What Do Gourami Fry Eat?

Fish fry of any tropical species are very small. They need specialized foods as soon as they are able to swim and eat freely on their own. For gourami, this means after about three days, the egg sac will be absorbed and they will need specialized foods. These foods are easily made at home.

  1. Infusoria

    • Infusoria can be purchased at a pet store and comes in a small bottle with an eyedropper. It is loaded with microorganisms, notably, paramecium. It can be placed in a tank with the fry and what is not eaten will simply die since there is not enough bacteria for them to eat. This will kick start the growth of the fry. They will only need this mixture for about 10 days.

    Baby Brine Shrimp

    • Baby brine shrimp are the hatchlings of brine shrimp, most famously known as sea monkeys. They can be grown at home, netted and dropped into the tank or purchased. If you purchase them, ask if they were raised indoors in a sanitary environment since they may also harbor water-borne pests. This can be fed at any time from about 10 days old to adulthood.

    Powdered Flake Food

    • To adjust gouramis to eating regular flake food, crush some flake food into a fine powder, This is done by grinding the flakes between the thumb and forefinger over an old, clean medicine bottle. Make sure your fingers are dry. Make sure it is a fine powder. This can be given a lesser fineness as the fish grow older until they reach around 1 inch in length.

    Tubifex Worms

    • Tbifex worms are purchased at pet stores. They come in a package and are 1/2-inch cubes. Live tubifex worms live in raw sewage and will pass diseases on to the young fish. They are processed, sanitized and then freeze-dried. This gives a high protein meal for young fry that are 1/2-inch long. The blocks need to be minced finely with a sharp-edged knife.