Cobalt blue dwarf gourami
# Cobalt blue dwarf gourami
The cobalt blue dwarf gourami is a tropical fish that happens to be a color
variation of the dwarf gourami. Overall it is a peaceful fish and would
interact best if kept in pairs. If you plan on keeping this fish, you need to
know about every nitty-gritty detail there is regarding this fish. First of
all, it requires access to the water surface because it tends to breathe
directly from the air. To have a more specific and in-detail overview of the
fish, keep following the contents of this article as follows;
Optimum
living conditions
The living conditions for all varieties of the gourami
fish might change and fluctuate according to the season, but for the cobalt
blue dwarf gourami (Colisa Laila), the following optimum living conditions
apply;
· pH: 6-8
· Temperature: 77o-82o
· Water hardness: 5o-20odH
· Life Span: 3-4 years
· Origin/habitat: South Asia
· Lighting needs: moderate -normal
lighting
· Breeding temperature: 80oF
· Water movement: weak
· Minimum tank size: 10 gallon
Feeding practices
and food guide
The cobalt blue dwarf is an omnivore, which means that
it will eat all kinds of living, fresh, and even flake food. To have some kind
of harmony with the healthy nutrition this fish require and to keep on with the
repetition of these nutrients, try giving them a quality flake or pellet diet.
You can mix up this artificial food with the live one, such as giving them
white worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, or any such valuable live feed that the
fish is interested in or eats. You need to feed this fish twice a day.
Aquarium
setup and care
This fish has a labyrinth organ that allows it to live
in the water with shallow oxygen concentration, but it doesn’t mean that it can
live without water changes. You would still have to change the fish water on a
daily basis and keep it free from nitrogen build-up. Daily water changes are a
must-have, and weekly water change at a 25% rate is also recommended because
this fish is going to take the stroll of the toxic water the same as other tropical fish.
Due to having to emerge over the water’s top surface
for oxygen purposes, this fish will remain mostly in the middle and top
sections of the aquarium. But it won’t stop it from swimming in all parts of
the aquarium. You would need a minimum of a ten-gallon aquarium to house this
fish. To make sure that the labyrinth organ remains at optimum functioning, you
are recommended to keep the aquarium in a room that has the same temperature
range as the tank’s water.
The tank you will use to house this beautiful fish
must have an efficient water filtration system but should not create any strong
currents. Like much tropical fish,
this fish also requires well-oxygenated water for its optimum functioning. The
nature of the fish is shy, which means that it will need a lot of hiding places
to feel safe; that is why it is recommended that you decorate your tank
accordingly. Floating plants or dense vegetation is also a recommended element
as this fish loves a great hiding spot. The tank must not be exposed to loud
noises as it can easily scare the fish and thus needs to be placed in a quiet
place, to begin with.
Social
interaction/behavior
The cobalt blue dwarf gourami is a nice and calm fish
that can be kept with other community partners, but large or aggressive fish
can easily intimidate them. This fish might not get acclimated to the new tank
right away and might require some time adjusting to the change of
environment.
If you are looking for some of the finest tank mates
for this fish, then the following are some of the recommendations that you can
follow;
· Trigonostigma heteromorpha
· Harlequin Rasbora
· Tiger Barb
· Clown Barbs
· Kuhlii Loach
· Rainbowfish make
These above-mentioned fish will make for excellent
tank mates for this amazing fish. Most of the time, this fish is sold in pairs,
but when time passes, the male community might become hostile towards their
female partners. If this is the case with your pair, you must provide them with
many hiding places and try to keep the male bullying of the female fish to a
bare minimum.
Fish
disease
If you can properly maintain your aquarium, then the
spread of diseases will not be a problem for you because the cobalt blue dwarf
gourami is a hardy fish. On the other hand, if you can’t provide good quality
of water, maintenance, and adequate nutrition, then a few diseases such as
constipation, bacterial infections, and the hole in the head disease is going
to be a problem. If you find that your fish is suffering from or is showing
symptoms of a disease, it is best to treat them earlier to alleviate the
disease’s onset altogether.
Final
thoughts
The cobalt blue dwarf gourami is a great fish to house
and care for in your aquarium, even if you are a beginner. It can live in soft,
acidic water, but even if the water’s alkalinity and pH get higher in a
controlled aquarium, it is not going to be a problem.