Pink Kisser Fish, or Kissing Gourami, or Pink Kisser Gourami is a decorative fish that’s widespread for its behavior of ‘kissing’.
Scientifically named Helostoma temminckii, the fish gained its common identity from its kissing behavior.
In actual fact, the fish’s act just isn’t kissing, however, fights for dominance between two male fish.
Pink kisser gourami profile
Scientific Name: Helostoma temmincki
Common Name: Kissing Fish, Pink Kissing Gourami
Adult Size: 10 – 12 inches
Life Expectancy: 5 years
Habitat: South East Asia
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallon
Ideal Tank Conditions:
Temperature Range: 72°F – 82°F
pH Range: 6 – 8
Hardness Range: 5 – 20
Temperament: Peaceful
Pink kisser gourami description
Kissing gourami grows greater than 30 cm beneath pure circumstances, however not usually grow greater than 14-15 cm when saved in aquariums.
The fish is inexperienced or greenish-gray in color, however, the most well-liked selection these days is pink.
Kissing gourami may be very tolerant in the direction of different forms of fishes within the aquarium and might be grown even in small-sized tanks.
The pH worth of water ought to be between 6.5 and seven.5. The fish is ready to breathe coming as much as the floor of water.
The favored kissing gourami, generally known as a kisser, originates from the Indonesian island of Java and can be present in Borneo, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It’s generally cultivated within the southern Indochina area as a meal fish.
There are three color variations of this fish: a pink or flesh-colored type; a silver-green type also known as the “inexperienced kisser;” and a mottled or piebald selection.
The pink variation doesn’t happen as ceaselessly in nature and is the result of a discount in pigmentation often called leucism.
This trait has been selectively bred for aquarium commerce, as a result of a color choice by homeowners.
Kissing gouramis have been recognized to be quarrelsome with some species of fish and shouldn’t be saved with smaller fish.
Though they are often saved in a group tank with medium to giant dimension fish, homeowners ought to observe them intently to make sure they don’t seem to be bullying different fish.
Potential tankmates could embrace loaches, barbs, bigger tetras, a few forms of cichlids, and a few catfish.
Kissing gouramis will generally ram the perimeters of different fish, stripping them of their slime coat and will doubtlessly injury their pores and skin. If this happens, it’s smart to separate the fish.
In nature, kissers are normally present in slow-moving, closely vegetated ponds or marshes.
They’re a hardy fish that may tolerate a spread of water circumstances. A hidden construction in these fish is the labyrinth organ.
This organ permits them to take oxygen from the air, permitting them to outlive in waters with low oxygen ranges.
In actual fact, the gills of labyrinth fish are normally not able to acquiring sufficient oxygen from the water to outlive.
Due to this fact, they need to fulfill a few of their oxygen requirement by gulping air on the floor of the water. Because of this, it’s important to supply them with entry to the water floor.
Pink Kisser Fish Diet & Nutrition
Will take many forms of meals, together with flakes, pellets, freeze-dried, and particularly reside meals.
As a result of they’re keen on plant matter of their food plan, use synthetic crops or sturdy reside crops comparable to Java fern or Java moss. Tender crops are more likely to be eaten all the way down to the stem.
In nature, Pink Kisser Fish develops to a dimension of 30cm or extra, however, in captivity, they typically develop to between 20 and 30cm in dimension.
Nevertheless, even a small kisser will develop too giant for an aquarium smaller than 120 liters and shouldn’t be saved in mini-tanks.
With correct care, it isn’t uncommon for these fish to reside effectively over a decade.
You can’t appear to overlook the kisser on this fish, however, what you can’t see are the rows of effective enamel on the within floor of these lips, that are used to graze on algae and vegetable matter.
Pink Kisser Fish settles for quite a lot of meals, together with flake, frozen, freeze-dried, and small reside meals, comparable to tubifex and brine shrimp.
In addition, they will settle for any type of vegetable matter and ought to be supplied with loads of spirulina-based meals in addition to recent greens when attainable.
Periodically present recent romaine lettuce, cooked zucchini, or peas to maintain your kissers in optimum health. Take care when offering recent greens, as uneaten parts will shortly foul the water.
Breeding & Spawning
Don’t construct elaborate bubble nests, though the male could blow bubbles randomly on the floor.
If floating crops or lettuce are positioned on the floor earlier than spawning, the eggs will adhere to them.
The mum or dad Pink Kisser fish ought to be eliminated following spawning, as they could eat their very own younger.
The breeding of kissing gourami just isn’t very tough. The newcomers can simply determine the female and male fish.
Grownup feminine fish have a bulged stomach. The facet fin and tail fin of male fish have pointed edges. In contrast to different sorts of gourami fish, kissing gourami doesn’t make bubble nests.
Put the wholesome female and male fish in a breeding tank for breeding. The feminine fish lay about 30-50 eggs which can float within the water.
It’s preferred to separate the mum or dad fish after laying eggs. Additionally, the eggs might be transferred to a different tank utilizing siphons.
Feeding
Kissing gourami might be fed with synthetic fish feed. However, it’s obligatory to incorporate algae and different crops in its food plan to keep up its health. The fish appears to die when disadvantaged of plant-based mostly feed.
Paving stones and pebbles within the aquarium are good for reinforcing the progress of algae. The hatchlings of the fish might be fed with infusoria and later artemia larvae.
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