Gourami aquarium fish are one of the most popular among breeders and fish owners. Gourami are very unpretentious, not aggressive and beautiful at the same time. The color of gourami can be very different - from marble and pearl to purple, and in some fish the color changes depending on their mood. It is very interesting to watch gourami, so novice aquarists, including children, prefer to take them. However, many owners and novice breeders are wondering: how to distinguish the sex of fish, especially during their breeding season?
Instructions
Step 1
Please note that determining the sex of gourami is better when the fish are already several months old. Even an experienced aquarist will not be able to understand which of the fry is female and which is male. Therefore, wait for the fish to reach sexual maturity (6 to 14 months) and use general breeder advice to determine the sex correctly.
Step 2
Pay attention to the appearance of your gouramis. If the dorsal fin of the fish is pointed and long, reaching almost to the tail, then you have a male gourami in front of you. If the fin is short and rounded, this is a sign of a female.
Step 3
It is believed that male gourami are larger than females. However, this distinctive feature takes effect only after the fish are more than six months old, since during the growth period, females can initially overtake the males in size.
Step 4
Observe the color of the gourami before spawning. The abdomen becomes bright orange or bright scarlet. If the gourami is pearl, there will be a red stripe on its abdomen. In the honey species, along with the red color, a slight darkening on the abdomen may appear during the mating season. But even in normal times, males look brighter and more variegated than females.
Step 5
If you cannot determine the sex of the fish yourself, use the advice of experienced breeders. Take the gourami to the pet store and ask the seller for help. Alternatively, take a picture of the fish and post it on one of the many forums for hobbyists - aquarists. They will surely help you. Note that it is very important to determine the sex during the fish spawning season so that the gourami can reproduce freely. Before mating, opposite-sex individuals are best kept for some time in various aquariums or jars of water.
