Paradise gourami breeding?

Question

I'm going to try to breed the paradise gourami but before I start I want to make sure of a few things. I know I need a floating surface for them to lay their eggs on and I am going to buy the female this weekend. I am worried that my filtration is too rough and that it will just pop or destroy the eggs. It is a 200gph filter on a 20 gallon standard. Also, will the gouramis defend the eggs because if they don't, my other fish will eat them. Should I remove them? If so, when?

Fish living with gourami:small severum, small uaru, dojo loach

Answer 1

Your gouramis (and eggs and fry) would fare better if you gave them their own setup. You're correct to be concerned about the filtration - this should be very low flow, with something along the lines of a sponge filter. The tank should be bare-bottom, so any fallen eggs can be retrieved and the water level lowered so the distance between bottom and nest isn't as far (this will also help in maintaining good dissolved oxygen levels of the water for the fry).

Paradise are aggressive, so they may be able to defend the nest - but you don't mention what other species you keep with them.