Paradise fish

[blert]

I found a beautiful black paradise fish today.

Any thoughts on this type of fish? Being labyrinth fish, care seems similar to Gouramis/Bettas. Would it work as a 'lone ranger' in a ten gallon? If so, can it have any tank mates in this small of a tank and what would you suggest they be? I would be looking to round the tank out with bottom, mid and top dwellers.

 

[jetajockey]

I like paradisefish a lot, and have bred a few of them. They make pretty good community fish, mine never bothered any others in the tank. I'd consider them a generally good community friendly fish.

However, when they spawn they get very very aggressive and the male will fiercely guard his nest from anything and everything in the tank, so it's best to isolate them if you breed them.

A 10g is a bit of a stretch for a fish that gets this large, they can get 4-5" easily with finnage. If I kept one in a 10 it'd probably be alone, maybe with a few snails as the only tankmates.

 

[blert]

Did not realize they got so large. The pages I read on them did not give potential size. I'm also not interested in breeding them. Mayhaps I will go pick up a twenty gallon before the $/gallon sale ends then since I really prefer to have some movement on the bottom of the tank also. Oh yeah, I don't dig snails. I'll have to think on it a bit as I will want to plant the tank (low light/tech) also. If I do pick up a twenty do you think I could keep a group of Ottos or Cories in also? Or maybe a small Pleco?

 

[jetajockey]

If you are sticking with the 10, maybe go with a female as they are much smaller. The 20 will definitely give you more options.

In a well maintained 20H I'd stock a male paradisefish, a group of 4-5 cories (panda, or one of the dwarf species), a single BN, and a 4-6 group of small schoolers.