Breeding Kissers - 1st hand info required?

I can go out and Google the breeding of Pink Kissers, BUT, I want 1st hand info from experienced breeders. (and not contradictory reports)...... OK.... has anybody done this???.... Please tell.... It is my intention to do so..... I have 4 Healthy and willing fish.... they are ready!!.... what setup should I use??

 

KISSERS, 1000's, for NEXT Valentine's Day maybe?

Outside while it's warm. sheltered and HUMID.

Those were the best conditions.
Even in an old "kidney shaped" asbestos goldfish pond
ALTHOUGH my few successes were in the Eastern Cape, not warm enough, and too windy where I lived!

I got them to spawn in 90cm and better in 1.2m tanks as well as a sheltered pond.

Breeders were the PINK and GREEN varieties, Helostoma temmincki, and H rudolfi
THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of eggs were dispersed.
Nothing I could identify as a nest.
All at waterline, and amongst some floating bits of Ceratopteris water sprite, I found out it's the oil content, actually, that provides the buoyancy!
Pebbles on tank base, here and there some fine sand..was all ..

I was Successful with different fish , ie ONLY Pink Kissing Gourami Helostoma rudolfi , and then Mixed Green Helostoma temmincki, in a group.
Hybrids are fertile..and you get some mottled, MARBLED Kissers as well.

At the time it was debated whether we had one or two or more species...I t wasn't worth my concern...

Barely sexual dimorphic.
I mean I couldn't recognise it UNLESS...
Females when well conditioned have the characteristic "swallowed marble" appearance around the matured ovaries.

Breeder size was smallest 110mm, largest closer to 150mm
Water level dropped.
Parent fish were removed when I observed eggs!.

Top cling-wrapped and punctured to mantain humidity, temperature etc and assist with fry development.

I used Infusoria after a few days(simple Interpet stuff kickstarted it)
Later Powdered dry food(tetra egglayer)
Greenwater was good for them...and shallow waterlevel made syphoning wastes out and merely topup with more aged water...as a simple method increase in tank volume.

I got around R3 ea in 100lots from Wholesaler..at 4-5months old
As they grew I could get nomore than same price..even though I know they were worth ALOT more then!
Case In Point , 1983 I paid R30 (well my Dad did anyway) for ONE adult ,from a hobbyist giving up, ..and that was brought down from R40
To give an idea...I paid same price for a 90cm tank at that time!!

This was achieved several times in mid-late 1980's

The commercial breeders I spoke to in Sri Lanka ..and Houtbay(!?) used shallow outdoor ponds, nearly stagnant(low flow, with some aeration), but quite clean..with some floating plant matter..they harvest 2-3 times a year.

The fish are also regularly hormone injected for guaranteed egg/sperm production and maturation at full commercial production facilites.
You know of course the larger Anabantids are staple food fish in South East Asian households( mostly rural)

I don't think you will have many problems..
BUT what does one do with a multitude of Kissers?
and they don't grow too fast either..
Oh, I kno a few KZN farmers used to do it regularly, but nowadays they import young fish and raise to sell...
Costs alot less in space , and energy with high survival rates.

That's all off the top of my head..

PS
Temp was 26-27
pH from tap was 7.5-7.8
TDS 40-60ppm
KH 2-4
Most of the water(upto 3/4 was aged , from plant growth tanks)

In tank avg pH was just over 7.0

 

Now just how can I decline to add more rep power to a response like that!!!!!.... Thank you Altum.... Your experience shows.... I know they are boyant eggs with no sign of (the traditional gouramie) bubble nest, .....

These are mine (about a year ago)......No signs of Male/female ID's, but then "Kissing" is no indication....... Males do it with each other...(Moffies) They have been in an outside pond now for about 3 months and are thriving in a community..... I will remove the rest of the fish soon and then hope something will happen when they are alone in this 1,000 L pond.... Heaters are available if and when needed. I will certainly draw from your experience (@ Altum)

 

You're welcome.

OH!
I may just have found a way to get Panda Goldfish and other Nice tropicals, up to you.in Amandelbult

Cost effective for the handling, and haste ... but quite reliable and within my ARRIVE ALIVE time frame.

Chase me up on email for any reminders of fish species you are interested in.

**Best possiblilty of success lay in mature fish , >= 2y old, I'd say 120mm no less..to be safe!**
I find higher vegetable food, even duckweed/Ceratopteris to wind them up with just a touch of really good prepared food small amounts of live if you have it.
ie Green Matter, and microorganisms with it is preferred conditioning food.
JUST like Snakeskin , Moonlight and Giant Goramy

 

Please do tell!!.... I will pm.... I have some dreams, & Pandas are included in those dreams..... ( why breed commets if you can do Pandas... (or Black Moores for that purpose)......... I am interested.