balloon belly kissing gourami

[jmaster]

hi all

has anyone heared of these??

also does anyone have any info on them??

thanx alot

 

[sylvia]

Well they are a variety of the kissing gourami (helostoma temmincki). Kissing gouramies are large fish - growing to 8 inches - and are one of the few anabantoids that do not breed using a bubblenest. They are omvivorous but like to have plenty of vegetation in their diets. The 'kissing' action often seen between fish is similar to the behaviour of many cichlids and is a way of expressing territoriality or deciding the hierarchy. Ordinary kissers come in two colors - the commonly seen pink variety is a selectively bred mutation; the wild green color is quite rare now. Balloon kissers are usualy pink and are basicaly a mutation (like balloon mollies or rams) of the wild-type fish. They have the same requirements and temperament but will not usualy grow quite as large - most reach around 6", maybe 7". All kissers need a large tank so they can establish territories. Both sexes are identical so they are pretty much impossible to distinguish. Males are sometimes larger and a little more aggressive but you can never be certain unless they breed. Kissers can be kept with most fish but will eat very small ones once they get big. Unlike many other gouramies, they don't have the modified ventral fins or 'feelers' and don't have particularly long fins so keeping them with slightly nippy fish is not that much of an issue.

 

[milly]

wot are bubble nests???

 

[sylvia]

Most male gouramies will blow a nest of floating bubbles when it's breeding time. Then he'll get the female below it and they 'embrace', releasing eggs which the male fertilizes and collects. He carries them to the floating group of bubbles and keeps them there, guarding them from any other fish. The 'bubblenest' is literally a floating nest made out of bubbles.

 

[milly]

do they breed easy..i had a floating bubbles and thought it was mess from the filter ..oops

 

[sylvia]

Well it depends on the species of gourami. I know you can't be talking about kissers as they don't build a bubble nest so I'm guessing you have dwarf gouramies? If so, you probably only have males anyway. You may very well have had a bubblenest built but many males will blow bubbles just for the sake of it and it doesn't always mean the fish have spawned or that they are going to breed. It is usualy, however, a sign that they are content with their environment and feel comfortable enough to raise their own fry. So what kind of gouramies do you have? How many and of what sex? (If you don't know, post pics).