On first inspection, the Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis) is an attractive fish with red and blue striped coloring. But if you dig a little deeper into this species, you’ll discover that they are aggressive little things!
Technically a fish in the gourami family, they may also be known in the trade as a Paradise Gourami.
Native to Asia, they are found in the wild in India, Taiwan, and Pakistan in freshwater bodies of water.
Because there are so many other types of Gourami out there on the market, who aren’t aggressive, they have declined in popularity. But if you can make these fish work in your tank community, they will reward you with a lot of personality and interesting behaviors to observe.
Not only are they colorful, but they are a great way to add to your experience level as a hobbyist if you’re up for a challenge!
They can thrive in cooler water temperatures, are air breathers, and it makes them quite hardy even for a novice, although we recommend having suitable experience before acquiring one in this day and age.
Plenty of things to consider when it comes to choosing this fish in your setup, but rest assured, we’ll cover all the bases to ensure you know all of the pros and cons of having a Paradise Fish in your midst.
Paradise Fish Behavior
Reports of the behavior of these fish vary, but you can expect these fish to be social and active at all times.
Their aggressive behavior reputation comes from their attention to others of their own kind. This can also mean that other fish get in the way of these aggressive behaviors unintentionally, whether they like it or not.
Paradise Fish like to spend the majority of their time in the middle layer of the tank setup, and they are normally active swimmers. Usually, the casual observer can see these fish surface to breathe using the labyrinth organ that enables them to do so.
If you have more than one Paradise Fish, you could expect to see some fish fighting taking place. They are rather feisty and do not like being in close proximity to others of their own kind.
You should never keep more than one male Paradise Fish in the same tank; it will only end in a fatality. They are extremely territorial and do not like to share any females present.
These fish will darken their colors to enhance their coloration when a male sees another male, and this is a display meant to intimidate.
Even though females aren’t aggressive by nature like the males, they can contribute to aggressive behavior with the males who will try and target them when the spawning season takes place.
The usual choice for most hobbyists is to keep a solo Paradise Fish to avoid all of these problems in the first place. It’s an unusual choice in the hobby since so many other species need or require others of their own kind to thrive and feel secure.
Paradise Fish have been known to die from stress-related to being unable to establish dominance with other larger fish that they fight with while doing so.
As juveniles, you can keep groups of these fish, but as they mature, males will fight or try to kill other males due to their territorial nature.
These fish will attempt to fight with anything that has a similar body shape, so this needs to be avoided.
Basically, you can assume that these fish are looking to pick a fight, so avoid anything that peaceful because you can be sure that these bully boys will be after your other fish to establish dominance.
Paradise Fish are a species that prefers to be alone, like Greta Garbo!
Paradise Fish Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Paradise Fish, you could expect them to live for around 8 – 10 years. The quality of their tank conditions will impact their lifespan, as always, so you can expect a longer life if you meet their requirements meticulously.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Paradise Fish Appearance
These fish are on the smaller side, reaching 2 – 2.5 inches in length at full maturity. They were actually one of the first tropical fish to be kept as a hobby dating back to the 17th century!
They have a dark grey body with some black spots and then brilliant red and blue vertical striping along their length with a rich orange caudal fin.
The caudal fin is forked at the tail and is long and flowing, somewhat like a Betta, and is usually orange.
Their anal fin starts at the anterior portion of the body and is also a sail-like shape. The dorsal fin starts close to the head and then tapers off to a peak just before the tail end of the body, much like a whip.
Their torpedo-shaped body coupled with a pointed head and long flowing fins make these fish especially elegant and easy to appreciate visually.
Paradise Fish Habitat And Tank Requirements
We ideally want to achieve optimum health for fish we keep in captivity by closely mimicking their natural habitat. Their wild origins are the slow-moving, shallow waters of Asia.
They are able to deal with a wide range of water conditions which make them quite hardy.
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed to provide these fish with a great quality of life that best suits them for optimum health.
Tank Conditions
First things first, these fish need an abundance of vegetation to be happy in any tank.
They love densely planted tanks and enjoy a substrate like sand dotted with smooth rocky formations added to the mix.
Try planting Hornwort, Java Moss, and Dwarf Hairgrass to keep these fish happy and secure. Even fish that act like hooligans need some source of security!
Since they spend the majority of the time in the upper layers of the tank and can gulp air using their labyrinth organ, it’s important to keep any floating plant life from becoming too abundant, thus preventing them from doing so.
