One of the first tropical ornamentals ever kept, the Chinese paradise fish is a native labyrinth fish of southern China's rice paddies, marshes and slow ditches. Its accessory breathing organ lets it survive warm, stagnant, low-oxygen water where few other fish persist. Hardy and cold-tolerant, it is strikingly colored but territorial — a characterful centerpiece for a quiet, well-covered tank.
原生生境
栖息地
Rice paddies, ditches and sluggish streams
水流
Still to slow
溶氧
Low-oxygen tolerant via labyrinth organ
造景与硬件
底床
Dark sand to deepen coloration
硬景观
Driftwood and leaf litter for cover and tannins
水草
Dense and floating plants providing surface cover
性格食性与混养
群游性
Solitary or a single pair — one male per tank
食性
Carnivore; live and frozen foods, quality flakes
推荐混养
Fast mid-water deter fish — Stay out of its territory
Larger peaceful barbs — Too big to be bullied
Nerite snails — Ignored, safe algae crew
避免混养
Other male paradise fish — Fatal fighting
Betta splendens — Mutual aggression
Dwarf shrimp — Hunted and eaten
Long-finned fish — Fins get nipped
繁殖与备注
雌雄差异
Males are larger with longer, pointed, more colorful fins; females are duller and rounder
繁殖方式
Bubble-nest builder. The male constructs a surface nest, embraces the female beneath it, then tends the eggs and fry alone — remove the female after spawning to prevent aggression.