Heir Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Hey guys. Ohk so my Paradise Fish is doing really well. Soooo cute. Loves eating insects, moths, spiders, flys, whatever I put in the tank. Anyway I've noticed his (don't know how to sex him, so I'm just assuming) colours are alot brighter than when I got him. He's only about an inch in length at the moment. I know that they are one of the few fish that can change their colour (lighter or darker). My question is HOW do I get him to be really bright? Anyone got any ideas or had success in the past? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Good conditions, good food (inc live) and a female Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Well he gets mosquito larvae, water boatmen (LOVES chasing them) and all those insects, frozen bloodworms as well. How do you sex them?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 What are you keeping them with because i'm thinking of putting a pair in my community tank but i have read they can be a bit aggressive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 What is in your community tank? They are aggressive towards their own species and anything that looks like their own species. Can't be kept with any other Labyrinth fish. Females can be kept with males without problem but two males will fight. CAN be aggressive towards other fish too though I disagree to a certain extent, But depends on the fish I suppose as mine is not aggressive at all. Mine lives with Goldfish, Danios, White clouds, Hillstream Loaches and Freshwater shrimps without any hassle. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 paradise fish can be aclimatised to either cold or tropical tanks. - I currently have two pairs in my five foot tropical community tank which houses a number of different types of gourami from Kissing to Croaking and sizes in between - they are not bothering anybody and in fact one pair is attempting to blow a bubble nest. Male paradise fish are idenfied by their long flowing tales and are brighter in colour than females. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 my community tank has danios, a pair of rams, tetras, rainbow tread fins and corys the tread fin are what i am worried but they are pretty fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 my community tank has danios, a pair of rams, tetras, rainbow tread fins and corys the tread fin are what i am worried but they are pretty fast. I don't know if you want to risk it. Have you looked at other species of labyrinth fish ?? There are a lot that are more placid and may be more suited if you have concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 as you mentioned Threadfin Rainbows are fast but if you are wanting to put paradise fish in - you will need to give the rainbows room to get away and if need be hide, so provide places to hide - this could be done with planting tall or bushy plants. it will also come down to individual paradise fish - some are more aggressive than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 long shot but is there anyway to pick a placid paradise fish at the shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 you would need to study them for awhile, and watch each ones behaviour, then pick the one that isn't doing the bullying. but if you have a well planted tank and keep them fed you should be okay to place them in together - your danios are also not slow moving so they would also divert attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 I brought mine when he was in a tank with goldfish... He was stalking through the plants and not bothered by the other fish at all so I picked him based on that. Does the same here... occasionally stalks (and when you get a paradise fish you'll see what i mean by stalking) the freshwater shrimp but they're bigger than him and faster than him. When you get one though be sure to feed him water boatmen because its hilarious watching them stalking and trying to catch them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 There is no such thing as a placid paradise fish - in fact I have given up breeding them, as even in their own species tank they will kill each other until there is 1 male left. He is then very nice and tame and eats out of hand, but as soon as I introduce some girls he will slowly kill them. The same goes for the kids - you start off with about 2000, after a week there are about 1000 - after a month some are just a tiny bit bigger and they will survive - maybe 30 or 40. You think this is it - at least you have these to sell. Nope! If they do not go into individual tanks then there will be 1 male left .... And that is in 400 litre tanks - heavily planted!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 are the difficult to breed carla? and do they breed in unheated aquariums? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 If the female survives long enough they are very easy to breed. He builds a bubble nest and then they swim around in a beautiful knot and lay eggs - thousands of them. He then shoos her away and looks after the nest and the hatching young. Best to remove the female at this stage. He picks the young up and spits them back into the bubbles if they drop out. Once he stops spitting them back and starts swallowing them its time to move him out as well.... The babies need green water and infusoria, which is pretty easy and also serves to hide them from each other LOL. When bigger they will eat anything really, I used to put some big daphnia in and they ate all the babies as they popped out. However they will not grow at the same rate and as I said above its difficult if you do not sort them according to size every week or two. They will just keep eating each other. They will breed in a cold water tank - no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 So breeding them is easy but keepng them alive is the hard part lol Got ya! Thanks for that! I'll keep that in mind if I decide to try breeding them! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.