Setting up blue dwarf gourami fish bowl

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The hardy blue dwarf gourami are ideal fish for a bowl. The gourami (Colisa lalia) belong to the genus Colisa and family Osphronemidae.

Though in their native range these are abundantly available in wild, blue dwarf gourami have become very popular pets for aquarium due to their hardiness and enchanting colors and patterns.

Taxonomic position and distribution of dwarf gourami

Gourami are native of South Asia and found in wild in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
In South India, the wild catches of gourami are sun dried for use as dry fish as well as for animal feeds. These blue gourami are found among the vegetation in many rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. Blue gourami grows to a length of about 1.5-3 inches.

In wild the male has diagonal alternating stripes of red (orange) and blue whereas the female are more silvery in color. By selective breeding many breed variants of blue gourami have been developed with striking colors and patterns.
A male blue dwarf gourami
They have a thread-like pelvic fin which is touch sensitive. They are labyrinth fish and can breathe directly from air using their labyrinth organ functioning as lung.
Neon red dwarf gouramiKeeping blue dwarf gourami in a bowl

It will be ideal to keep a pair of them in a large bowl.
As they can breathe directly from the atmosphere aeration is not necessary.
You can keep undergravel air-lift filter to keep water clean and also to develop useful bacteria.
Keep some floating artificial plants as the male blue dwarf have the chronic habit of blowing bubble nests and hiding among the floating plants.
Dwarf gourami tolerate fairly high temperatures of 80°F (27°C).
These fish rarely get diseases. Keeping the fish properly fed and in health conditions can prevent diseases.
Higher temperatures reduce the risk of Ich disease.
Iridovirus has been found to affect these fish.
Sick dwarf gourami may stop feeding and its abdomen may get distended.
This viral disease appears to affect in warmer conditions.
Flame dwarf gourami

Feeding dwarf gourami in fish bowl

These fish are omnivores eating algal matter and small invertebrates in nature.
You can feed the pets with blood worms, flakes and pellet formula feeds. They also like live bloodworms and tubifex worms.
A varied feed of algal and animal sources can give them balanced amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
Feed the pet two times a day and the feed must be consumed in two minutes. Never over feed them.Blue

Breeding blue dwarf gourami in fish bowl

Apart from color patterns the male has pointed dorsal fin whereas the female has rounded and curved dorsal fin.
Mature male builds bubble nest among the floating vegetation.
Peat fiber also can become a good nest-building material.
When the female is induced by the male, it releases eggs on to the bubbles and male fertilises them.
This may happen several times for about 2-3 hours and finally the male will release bubbles below the eggs to cover them completely.
The female fish must be removed after spawning as male becomes aggressive and guards the nest.
In about 12-24 hours the fry of these will hatch out and continue in the protective bubble nest.Neon blue
In three days they will be developed sufficiently using the yolk sac and start leaving the bubble nest.
At this juncture the male of these blue dwarf gourami fish must be removed as it may start preying upon the hatchlings.

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Blue dwarf gourami in bowl.

Setting up African dwarf frogs fish bowl

Bowl for gourami → Fish bowl for betta → Bowl for goldfish → Fish bowl for guppies → Bowl for White cloud mountain minnow → Bowl for ghost shrimp → Fish bowl for mystery snail → Ornamental bowl for African frog

African dwarf frog is an ideal pet for keeping in ornamental fish bowl as it is miniature in size and grows up to a maximum of 2½ inches in length. Ornamental African Dwarf frogs are very much suitable for an ornamental fish bowl. They can be kept along with adult guppy fish or ghost shrimp in fish bowl. Alternatively a pair of them can be kept in a large ornamental fish container.

Taxonomic position and distribution of ornamental African dwarf frog

These ornamental African dwarf frogs (Hymenochirus boettgeri) come under the genus Hymenochirus. These are very commonly mistaken for African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
African clawed frogs are banned species in many States due to threat to native populations. However they can be differentiated easily by their main characteristic of front feet.
The front claws of African clawed frog have no web between the digits whereas the African dwarf frog has web between the front feet digits.
These ornamental dwarfs are tongueless and toothless and lead a complete aquatic life. However they surface to breathe and have lungs.
They live up to 10 years in ideal conditions in a fish bowl. These are native of Africa living in the tropical and subtropical areas of Congo region.
These ornamental dwarf inhabit the shallow rivers, streams and ponds. They lack true ears and use the lateral lines running down their bodies to pick up sounds and vibrations.

Keeping African dwarf frog in an ornamental fish bowl

The ornamental fish container must have secure cover as they may jump out of the water.
As they are very active and may churn up the bottom, it is preferable to keep an airlift filter.
The pH of the water may be closer to neutral.
The optimum temperature of water for these ornamental pets is between 65°F - 75°F. A hiding place may also provided for the ornamental pets as they prefer to hide while moulting in the ornamental fish container.
It is advised not to keep gravel in the ornamental fish bowl as the pet may swallow gravel and it may get stuck in the stomach.
River sand may be used as substratum.
As Chytrid Fungus, a deadly amphibian fungus, can affect the African dwarf frog at the pet shop level, it is preferable to quarantine the new frogs for least 3 months before introducing them to other aquarium pets in the ornamental fish bowl especially frogs.

African dwarf frog (enlarge)

Feeding ornamental African dwarf frog in a fish bowl

As they do not have teeth or tongue, they swallow food as whole, sometimes using their claws to tear down the feed.
Young frogs may be fed twice a day. As they grow they can be fed once daily.
The size of the feed must be small enough for swallowing.
If fish are also kept we may have to watch whether the African dwarf frog is also getting the feed in the ornamental fish bowl.
As the eyes of the African dwarf are located on far sides of the skull it has difficulty in locating food. Pellets, flakes, blood worms and frozen meat can be given.

Breeding ornamental African dwarf frog in a fish bowl

The male African dwarf is smaller than the female and when mature develops a pink or white spot behind its armpits.
Mature male ornamental African dwarf frog may start singing in the fish bowl.
The females dwarfs appear more rounded and much bigger than the males.
The mating in African dwarfs is called amplexus wherein the male holds the female around the abdomen in front of female's hind legs.
Female lays the eggs on the surface of water and as she lays eggs the male fertilizes them.
Sudden increase in water level and its warmth induces the female to produce eggs.
Proper feeding of female with protein food must be done for getting the female to maturity.
The female may release about 500-700 eggs.
The parents must be separated as they may eat the eggs as well as hatchlings.
The eggs hatch after 3-4 days depending upon the water temperature and the tadpole are to be fed with infusoria or microworms till they are big enough to eat worms and baby brine shrimp.
In about 8 weeks they will metamorphose into tiny dwarfs of about 12mm length.

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You may have to shift the young African dwarf frogs from the ornamental fish bowl to a bigger aquarium for space for their further growth.