Macropodus opercularis ( common paradise fish ) coming...

[Magnum Man]

so I have a couple coming to add to the bitterling tank... I've never had them before they are going into a 55 gallon with so many vine roots there is not much free swimming area, so if they mate, that will be fine, and if they are the same sex, there is lots of line of sight disruptions... they are not tiny like the bitterlings and panda garra when they came, but are supposed to be medium size, but are not sexed ... hoping things go well there...

 

[Magnum Man]

my paradise fish came today... no idea on males or females... I got 2 of them... one is the traditional red and blue, the other is more greens and yellow, with orange and red... so I'll likely be able to tell them apart

 

[Innesfan]

Female to the left, male to the right...when mature,

 

[gwand]

Will pairs tolerate each other or do they act like some of my Apistogramma cacatuoides pair and assault one another?

 

[Magnum Man]

I was just looking at the tank a few minutes ago, and coincidentally they were at opposite ends of the tank, with a million vine roots between... while I was watching, blue/red, worked it's way through the roots, avoiding the rosy barb, and swam pretty much right up to green/red, with no adversarial reaction, at least while I was watching... both fish are the same size, at right about 3 inches... assuming since they are so close to the same size, it wouldn't surprise me, if they are from the same batch of fry...

 

[GaryE]

They don't pair, but hook up to mate. Males have territories, but not as rigidly as Apistogramma do. They build bubblenests at the surface. After they bred like rats in the school pond all summer, I had a lot of them in a 75 gallon classroom tank. Males tolerated each other in the normal run of things.
In smaller tanks, I expect there could have been murder, but in a four footer with moving water, they did fine.

They come from temperate climates (though still on the warm side) and I didn't heat the tank. It would get cool as schools kill the heating at night to save money. My classroom was never toasty in winter, and in summer they went to the pond. At 16 to 20c, they were peaceful (and grew well) but at 25, the edges of the pond were covered in bubblenests, all stoutly defended.

 

[Magnum Man]

Rosy barb, and the 2 paradise hanging... sorry, hard tank to take pictures in...

 

[gimme30]

These used to be a staple in every fish store in the state, even the big box stores. Funny how they just sorta disappeared. I haven't seen one in years until this post.

 

[Back in the fold]

These used to be a staple in every fish store in the state, even the big box stores. Funny how they just sorta disappeared. I haven't seen one in years until this post.

Same here . Used to be you saw them all the time and now they’re hard to find . I think it’s because too many new people had a bad experience with them not knowing their temperament . The last time I saw one in a shop it was being called a Brown Gourami which surprised me because THIS shop should know better .

 

[gwand]

I bought my Paradise fish in November. He lives in a 29 gallon with dwarf platy, endlers and a molly. It is a peaceful and beautiful tank. I love my Paradise fish. He has been a great neighbor.

 

[Magnum Man]

my two are in a 55 gallon, with a big school of bitterling, a few small panda garra, and a male long fin rosy barb... and while they don't fight, they also don't hang out together, and are about half grown...