Breeding Gouramis

Writen by William Berg

Gouramis are a quite popular chocies among fish hobbyists. For novice fish breeders, breeding gouramis can be an appealing challenge. Getting them to spawn and raising the fry can be a rewarding experience.

Gouramis are labyrinth fishes. They have labyrinth, which is an air-filled breathing hole, located under the gill covers. This kind of fish can often be seen going to the surface of the water to take in fresh air, making them survive waters with low oxygen levels. There are many different types of gouramis, which all originally came from South and Southeast Asia. Most species are easy to breed, however a few species like Helostoma temmincki (the Kissing Gourami), Osphromenus goramy (the Giant Gourami), Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (the Chocolate Gourami) are rather difficult. Some of the favmost popular species include the Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri), the Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) and the Honey Gourami (Colisa sota). And these are the species I am going to say a few words about breeding.

The pearl gourami is one of the most beautiful of all the gouramis. The body and fins have lovely mosaic pearls that shine in the lights. The length for female can reach 10cm, 12cm for male. These gouramis love shallow, warm (around 27 C), and slowly flowing waters. They are very calm fish and easy to keep. They eat just about anything; however green flakes and Grindal worms are preferable. The breeding aquarium should be 80 cm in length or larger, with some suspended and anchored plants. The aquarium should be filled with about 15-20cm of water with no air or filtration, temperature 29C. Up to 2000 eggs can be laid in one spawning. When the fry become free swimming the male should be removed from the aquarium. The female should be removed right after spawning.

The dwarf gourami has diagonal turquoise blue stripes on their reddish orange body. The males are larger and more colorful than the females. The male becomes very brightly colored at spawning time. Their nature and needs of treatment are similar to those of the pearl gouramis, they will eat anything they are being feed, however they prefer live foods and prepared mixtures. Best spawned in a separate aquarium especially setup for this purpose. Place a well-conditioned pair into a 40-liter or 60-liter, thickly planted aquarium with a lot of floating plants. The spawn can consist of 300 to 700 eggs. After spawning is completed, the female should be removed. The male will tend the spawn until the fry become free swimming, and then he should be removed too.

The males of honey gourami have beautiful bright orange-yellow color. The females are plain, have slightly shaded brownish orange body with a silvery fluorescent glow. They prefer aquariums with some thickly planted areas and with some open swimming areas. They usually eat anything you provide them with. These fish are moderately easy to breed, though a little more difficult than the dwarf gourami. For a pair, prepare a 40-liter aquarium without air stone or filter. The male will build a large bubble nest. The eggs will when laid float up into the bubble nest, where the male will guard over them until they hatch and the fry becomes free swimming, which is when he should be removed. The female should be removed right after spawning.

About The Author
William Berg is an experienced aquarist and writes for http://www.aquaticcommunity.com and have articles featured on alot of other aquarium sites such as http://www.clownloach.info

Free Dog Training Tips Easy Steps To You Leading The Pack Part 3

Writen by ONeal Hendrix

Be a leader, a dog will follow.

From the last two articles, remember King and his dominant dog behavior? King was the leader of his pack -- Mom, Dad, 2 kids. King set the rules in the house and didn't hesitate to enforce them, with growling, snapping, and even biting. I introduced 3 simple dog training steps to help you begin to take the leadership role back from King.

Then there was Queenie and her family (especially Mom), who gently took the leadership position. Queenie learned dog manners and wonderful dog behavior through Mom's gentle but firm positive dog training methods and her consistency in teaching Queenie house rules. Queenie was eager to learn and to please and received lots of praise and tons of treats. With humans as pack leaders and dogs as pack members (preferably at the bottom of the hierarchy!), the whole household is calm and happy.

Let's talk about your household. Your angel might not be as dominant or aggressive as King, and you may have worked with her some but not quite enough to have a dog similar to Queenie. Time is sometimes a factor -- with our lives as busy as they are, sometimes it's difficult to make time to for even short periods of dog training. But if you'll give it a little effort, the payoff will be tremendous. You can change your dog's behavior in no time at all.

I want to give you a few more new recommendations for regaining leadership in your pack. But first, I want to review some of the ones found in the first two articles. For the complete list, go to http://www.best-dog-articles.com.

SOME REVIEW STEPS

Get their attention first -- say Fido's name before you say the command.

Be kind -- Use a gentle voice, give commands and direction calmly and lovingly.

Let's play -- YOU start and end all games. Keep them wanting more.

