Paradise Fish

[Komar]

I'm thinking about getting a Paradise Fish for my planted 20 Gal tank. I'm bored with my Neon Tetras, and I want to upgrade to something similar in look and size to a Gourami. (Don't get me started on my bad luck with Pearl Gouramis...)

The Paradise Fish looks awesome, and I know it would do okay in my current setup, but I'm concerned about my other fish. I do have just over a dozen Neon Tetras (the school seems to be dwindling down, unfortunately), three Corys, six Otos, and three SAEs.

I just picked up the SAEs; I finally broke down and had to eliminate my bearded algae problem...

I'm hoping that the Paradise Fish will coexist with the SAEs and Otos, as these are my tank cleaners. Replacing my Otos with a small pleco is an option, and moving my other small fish doesn't bother me much.

If anyone has any input into my current and potential housing arrangements, I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks.

[William]

hmmm
I think I would avoid that combination. Paradise Fish can be quite aggressive, some specimens more then others and especially when they decide to breed which they more then likely will. There are a clear and present danger that this aggression especially during spawning might be to much for the neon’s and the ottos.

Then again some Paradise Fish are quite friendly.

[Neptune]

Paradise fish can be quite agressive. I remember having them years ago, and the only fish that worked well with them were tiger barbs and a pleco. I got them originally as a community fish, and they terrorized the other inhabitants. That's when I changed my tank into a semi-aggressive setup with the tiger barbs.

Are you specifically looking for something other than gouramis? A dwarf or honey gourami would probably work well in your tank.

[Komar]

Well, I got two Paradise Fish last week. Both were males, and I kept them in separate tanks. The second one (purchased a few days later) was more colourful, but it didn't live for more than a few days. It had no appetite, and didn't seem to want to acclimatise to my tank. I was a bit bummed out by this, but I do remember him being less active compared to the other Paradise Fish at the LFS. I got him purely for colouration.

The first one is larger, is quite active, and has a good appetite. I hope to boost his colouration through a varied diet. He's housed in my 20 Gallon tank with a few otos and two bristlenose plecos.

(EDIT: He also likes to make bubble-nests, which is probably a good sign of a healthy fish.)

I've thought about other gouramis, but decided to go with the Paradise Fish. They're supposed to be quite hardy, so I've got my fingers crossed with my surviving fish... I have no intentions of making it a community fish; I wanted something to liven up my 20 G tank without overloading it with schooling or shoaling fish.

[William]

good luck with it !

[Komar]

You have no idea how much "good luck" I had over the Easter weekend...

In the wee hours of Easter morning (I am an insomniac), I was rearranging my 20 G tank. I had my Paradise Fish in a small bucket filled halfway with water, sitting on a shelf nearby. I heard a noise and looked around, but thought little else of it for at least ten minutes.

Suddenly, I remembered reading a story online about someone who lost a Paradise Fish when it jumped out of a temporary holding container. I quickly checked the bucket; it was empty.

I frantically searched the room and threw laundry all over the place trying to find my fish. It was on the floor, and it wasn't moving. I tossed it into the bucket, then into the aquarium. Within a few moments, the fish showed some signs of recuperation.

It's been three days, and my fish is doing fine. I named him Jésus (pronounced "Hey-zoos"), due to the timing of his "ressurection"...