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Moonlight Gourami – Trichogaster Microlepis

moonlight_gourami

Common name: Moonlight Gourami, Moonbeam Gourami

Scientific name: Trichogaster Microlepis, Osphromenus Microlepis

Average Adult Fish Size: 6 inches / 15 cm

Place of Origin: Cambodia and Thailand, Asia

Typical Tank setup: Well planted tank with rockwork, bogwood/driftwood.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 40 gallon / 160 litre

Compatibility: Peaceful. Best if kept with fish of similar size and temperament, but usually do fine with even much smaller fish as long as they are not mouth size.

Temperature: / 77 – 84 Deg F  /  25 – 29 Deg C

Water chemistry: pH 6.0 – 7.5

Feeding: Omnivorous and do best on a well varied diet of flakes, pellets, frozen or live brine shrimp, brown worms, and blood worms. Live or frozen food is needed to get them into breeding condition.

Sexing: The dorsal fin of the male is pointed and elongated while that of the female is slightly shorter and more rounded. The female is wider bodied and the male is more slender.

Breeding: Moonlight Gouramis build bubble nests. The spawning can be triggered by lowering the water level and raising the temperature. The male guards the nest he builds among floating plants until the fry becomes free swimming. Minimize surface water movement during this time.The fry are very small and requires infusoria for their first week of life followed by baby brine shrimp or very finely crushed flake food. Daily water changes are required for the fry tank.

Additional Information: Moonlight Gouramis are a very peaceful mid-sized Gourami.Coloration can vary from a silvery blue to white to almost silver.