bloodworms).

Then a cage for the male is prepared. Sand is poured onto the bottom, several large stones and driftwood are placed. Pour water to a height of no more than 20 cm.

Fill the water space with floating plants. Aeration is not installed, the light is dimmed, and only after that the male is transferred to the cage.

What does spawning of pearl gourami look like step by step :

1. In the container where the male is located, we increase the temperature to 29...30 °C. This will serve as a signal for him to begin building a nest.
2. After 5–7 hours, we place the female next to the male. It may take the male 24 hours to build the nest. The female with eggs swims nearby and waits for construction to be completed.
3. The nest is completed. Now you can sit comfortably near the aquarium and watch the most important moment in the life of the fish.
4. The male begins to push the female towards the nest. When she is near the nest, the male forces the female to turn over with her belly up and squeezes her body, wrapping around it. With such manipulations, he squeezes eggs out of the abdomen and at the same time fertilizes the clutch.
5. Complete hatching of eggs can take 2 hours.
6. After the female’s abdomen is empty, she is placed in a common aquarium.
7. The male remains to watch the nest and eggs.
8. It takes 2 days for the eggs to develop. As soon as the fry appear, the male's paternal duties end and he is removed from the spawning tank.

Caring for fry

The fry continue to live in the spawning area for two months. They are fed with live types of food, cyclops and plankton.

For the first month, the temperature is maintained at the same levels as during spawning , then it can be lowered to the level familiar to adult gourami. In addition, the fry need aeration, but turn it on at low power.

Aquarium goldfish

Goldfish is the common name for fish of the carp family. Includes a large number of species of aquarium and pond fish that are very different in appearance from each other. The history of domestication of goldfish goes back a long way.

In Asian countries, selection began many centuries ago. In our country, there were mentions of goldfish accepted as gifts by kings already in the 15th and 16th centuries. Modern goldfish are the result of long and painstaking selection.

It is difficult to recognize in them the ancestor of all “goldfish” - the silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus).

The body shape of goldfish can be classic: elongated, slightly flattened on the sides - for example, a red comet, it can be round - for example, a lion-headed pearl, or triangular - for example, a riukin. Goldfish can differ in their “decorative elements”: some fish have growths on their heads, for example, orandas, while others have the shape of their eyes (telescopes) or fins (ranchu).

These fish live in an aquarium for about 15-20 years.

Feeding

Goldfish are absolutely picky eaters. They happily eat any kind of dry food: flakes, granules, bottom tablets, as well as frozen food: bloodworms, coretra, shell shrimp, hamarus, etc. It must be taken into account that for normal digestion, goldfish need a large amount of plant components in the food.

Aquarium compatibility

A species aquarium is more suitable for keeping goldfish. They are not aggressive, but small fish can simply be swallowed as food, and larger and more nimble fish can bite the goldfish themselves. Among the neighbors, peaceful brochis, ancistrus, gourami, and corydoras may be suitable for goldfish.

Goldfish eat and damage plants. If you really want to decorate the aquarium with live grass, you need to choose the toughest ones, for example, anubias, or “tasteless” plants, for example, elodea. An excellent option for such aquariums is plants grown to driftwood or stones.

Reproduction

Goldfish become sexually mature by the age of one year. Males and females are difficult to distinguish from each other. The abdomen of females ready for spawning becomes more rounded, and males begin to actively pursue her. It is better to place the parents in a separate spawning aquarium, from where they should be removed after spawning.

Aeration in the spawning tank should be good and the lighting should be bright. This accelerates the development of eggs. The fry appear on days 2-6. For some time they feed on the yolk sacs, then they need live microfood - artemia nauplii and ciliates.

With regular changes of fresh water and plenty of feeding, the fry grow quite quickly.

Similar fish

Close relatives of goldfish are pond carp. These fish are very similar to each other in terms of keeping and feeding conditions. But carp are even more hardy and can spend the winter in ponds at very low temperatures. Carps are not very suitable for home aquariums; they grow large (up to 60-80 cm).

