Update on suprise blue gourami empire

[LindaJanie]

First, I really enjoy reading the posts on this forum. I mean, how does anyone survive a pandemic self-quarantine without a passion for aquariums??? Anyhow, at the end of January, my pair of blue gouramis surprised me with fry. Four lots of fry later, I moved Dad to bachelor quarters. My survival rate has gone up with each batch, the only difference being Hikari First Bites fry food (unsure of spelling), which I was told about by members of this community. I didn't set out to breed this fish but have become drawn in by watching them grow. Yesterday, I got to see one from the first hatch take its first anabantid breath. The tiny female-shaped guppies in the photos below are from the first batch (lowest survival rate). But watching him zip up to breathe the air... Thrilling! Some things I've learned:
Mild filtration didn't suck any of them in during the hours I've spent watching.
A big-enough tank kept the male from attacking the female after spawning.
Neither parent ate them while I watched.
My feral tank carries plenty of infusoria for their first week of life.
A current in the tank (need it for my loaches living in the gouramis' 'basement') seemed to present no problems.
The fry food upped their

survival rate.
This is really, really fun.

 

[Retired Viking]

Congratulations That is really cool,I really like seeing fry. Sure looks like there is a lot of them. I found two more fry when working in my tank the other day, now I have 4, There are 3 glow light tetra fry and one that is light gray and so small I am not sure what he is. At this rate of birth I do not have to worry anytime soon about having an overcrowded tank

 

[CryptFan]

So Many Babies !

 

[JuiceBox52]

Awesome! My mom had a yellow gourami and a blue one. They had purple babies!