One of easiest species when it comes to breeding. Remember basic rule (it goes for every labyrinth fish) - female must breed regularry, once their life cycle pause for few months, eggs will die inside her tummy, and this fish might be never again able to breed. For males it does not matter.

Sometimes male can eat eggs - usually its because eggs are already dead, sometimes its because fish is stressed (for example when we do not isolate spawning tank), and in rare cases its genetic damage. "Lazy" male can be aroused if we separate him from females and feed excesively for few weeks.

While choosing spawning tank remember, that smaller one is harder to keep clean, but its easier to feed fry in little one. In theory, 20 litres might do the job - but it will force us to change part of water every day. In too big tank female may run away from male.

Keep couple few weeks in not-so-fresh water, temperature around 24 'C. Prepare spawning tank, with crystal water, temperature around 28 'C and water level around 15 cm. Put male at morning, female few hours later. Remember to prepare few hiding places for female. Spawning tank should stand in peacefull place, isolate it so fishes cannot see movement outside. Put piece of green plastic on surface (or plant, if you have proper one - with big leaves). Next day male should build beautifull bubble nest then start to bite female. Its normal, even neccesary - its a kind of signal to eggs so they start to grow up. Wait till fishes spawn then catch female and put her back to normal aquarium. You can leave male with eggs till fry start to swimm, or catch him too - it doesn't really matter.

How to feed them? It depends mostly on our... time. First few days crushed egg might work, then crushed commercial flakes or "micro". If you can spare a lil more time, use protozoas then artemia. Fry eat nearly everything, but simply THE BEST FOOD for them are cyclops. Sometimes they grow up 4 times faster eating cyclops than on other food. On cyclops they will grow more regular (on other food there are big differences in growing speed).

Its one, simple rule: Once fish survive creating labyrinth (2-4 week), it will probably survive everything. Even 80% of fry might not survive this moment. To minimize risk keep temperature of water and of air above surface exactly the same. Even single wind blow (for example when we lift up cover of aquarium) can change temp for 4-5 'C and it may cause massive dieing. This is reason to keep at least 15 cm between water surface and cover of tank. Of course tank must be covered all the time. Keep water level at 15 cm till fry grow up.

From single spawn we can get up to 1000 fishes at once.