Sphaerichthys vaillanti
Sphaerichthys vaillanti live in nature in the upper Kapuas River basin, West Kalimantan province in the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. The fish are found in channels through forested areas where there is little sunlight. The water in these areas is brownish in colour due to the decomposition of organic matter on the bottom. It can be said that this is an endangered fish species. Due to human activities vast forest areas have been cut, and the channels running through them have become polluted and uninhabitable. Today, most of the fish are kept in aquarists' collections rather than in the wild.
Sexual differences among Sphaerichthys vaillanti are weakly pronounced. Females have a straight lower jaw profile and a more pointed head shape than males. In males the lower jaw is slightly rounded. In the pre-spawning period, females are reddish or greenish in colour, while males remain brownish or grey. The size of fish is 4,5-5,5 cm.
Sphaerichthys vaillanti are very calm and peaceful fish. Keep them preferably in a group of at least 6 individuals. If the gourami will be kept in a common aquarium, the neighbours to them to pick up the smaller fish, because the larger and more nimble fish will intimidate them and compete for food.
When contained in a group between the Sphaerichthys vaillanti form the dominant fish, which enjoys the right to choose any shelter in the aquarium and will drive away their rivals while feeding.
Water parameters: temperature 21-25° C, hardness dH 1-4°, pH 3,5-6,5. Filtration should not be too strong. Replace daily no more than 10-15% of the aquarium water with fresh.
As a substrate, it is desirable to use coarse sand. The bottom can be placed snags and branches of trees, which will most plausibly replicate the natural habitat of fish.
The lighting must be low, which should be taken into account when plants are planted in the aquarium. Select plants that can grow in these conditions.
In nature, Sphaerichthys vaillanti gourami feeds on aquatic crustaceans, worms and insect larvae. Under aquarium conditions, fish are fed dry food, although the fish may initially refuse to eat it, but to new habitats and will begin to take it. To enhance the coloration of fish should be fed with frozen and live artemia, daphnia and bloodworms.
Reproduction
Breeding Sphaerichthys vaillanti is not difficult. The eggs are incubated in the mouth of the male in a sac located on their lower jaw.
In the process of spawning, which is initiated by the female, she hatches, for 2-3 hours, about 10-40 eggs on the inner surface of any shelter. After the female spawns, the male fertilises the eggs and takes them all to his mouth. The male then hides in the shelter. The eggs incubate for 1-3 weeks, after which the fully formed fry leave their father's mouth. The parents do not touch their offspring, so the fry can stay in the same aquarium as them.
The fry are fed with micro worms and artemia. The aquarium should have a daily change of 1/10th of the aquarium water with fresh water. The aquarium with the fry should have a cover, as they need access to warm, moist air for their labyrinthine breathing organ to develop properly.
The lifespan of a Sphaerichthys vaillanti under aquarium conditions is 5-7 years.
