What is up with Paradise fish?

[GaryE]

Now I am more confused than before I posted the question. That’s life on the TFF.

There's nothing scarier than people who are 100% certain! So we're all okay with our fish.

I had a grab bag tank in the classroom. It had dozens of that summer's quick growing paradise fish and swordtails galore as they liked a little stream outlet from the filters outside. The paradise fish liked the reeds and slow areas of the pond, but were all over the 75. I had multiple big males - and no problem.
It also had deformed platys from a student, and some platys I'd bought that had a percentage of balloon young. The parents had looked healthy. It was a peaceful tank. It was eventually poisoned by an alt-right nazi kid as revenge for the Holocaust unit I taught.
For aggression, I'll take a paradise fish over a 4chan nazi, anytime. They were larger fish than I like, but really were easy going. Given how they were most popular back when a 10 gallon tank was big, I can see how they'd be seen as aggressive.

 

[Back in the fold]

Now I am more confused than before I posted the question. That’s life on the TFF.

Sometimes the more you find out the less you thought you knew .

 

[kcl_jmo]

I have two, the apricot coloured one for 2.5 years now, and the bluish one for about 4 months. In contrast, I could not keep the bettas alive for longer than a year.

Their availability seems to be seasonal. I only see them in the stores once or twice a year. They are kept together in the same tank just like any other fish, not in individual jars like the bettas. Having said that, I don’t think community tank would work once you bring them home and they have settled down - unless you have a large aquarium.

Although my 2 fish are Macropodus opercularis, the apricot is stocky while the blue is a lot slender.

I'd be really interested to know more about your experience with Paradise fish. I think they look like a much more viable option than an Betta, less inbred, etc (that will be why they live longer). Although our local aquatics shop has a lot more Bettas, it does still stock Paradise fish... well, they had one in stock today... and they can get one in if they don't have any and there is availability from suppliers/other branches.

 

[TNG]

I'd be really interested to know more about your experience with Paradise fish. I think they look like a much more viable option than an Betta, less inbred, etc (that will be why they live longer). Although our local aquatics shop has a lot more Bettas, it does still stock Paradise fish... well, they had one in stock today... and they can get one in if they don't have any and there is availability from suppliers/other branches.

I'd keep them the same way as I would the bettas. Place each fish in a planted tank 40L or 10G and observe their behaviour as they explore the tank. A bare tank will bore them, or any other fish. I don't breed them as I wouldn't know what to do with the offspring, but I expect that you can breed them as you would the bettas. That said, I have never seen a female in the store here.
I never keep them in a big pond, but others can advise if that's what you intend to do.

 

[kcl_jmo]

I'd keep them the same way as I would the bettas. Place each fish in a planted tank 40L or 10G and observe their behaviour as they explore the tank. A bare tank will bore them, or any other fish. I don't breed them as I wouldn't know what to do with the offspring, but I expect that you can breed them as you would the bettas. That said, I have never seen a female in the store here.
I never keep them in a big pond, but others can advise if that's what you intend to do.

Certainly not planning to breed or put in a pond! How did your Paradise live for?

 

[TNG]

Certainly not planning to breed or put in a pond! How did your Paradise live for?

As mentioned in post#11, I've had one for 2.5 years and another for a few months. They are both still alive so don't know how long they will live for. I've read that they could grow to 6" or 15cm long but I've never seen one that big, mine are slighly longer than the typical bettas. Has anyone really seen a 6" paradise fish?
They are not as colourful as the bettas though, except when they flare.

 

[kcl_jmo]

As mentioned in post#11, I've had one for 2.5 years and another for a few months. They are both still alive so don't know how long they will live for. I've read that they could grow to 6" or 15cm long but I've never seen one that big, mine are slighly longer than the typical bettas. Has anyone really seen a 6" paradise fish?
They are not as colourful as the bettas though, except when they flare.

Oh sorry, I forgot this wasn't a particularly old thread. From my research and what I was told at the aquatics shop, they reach 10cm and I think these measures don't usually include the tail so maybe that's where the 15cm is coming from. They are definitely bigger than Bettas. The less colour is a plus in my book as I don't like the eccessive selective breeding that goes into producing the wild colours of Bettas.