Sudden Death Of Male Dwarf Flame Gourami

[jordan1231]

My mated pair of gouramis were about to spawn for the 3rd time yesterday and everything was going great until thismorning when I found the male dead! He was fine the night before and was busy guarding his half completed bubblenest from the guppy fry. Does anyone know what could have caused this? My water is great and the female is fine....Thanks

 

[zoekin8yg]

gouramis arent very hardy, maybe he was worn out?

 

[sylvia]

I agree - three consecutive spawns are never a good idea with dwarf gouramies - they should get several months 'off' between spawns.

Test your water anyway to make sure this wasn't the problem and watch your female carefuly for signs of disease.

 

[jordan1231]

I agree - three consecutive spawns are never a good idea with dwarf gouramies - they should get several months 'off' between spawns.

Test your water anyway to make sure this wasn't the problem and watch your female carefuly for signs of disease.

The 3 spawns weren't consecutive. I have had the fish for almost 2 years and it had been more than 7 months since the last spawn. Maybe he was just old. He was in great physical shape otherwise looked perfectly normal. The water is still great this morning when I tested and the female is fine except I think she keeps looking for him because she isn't hiding out in her normal area under some plants.
Thanks..

 

[sylvia]

He wasn't old - they can live for up to 5 years. In fact, even that is a pretty short lifespan by gourami standards (most live 7-8 years) but. unfortunately, irresponsible breeding and mass inbreeding has cost dwarf gouramies, in particular, their longevity.

 

[jordan1231]

I have one more question. My female is very plump right now with eggs. Will she get sick because she didn't get a chance to release them or will her body reabsorb them? Thanks
ALso should I get another male and how long will it take a new male to get to the point of spawning?

 

[sylvia]

She won't get sick.

How long it takes the new male will depend on his size (age) and health. It'll also depend on how the females react towards him. If you buy a large, healthy male and condition him in a seperate cycled tank for a week before adding him, it could be a very short wait. He may even start a nest as soon as you introduce him to the females but it usualy takes about a month.