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How to look after
Colisa lalia
Dwarf Gourami
Buchanan-Hamilton, 1822

(Other members of the genus Colisa)

ADULT SIZE: 6 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Neutral

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 24-28 C

FOOD: Feed Colisa lalia small live-foods and fine grade dried foods

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from India

AQUARIUM CARE: A peaceful and very attractive anabantid, that suits smaller community tanks. Dwarf Gouramis will adapt to suit most conditions, and will happily eat flake and other prepared foods. In the wild they are widespread in vegetation choked waters including the Ganges, where they live with other anabantid species

BREEDING: A typical bubble nester builder. The air above the water surface needs to be humid, so tanks should be covered

Have you bred Colisa lalia? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Colisa lalia breeding reports

Similar species to Colisa lalia

Other members of the genus Colisa

Other labyrinth species

Other species from India

Colisa lalia
Dwarf Gourami

Colisa lalia
Dwarf Gourami
breeding notes

BREEDING: A typical bubble nester builder. The air above the water surface needs to be humid, so tanks should be covered

Have you bred Colisa lalia? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience!

2 breeders have filled in breeding reports, a summary of the results are shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here.

To add details of your experiences of Colisa lalia, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.

Would Colisa lalia be a good addition to a community tank?
graph1
  1. Never
  2. Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish
  3. Only with species of similar size
  4. Yes, a good community fish
How would you describe the disposition of Colisa lalia?
graph2
  1. Very timid
  2. Slightly timid
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat aggresive on occasions
  5. Very aggressive

In which water conditions do you keep these fish?
graph3
  1. Very soft and acidic
  2. Moderately soft and acidic
  3. Neutral
  4. Moderately hard and alkaline
  5. Very hard and alkaline
At what average temperature?
graph4
  1. 10-15°C
  2. 16-19°C
  3. 20-23°C
  4. 24-27°C
  5. 28°C+

What, if any is the biggest difficulty encountered when breeding these fish?
graph5
  1. Poor egg production
  2. Poor egg survival
  3. Poor fry survival rate
  4. Deformities
  5. Skewed sex ratio
How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Colisa lalia? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered.
graph6
  1. Almost all males
  2. Somewhat male heavy
  3. Roughly equal
  4. Somewhat female heavy
  5. Almost all females

In general, how difficult is Colisa lalia to keep and breed?
graph7
  1. Very easy
  2. Easy
  3. Average
  4. Difficult
  5. Very difficult
How sucessful have you been at breeding Colisa lalia?
graph8
  1. Very unsucessful
  2. Fairly unsucessful
  3. Average
  4. Fairly sucessful
  5. Very sucessful


Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences

Water conditions: Very soft and acidic Water temperature: 24-27oC
Disposition: Active, but not aggresive Community tank?: Yes, a good community fish
Spawning Method: Peat (or similar) spawning substrateBreeding problems:
Poor fry survival rate
Sex ratio: Somewhat female heavyBreeding difficulty: Difficult
Sucess: AverageYears Experience: 1
Other Comments: Breeding Colisa Lalia is easy with the right parameters. Surviving the fry is the difficult part. I left the eggs and fry with both parents in the community tank for 3-4 days. After 3-4 days I got the fry out of the big tank in a smaller tank with filter with the same water. Some of the small fish got got up in the small filter even though I covered the filterentrance with a panty hose. Next time I'll cover the entrance and exit! I've fed the fry artemianauplia and later (after 2 weeks) babyflakes and artemia supplifier. Most problems I've had/have are with the adults (LFS, petshop etc.). After 2-3 months they all get small tumors, wounds, fungus etc. This is a known fact, Lalias are weak fish because most of them are bred with antibiotics.. I hope my own breed will be stronger!
Date this record created: 27th August 2012Breeding date: 2012
Breeder: Sandra ThijssenLocation: Europe, Holland
Water conditions: Water temperature:
Disposition: Active, but not aggresive Community tank?: Yes, a good community fish
Spawning Method: Breeding problems: none
Sex ratio: Breeding difficulty:
Sucess: Years Experience: 1
Other Comments:
Date this record created: 5th July 2011Breeding date: 2011
Breeder: Location:

Fishkeeping Facts and Tips

Cichlids? There are estimated to be over 2000 different Cichlid species in the wild, of all sizes, shapes and colours. Many require very specialist conditions such as those coming from the sandy/rocky waters of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. Others, such as the Apistogramma dwarf cichlids from the Amazon basin require softer water and a well-planted tank. In general cichlids do not make good community fish as they can get quite aggressive, especially when spawning - but a specialist cichlid tank is certainly a sight to behold, and can be very rewarding for the more experienced aquarist


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