Breeding Paradise Fish in a pond can be more challenging than doing so in an aquarium.
The Paradise Fish (or Blue Paradise Gourami) is a charismatic, feisty addition to any aquatic setting, particularly at feeding time. Fortunately for the hobbyist breeder, it is also quite hardy and tolerates dirty, muddy water. However, breeding this fish in a pond as opposed to an aquarium does provide a few extra challenges which should be taken into account. A pond, for instance, is subject to several factors which are more difficult to control such as unexpected wind chills and lurking predators.
Instructions
1. Ensure there are several floating water plants in your pond, as the male Paradise Fish will use these as anchors for his nest. The Paradise Fish, like his close relative the Siamese Fighting Fish, is an air breather, so he blows sticky bubbles under a leaf or plant at the water surface to build his bubble nest. It's important the surface of the water remains motionless, which will give the male an opportunity to build. Fortunately, the Paradise Fish is not fussy with respect to water quality and can thrive in many conditions.
2. Feed your Paradise Fish Tubifex worms and brine shrimp for several days before spawning in order to condition them. It's a good idea to place only one breeding pair in the pond; even this is risky as the male may mutilate the female if she's not ready to spawn. To avoid this, place a partition or a separate container in the pond to keep the female out of harm's way while the male builds his nest. However, if the pond is large enough, and if there are sufficient bushy plants for the female to hide in, separating them may not be necessary.
3. Raise the temperature of the water to between 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit using a submersible heater -- this will almost certainly trigger breeding behavior in the Paradise Fish. When the male is ready to spawn, his colors will deepen and he'll turn various shades of red, blue and green. If you have separated the female, wait until she's swollen with eggs before releasing her into the pond. Spawning involves the male luring the female under his nest and inducing her to release her eggs, which he fertilizes, amid much quivering and gill-flaring.
4. Remove the female from the pond once the pair has spawned. The male picks up stray eggs in his mouth, spits them into the bubble nest, then guards his offspring until they hatch. Even after they've hatched, he's an attentive father, carefully placing the fry back in the nest when they wriggle out. Once the fry have absorbed their yolk sacs and are free swimming, the male should be removed.
5. Feed the fry with commercial fry foods or infusoria initially; later provide them with newly-hatched brine shrimp. The biggest danger at this point is ensuring the fry aren't exposed to chills -- either keep a very close eye on the water temperature, or remove the fry to a nursery tank, which you can tightly cover. If you're successful, you could end up with 100 Paradise Fish fry.
Tags: Paradise Fish, brine shrimp, bubble nest, ready spawn