These fish love to hide in plants despite their aggressive reputation.
You don’t need a strong filtration with a current because they prefer slow-moving water and aren’t used to strong currents.
Water changes need to be frequent due to the bioload of their waste, and at least 25% changed over every few weeks for optimum water quality.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6.0 – 8.0
- Water hardness between 5 – 30 dGH
- Temperature between 70 – 82ºF (21 – 28ºC)
- Lighting conditions can be standard as they don’t experience much direct sunlight in the murky river water and often dredge up sand in the tank
Tank Size
The minimum tank size for a single Paradise Fish is 20 gallons, and if you have juveniles, you could keep a group of 3 in a 30-gallon tank.
There isn’t much point in considering how much water to add for additional mature fish, but if you plan on doing so, it needs to be a huge tank that would allow for these fish to establish their own territory.
Choosing Tank Mates For Paradise Fish
When it comes to finding species appropriate for your Paradise Fish, you need to consider things carefully, given their behavior and propensity for aggressive behavior that leads to fighting.
Keep in mind that it’s possible to house other species with this fish as long as you have enough room to allow for territorial behaviors.
But do be aware that these fish often don’t get along well with others in the first place, so they ideally need to be bigger and peaceful who won’t get involved with a dominance struggle.
Some decent tank mate pairings that would work well include:
- Bala Sharks
- Large Goldfish
- Pearl Gourami
- Dwarf Gourami
- Clown Loaches
- Yo-Yo Loaches
- Cory Catfish
- Danios
- Redtail Shark
- Blue Gourami
- Otocinclus
- Bristlenose Catfish
- Cuckoo Catfish
What you should avoid is anything with long, flowing fins as they will get nipped without a shadow of a doubt.
Snails can often get decimated, so avoid these in the tank too. Even smaller invertebrates like shrimp can end up on the receiving end of unwanted attempts to be a meal, so they are also best avoided.
Notes On Feeding Paradise Fish
Paradise Fish are omnivores and are generally known not to be picky when it comes to food sources.
They will happily eat flaked or pellet foods as a base source for their diet, but you should add in additional proteins in a live or frozen format for an additional source of nutrition.
Brine shrimp, bloodworms, white worms, and larvae of all forms work really well to keep these fish in tip-top shape.
Feeding should usually be done once or twice a day, and be sure to remove any uneaten food supplied to avoid any water fouling. Allow them to eat what they can within a few minutes to prevent overeating.
Paradise Fish Common Diseases and Illness
Paradis Fish are known to be susceptible to an iridovirus known as Lymphocystis can cause lesions, warts, and white spots on these fish.
It can be treated with medicine, however, and along with frequent water changes, your fish should be able to bounce back.
Bloat can also happen with these fish which is usually indicated with a distended stomach without raised scales. This is usually due to overeating, but treatment with antibiotics will usually remedy the situation.
Costia is a cold water parasite that shows up as grey or whitish patches on the skin of your fish. There is an over-the-counter medication that can help with this affliction, but it is important to catch it early. Often symptoms do not present until it’s quite advanced and more difficult to treat.
Breeding Paradise Fish
If you are intent on breeding Paradise Fish, you should aim for having a separate breeding tank of at least 20 gallons with a lower than normal water level. Six inches should be ideal for this scenario.
Males will build a bubble nest within leafy plantings and will try to generate some female interest in the process.
Once fertilization has occurred, the female should be moved from the tank as males are notorious for being very aggressive about protecting their unhatched fry. Females can be in immediate peril if they are not removed from the breeding tank within a quick time frame.
When the fry do hatch, the male must be removed also for their own safety as otherwise, he may end up consuming the fry he was previously protecting so vigorously!
The shallow waters of the breeding tank will help the labyrinth organ develop in the fry as they will find it easier to reach the surface water.
Is The Paradise Fish Suited To Your Aims As A Hobbyist?
That really depends. Because of their aggressive nature, these fish can sometimes come across as difficult to deal with, navigate with other species, and handle in general.
Their feisty nature makes them a compelling fish to observe, but know that you won’t be housing a school or shoal of these pretty things.
If you think you can handle their aggressive nature with aplomb as well as deal with any bullying behavior that they may display to other species in the tank, then they might fit well with you.
Their brilliant coloring and flowing fins make them a rewarding fish to keep for the hobbyist willing to deal with their tetchy nature.
Take a little trip to Paradise and try this bold and personable fish on for size!