Let's EAT -- YOU eat before feeding the dog.

Praise, praise, praise -- Pour on the praise for good dog behavior and good manners.

NEW STEPS

1. Are you sick?!

One of the first concerns with new or unwanted behaviors (e.g., excessive urination) is a health concern. Get a vet check to address any health concerns that might cause behaviors your dog has no control over.

2. Down every day!

Put your dog in a "down" position for 5-10 minutes every day. This reinforces for your dog that you are the leader. Beginning this program may involve many jump-ups. Just gently and firmly put the dog back down. (No need to restart time.) You will notice that the breaks of command quickly fall away. It's fine for your dog to sleep through this one!

3. Do that AGAIN!

Dogs love routine. They have incredible internal clocks. One activity that dogs love and that routine is important is mealtime. I suggest feeding dogs two times a day (no running buffet) within an hour window each time (e.g., 7-8AM and 5-6PM). Watch your dog -- if you do something regularly, they come to expect it and act appropriately. Other activities that can become routine are morning or evening walks, Saturday errands, the time you come home from work. If it's a regular thing, your dog knows it's going to happen.

4. Brush, brush, brush the coat!

One activity you both can enjoy is grooming. Daily gentle grooming reinforces a loving relationship with your dog. This can become prized private time for both of you.

5. Through the paces-- Every day!

Obedience training is very important to do every day, even for 5 minutes at a time. Try to avoid the military commando approach. Be consistent and kind, get your dog's attention first, praise, praise, praise for his willingness and compliance to your commands. Practicing obedience reinforces that you are the leader.

CONCLUSION

That's it! You now have the arsenal for regaining the leadership position in your pack and getting some good dog behavior practices in place. Emphasizing the positive in your dog training efforts pays off exponentially -- your dog will be your friend for life and won't be scared of you. When you establish yourself as leader, dogs respect you and will work so hard to please you. Take the time to get these easy steps into your daily routine and watch the changes magically occur.

Wishing you a calm and happy adventure with your canine companions.

[This article is the third in a 3-part series about changing dog behavior using positive dog training methods.]

O'Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has "worked miracles" with dogs and their owners. Check out her dog toy recommendations for all dog breeds and temperaments!

Do You Know How To Best Look After Your Dogs Health

Writen by Niall Kennedy

As a loving pet owner, you want your dog to live a great life. You can do this thanks to the many advances in veterinary medicine. Dogs can live longer and healthier. And, the quality of your dog's health is all about how well you and your vet work together to make it so.

Your first vet visit should be within the first ten days that you own her. In this time period, the vet will get measurements and weights for her. They will also check the blood and stool of the animal to insure there are no health concerns there. It is also important for you to get some basic education on modern pet care from your vet during that first appointment. The vet will be able to tell you how to brush the dog's teeth, how to clean his ears as well as how to clip toenails. Just ask.

The next thing that you should keep in mind is your dog's food. A well balanced diet will include foods that are good quality and in the correct amounts. Your dog needs the right nutrients to sustain a healthy lifestyle. You can always ask your vet which is the best food for your dogs as well as understanding how much to feed them. You don't have to purchase the highest priced product on the store shelves either. Some of the most costly are not even that good for your dog. There are great inexpensive choices for you as well.

You need to give your dog exercise. It helps to strengthen muscles and keeps her weight under control. It helps with the immune system of the pet as well. You may actually have to encourage your dog to be active. If a dog seems to be a couch potato type animal, you need to find a way to get them moving. Other dogs are naturally active. You should put some time each day aside for the exercise of your pet.

Your dog will need to be seen by the vet at least once per year. This will allow the vet to insure the dog's health as well as test for parasites that may be there. Blood and stool samples will be used for this. It is important to do this so that the vet can spot and treat problems before they threaten your dog's health severely. You should also mention anything different that your dog is doing during this time. For example some pets will lick paint or will eat strange substances. These are signs that something is medically wrong and you should bring it to your vet's attention.

Also important during this visit is that the vaccines will be updated. This is very important to your dog's life. And, in some areas, it is required by law to have them done.

Lastly, you'll need to know how to choose a vet. Do it the same way you would choose your own doctor. They should be someone that you trust and feel comfortable talking with. The vet should encourage your questions and support your needs.

Best Dog Health Information is a resource which will help you find infomation, hints and tips to keeping your dog happy and healthy. http://www.best-pet-health.info This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and live links are included intact.