Red Stargazer (left) and Calico Riukin (right)

Alice, review of red oranda

A cute Fish, but suitable for keeping in spacious aquariums, with abundant water filtration, they look very cool in the aquarium, these fins and cap are just a plague... But the trouble is that they eat and shit a lot, and accordingly there is a lot of trouble with them - with water replacement and filtration, and living plants, you can’t plant any plants either, since they eat everything, you can only have hard-leaved ones like Anubius. Funny creatures, prefers a community of their own kind, bright light, plenty of free space.

Area

The main habitats of pearl gourami are located in Indonesia and the Malay Archipelago. There, in small shaded reservoirs, abundantly overgrown with algae, these wonderful fish lived until recently.

Today they are included in the Red Book as an endangered species . Their main place of residence has become home aquariums and specialized farms where they are raised for sale.

Areas of residence of different types

Most gourami species can be found in the rivers, lakes and streams of Southeast Asia.

The record holder for population can be considered the spotted gourami , which lives over a vast territory stretching from the tropical regions of India to the water bodies of all the islands of Malaysia.

Moon gourami is found in Thailand and Cambodia. Actively settling, fish of various species “swimmed” to Java and colonized the water bodies of the Antilles.

Unscrupulous aquarium lovers living in the southern regions of the Earth also contribute to such widespread distribution. They release fish that are tired of them into local lakes and rivers, expanding their range.

History of discovery

their appearance in Europe to Pierre Carbonnier, a French biologist who conducted research on the acclimatization of tropical species of animals and fish to the European climate.

Several times he tried to bring fish to Europe, but the ships arrived at the ports with the living creatures that died on the way. They were transported in barrels, which were completely filled with water and tightly closed. This was the main mistake.

Labyrinth fish breathe by rising above the water, but in such containers there was nothing for them to breathe. One day the barrels were half filled, and the gouramis reached Europe safely.

They came to Russia through the efforts of A.S., an avid aquarist of that time. Meshchersky . He personally bought them from Carbonnier.

Food for pearl

It's time to talk about diet. In principle, goldfish are omnivores; fresh, dry, and frozen food is suitable for them.

It is important to note a number of features of her feeding. It is recommended to pre-moisten or rinse dry food in the form of granules or flakes, otherwise, once inside, the food will swell from absorbed moisture from the internal organs

Pressure on surrounding organs will increase, and the risk of damage to the swim bladder is especially high. Some authors recommend adding peas to the diet once a week to prevent constipation. There is often a tendency to overeating and obesity in pearls.

Breeding

All goldfish, including Pearls, can spawn in an aquarium with a capacity of 20 - 30 liters. It is necessary to place sandy soil in it and plant small-leaved plants. For spawning, it is customary to place one female on two or three two-year-old males. Before spawning, they should be kept separately for 2-3 weeks. In the spawning aquarium, it is recommended to maintain the temperature at 24 - 26 ° C. To stimulate spawning, it is necessary to gradually heat the water until its temperature rises by 5-10 °C. At the same time, the males begin to quickly rush around and chase the females, who lose their eggs, scattering them around the entire perimeter of the aquarium, mainly they end up on plants. In total, the female lays about 10,000 eggs. As soon as the spawning is over, the producers must be removed from the aquarium. The initial food for the hatched fry will be “live dust”. They can also be given special food, which is now available in abundance on the market, intended for feeding goldfish fry, for example, Sera Mikron.

Appearance and gender differences

A very spectacular and unusual Pearl was bred in China. This fish got its name for its convex, dark-colored scales, reminiscent of pearls. According to the assumptions of Nozhnov A.I. This convex shape of the scales is due to a disease suffered at an early age and parasites that have settled in the skin. The body is ovoid, up to 15 cm in length, the profiles of the head and back converge smoothly. The first rays of the vertical dorsal fin are equal in length to half the height of the body. The remaining fins, often paired, are short. The two-lobed caudal fin does not hang down and is cut out a third of its length. The main color is orange-red or gold; there are completely white individuals. Everyone likes excellent decorative pearls in the aquarium. The fry of the pearls take on their characteristic round shape at the age of 1-2 months.