sexing sparkling gouramis

[jollysue]

Does anyone know how to sex sparkling gouramis?

I have recently gotten 4, all still in quarantine. I picked up one yesterday because the brown dotted lines look different. Not as visable.

 

[Elisabeth83]

Hey there I almost bought some yesterday. I was told that they really can't be sexed until a male (s) start (s) building a bubble nest and that's the only way you'll know. Once they do that then if there are any extra males return them. I heard you should only keep 1 male to a few females.

I want to try them I was just a little hesitent to get them when he said they couldn't be sexed. I wasn't sure how aggressive they would be until I could sex them. How are yours acting? what size tank to you have them in?

I wanted to keep 4 in a 14.5 gallon along with some rasboras

 

[jollysue]

Hmm? Yeah I heard it was hard, but they've told me that juvie cockatoos can't be sexed. I have successfully sexed 4 now.

I have four sparklers in a 12 usg with a school of 11 diamond head neons, 4 otos, 3 honeys. They are doing well. I know it seems overstocked but I do weekly water changes and they are all juvies. The neons and sparklers are little things. It is the quarantine tank for now, until I decide what to put there.

As I say I don't know how they will act when they come of age. They are fine now. It is hard to find info on them. I saw one back a neon off who came too close or tried to nip or something. They can take care of themselves.

Hopefully we'll get some more posters. Joe said sylvia is a good source. But she isn't around so we pm'd and emailed her.

That's good to know about watching their behavior. I know now not to put them in the big tank. I'd never get them out. Although they probably have enough room to spread out.

I'm inclined to think the big thing about small tanks with a male and several females is that the females need enough room to avoid the male.

 

[jollysue]

The two new honey girls and one of the larger sparklers are playing in the current, swimming together up and down, in and out.

Buy the way I seem to remember someing about the fins being different on the sparkler male and female.

 

[Elisabeth83]

Hey again! I found some info http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...=21&pCatId=1562 on this site it says you can take a flashlight and shine it on the female to look for her ovaries. Then on this site http/www.aquazoo.co.uk/page.cfm/Type=Fish/ID=369 it says the male has pointed anal and dorsal fins.

They get along with the honey gouramis? I'd love to get a pair of those someday

My fish love the current too..it's so funny to watch them play

 

[Elisabeth83]

ohh I found this on another site:

"Only the males seem to croak and mine seem to assume a head down position when doing so - usually at a rival male but sometimes with a female. They are very loud for such a small fish! I was given a good tip on sexing them which so far has proved correct. The males have a bold row of reddish brown spots above the 'stripe' which runs along their side. In the females this row of spots is absent or insignificant. The babies are fairly easy to raise as long as they have lots of cover (duckweed, Riccia, and the like) and fine early food like green water, followed by vinegar worms and newly hatched mosquito larvae or brine shrimp. They grow quickly but both adults and young like it weedy, shallow, and on the warm side."

edit: oops I see in your first post you knew about this way of sexing them already )

 

[jollysue]

I'm still reading your first post, but that second one about the spots is the one that had stuck in my memory. That's why I picked up the little sparkler yesterday; it's spots aren't as bold and sometimes fade out in places. The top line of spots is really vague.

I'll have to study the fins. I remember reading that too but couldn't remember what I was suppose to look for. I need to get a chair closer by that tank so I can observe.

Good work Elisabeth

Yes the sparklers seem to be good community fish. So far they are nice little folk. When they start breeding or spawning things could change. Same goes double for the honeys. They are so small that they are able to have a colony with other groups and not be bothered--it seems. Actually that is what was suggested to me when the idea of several cockatoo and gourami colonies in one large tank was first brought up.


EDIT: Of course we have to be careful of the incidental reports. The croaking gourami and sparkling gourami have been confused several times.

I think the spawning and nests are built at the upper levels of the tank which gives them more space if the community has limited top swimmers. Of course if the special conditions aren't met then I suppose there won't be any spawning.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Neither of mine build nests. More due to the other residents I think though.One is definitely a male. He started attacking the other one and they had to be seperated. Totally took of the tail and fins. They have grown back now thankfully but they won't be living together anymore.
Oddly the one that was moved (The picked on one), which is now in the 55g until the new 30 is ready shows no interest in the betta in the breeding net (Temp home until his new home arrives! ). Yet the female platies are hanging around his net like he's the most beautiful thing they ever saw.
Just watch them. If you see any signs of problems seperate accordingly.
Hugs,
P.

 

[emma12321]

Like Elizabeth said they can be easily sexed by looking at the rows of spots, the females croak as well as the males though so don't go by this guide.

Mine had several batches of fry but i never had any luck raising them and since i moved house and they moved to a bigger tank they haven't tried breeding.

Emma

 

[jollysue]

Thanks emma.

I'm now trying to get a good look at the fins. The female is still very young. The boys show color on the edges of their tail fins and do have sharp high dorsal fins. I haven't seen the anal and caudal yet nor have I spied the female's (although she doesn't have color on the tail yet). I have a clump of artificial plants to accommodate the peace of the honeys. It keeps my observations interruped and limited.

But Elisabeth we are getting somwhere. So much for the knowledge of the "knowledgeable".

I think my honeys are investigating their nest options. That may be why they are riding the currents in the Eclipse 12. There are a couple of spots that will accommodate them I think. I guess I will have to stop stirring the water and sticking my hand in. )

Perhaps that's why largest sparkler is riding the currents with them.

So far everyone is getting along even though I have added what I believe to be a female sparkler to apparantly three male sparklers.

 

[jollysue]

I am beginning to see some bickering with the sparklers. Nothing really bad and they aren't ready to move to their home yet.

 

[SarahBravo]

I have another wrinkle to add to this dilemma. I bought 10 sparklers a couple of weeks ago, and apart from size, they are mostly identical. On some the stripe is darker, but they all have a stripe and all have some form of brown splodges above the stripe. Some of them croak, and the bigger ones display and tail slap. I had assumed the bigger ones were male, and that there were really no outward visible differences. However, I went inot my lfs this sunday, and they had a couple more sparklers in. One had a distinctive tail and bottom fin shape which may distinguish him as the only male of the bunch (or may not ) I just wanted your opinions!

10 existing sparklers all look like this:

New sparkler (currently in quarantine) looks like this:

Definite pointy tail/fins, which in quite a lot of fish = male.

Waddya reckon?

 

[jollysue]

Wow! Sarah, he is outstanding. No doubt that's a he! Whether he's a striking new variety is another question. But I want One! Now! It's time to get your lfs to talk to the dealer.

Some if not all of mine are headed for the first pic's look. But I think at least one of mine is developing a pointy tail.

Mine are still young and I'm trying to see their fins. I think some differences may be developing in the fin shapes. It's just too soon to tell. But I know better what to look for.

Those fins definately match the descriptions we're reading of the male "plumage." He really shows the cichlid male plumage. Reminds me of my cockatoo.

Thanks for posting that!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

you've just got two different species of sparklers. These are the websites iI liked best back when I was considering adding some sparkly fish:

http/aquaworld.netfirms.com/Labyrinthfis...s_schalleri.htm
http/aquaworld.netfirms.com/Labyrinthfis...psis_pumila.htm

but your pictures are a lot better than theirs.

--EDIT--
speaking of pictures... elizabeth, what's that in your new avatar?

 

[SarahBravo]

Awww rats, I thought I'd cracked it!! Thanks Pica, excellent searching! Oh well, he's going in with the others in a week, we'll just have to see what happens. I'm not really after breeding them anyway.