Colisa lalia

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Dwarf Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Species	Colisa lalia
Difficulty	Easy
Min. Tank Size	56.781 liters 56,781.177 mL 15 US Gallons (56.8L)
Size	6.35 cm 2-2.5 " (5.1-6.4cm)
pH	6.5 - 7.5
Temp.	295.372 K 22.222 °C 531.67 °R 300.928 K 27.778 °C 541.67 °R72 -82 °F (22.2-27.8°C)
Water Hardness	4-13
Stocking Ratio	1:2 M:F
Availability	Very Common
Diet	Omnivore Pellet Foods Flake Foods Live Foods
Life Span	2-4 years

[edit] Alternative names

Red dwarf gourami, Blood red, Striped dwarf gourami, Sunset dwarf gourami, Powder Blue Gourami, etc. all depending on the specimen's colour pattern.

[edit] Other Scientific Names

Trichopodus lalius, Trichogaster lalius, Colisa lalius

[edit] Sexing

Female is silver with hardly any colour.

[edit] Tank compatibility

A top dwelling fish, does well in community set ups with fish such as Neon Tetra, Harlequin Rasbora, Corydoras etc. However, do not keep a mix of Gourami species together, nor keep Dwarf Gourami with other anabantoids such as Betta splendens as this will bring out their aggressive side. Also, do not keep with other aggressive species such as Cichlids.

[edit] Diet

Omnivore. Not fussy, will take flake, bloodworm, glass worm, brine shrimp and even catfish pellets.

[edit] Feeding regime

Twice a day is usually enough.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Clean water, likes a planted aquarium. Preferably with floating plants.

[edit] Behaviour

Male becomes territorial, develops a deep purple chest (see above picture) and flares up its dorsal fin when floating plants and a female are introduced. Otherwise it's an excellent community fish.

Gouramis, like Bettas are a labyrinth fish, in that they have a special organ that allows them to breath air. So they can survive in low oxygenated water. If they are not allowed access to the air then they drown.

[edit] Identification

Small gourami, very brightly coloured.

[edit] Special notes

• This fish is prone to bacterial infections, constipation and Hole in the Head problems. So regular water changes are essential. This fish is usually not in good condition when seen in the pet shop.

• Currently most of the Colisa lalia are arriving in pet shops with a virus (Dwarf gourami Iridovirus (DGIV)) in them. This causes lethargic behaviour, darken of colour, tumours and death within a year. This virus is also believed to infect other fish like Swordtails and Mollys, possibly some cichlids. There is no treatment for this virus. ^[1]

[edit] Pictures

Female	Male Red Stripped Dwarf Gourami	Male Red Stripped Dwarf Gourami	Powder Blue Gourami variant

• Other Pictures of Colisa lalia

[edit] References

1. ↑ PFK Article: Aquarium trade may have spread gourami virus

[edit] Google Map

[edit] External links

• Fishbase
• PFK
• About.com
• Wikipedia