Paradise Fish

Macropodus opercularis

The Paradise Fish (*Macropodus opercularis*) has immense historical importance: introduced to Europe in 1869, it was the very first tropical aquarium fish, preceding even the Betta Fish and the Guppy. Its charm is timeless: the male sports a body crossed by thick vertical blue and red bands, culminating in exaggeratedly long, thread-like and colorful pelvic, dorsal and anal fins. In addition to its magnificent appearance, it possesses the labyrinth organ that allows it to breathe atmospheric air, enabling it to thrive in stagnant waters. Behind its beauty, however, lies an extremely pugnacious and aggressive nature, which requires attention in the choice of tankmates.

Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Estremo Oriente (Cina, Taiwan, Corea, Vietnam settentrionale, diffuso in canali, risaie e fiumi lenti)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

16 °C - 26 °C

6 - 8

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona media e superiore. Pattuglia incessantemente il pelo dell'acqua tra le piante galleggianti.

Adult size

10 cm

Description

Planaria and Insect Exterminators:

In addition to being beautiful, they are very useful biological weapons. If your aquarium has suffered an invasion of pest snails (Physidae) or terrible flatworms (Planaria), a single Paradise Fish will spend its days maniacally inspecting the glass and leaves to devour them all until they are exterminated.

Care and observations

It is Not a Tropical Fish (Turn off the Heater):

A classic mistake is keeping it at 28°C (82°F) like normal pet-shop fish. The Paradise Fish comes from China and experiences cold seasons. In a home aquarium it lives much better at room temperature (18-22°C / 64-72°F), and the cold lowers its natural and dangerous aggression. Bred in water that is too hot, it will have an accelerated metabolism that will consume it rapidly, drastically reducing its lifespan.

The Betta's Evil Cousin (Lethal Aggression):

Many buy it for its beautiful colors and put it in a tank with poor Guppies. The Paradise Fish is a fierce and territorial predator. It deeply hates any fish with long fins, veils, or bright colors (like male Guppies or Bettas), attacking them on sight and dismembering them. Never mix it with slow fish. It can coexist peacefully only with grey or very fast cyprinids that station on the bottom, escaping its surface sight.

The Inflamed Labyrinth (The Lid Rule):

Being a labyrinth fish, it does not "breathe" the oxygen dissolved in the water, but rises to the surface to "gulp" atmospheric air. If the aquarium is open, it will breathe the air of the room (maybe at 18 degrees) in contrast with the warmer water of the tank. This temperature shock will cause a fatal bacterial inflammation of the labyrinth organ. The aquarium must strictly be closed with a plastic or glass lid to retain a layer of warm, moist air above the water surface.

Fish profile

Temperament: Estremamente territoriale e aggressivo, al pari o più di un Betta splendens. I maschi combatteranno fino alla morte se tenuti insieme. Molestano incessantemente le proprie femmine e spesso bullizzano qualsiasi pesce lento o con pinne lunghe.
Diet: Onnivoro / Insettivoro. Voracissimo cacciatore di superficie. Divorerà avidamente qualsiasi mangime, ma per la salute a lungo termine va nutrito con insetti, dafnie, larve di zanzara, chironomus (vivi o surgelati) e pezzetti di gambero. È un formidabile killer di planarie e piccole chiocciole infestanti.
Tank level: Zona media e superiore. Pattuglia incessantemente il pelo dell'acqua tra le piante galleggianti.
Minimum group: 1
Adult size: 10 cm
Minimum tank: 80 L
GH: 5 dGH - 20 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Singolo Maschio o Harem (1 Maschio, 2-3 Femmine) solo in vasche molto piantumate. Il maschio è più grande, più colorato (colori brillanti rossi e blu) e ha filamenti delle pinne lunghissimi. Le femmine sono grigie/marroni, con bande sbiadite e pinne molto più corte.
Feeding frequency: 1-2 volte al giorno, avendo cura di non farli ingozzare dato che tendono all'obesità in vasca.
Bioload: Medio
Flow: Corrente da Nulla a Debole. In natura vive in acque quasi stagnanti come le risaie. Troppa corrente distrugge il loro nido di bolle e li stressa.
Jump risk: Covered tank required
Reproduction: Costruttori di nido di bolle (Bubble-nesters). Il maschio crea un voluminoso nido di schiuma tra le piante galleggianti. Dopo l'abbraccio riproduttivo in cui spreme la femmina, il maschio diventerà ultraviolento, scacciando (e spesso uccidendo, se non ha vie di fuga) la femmina pur di proteggere il nido da solo.
Compatibility: Mantenimento difficile in acquari di comunità generalisti. Assolutamente INCOMPATIBILI con Guppy, Betta, Gurami o pesci lenti dalle pinne a velo (verranno uccisi o mutilati). I compagni ottimali sono pesci veloci, scattanti, privi di colori sgargianti e tolleranti all'acqua fredda, come i Danio (Zebrafish), Barbi robusti o Cobitidi da fondo (Pangio).

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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Live aquarium/observation photo from iNaturalist for Macropodus opercularis.