FAQs on Paradisefishes, Macropodus

FAQs on Paradisefishes, Genus Macropodus

Related Articles: Anabantoids/Gouramis & Relatives, Genera Ctenopoma & Microctenopoma, Betta splendens/Siamese Fighting Fish,

Help identifying these marks please 3/9/17
Hello. I work for an aquatic store in North Wales, United Kingdom. We have just taken a delivery of fish and have noticed that all of our delivered labyrinth species have something not quite right with them. We had paradise
fish (see pictures attached), pearl gouramis and dwarf gouramis. As in the picture (which i know is hard to make out) they nearly all have black marks inside them, almost the same sort of shape to a young Argulus parasite, but it is definitely internal. I cant for the life of me work out what it could be. I am almost certain its a species of parasite, or larval form of another critter, but i am not certain. We had a few months back another
delivery from the same supplier of some kissing gouramis (another labyrinth species) and they too had these marks, we were able to send them back on that instance, but these ones are going into quarantine until we can work out what to do with them. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
<Mmm; well; such black marks can be simply due to stress... but this might be Ichthyobodo (Costia); can't quite make out. Am going to ask Neale Monks to respond here; he is better versed with such matters and lives in the UK. Neale? Bob Fenner>

Re: Help identifying these marks please 3/10/17
thank for the reply. could they be yellow grubs (Clinostomum spp.)?
<Mmm; doubtful; though it may well be that these Macropodus were grown outdoors. Can only tell by sampling, examining under a microscope.>
the colouration of the fish is possibly giving them the darker look that im seeing?
<Stress often manifests itself in melanophore dispersion. BobF>

Help identifying these marks please /Neale's input 3/10/17
Hello. I work for an aquatic store in North Wales, United Kingdom. We have just taken a delivery of fish and have noticed that all of our delivered labyrinth species have something not quite right with them. We had paradise fish (see pictures attached), pearl gouramis and dwarf gouramis. As in the picture (which i know is hard to make out) they nearly all have black marks inside them, almost the same sort of shape to a young Argulus parasite, but it is definitely internal. I cant for the life of me work out what it could be. I am almost certain its a species of parasite, or larval form of another critter, but i am not certain. We had a few months back another delivery from the same supplier of some kissing gouramis (another labyrinth species) and they too had these marks, we were able to send them back on
that instance, but these ones are going into quarantine until we can work out what to do with them. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
<<I've taken a look at these, and black spots are usually one of two things. The first is simply ammonia burns. Such damage is limited to off-colour patches rather than discrete small, circular sooty-black spots.
The true Black Spot Disease is caused by various flukes that are sort of like Whitespot in being skin parasites, but different in having much more complex life cycles that require snails and birds as additional hosts.
While they can persist in ponds under some circumstances, the disease is normally only seen on tropical fish that have been recently imported from the tropics (whether on outdoor farms or wild-caught). The good news is that although the parasite can live in the fish for some time, it can't reproduce, and under aquarium conditions the life cycle eventually grinds to a halt. The bad news is that there's no cure as such, and there's nothing much you can do to tidy up the appearance of the fish beyond letting them naturally heal in their own good time. Cheers, Neale.>>

Paradise Fish Sick 1/28/13
Dear Wet Web Crew,
<Kieron... an order of magnitude less sized images going forward...>
I have a 100L tank that has 10 Tetra, 3 Swordtails, 1 Pleco, 1 Gourami, and
2 Paradise fish. This particular tank has been operational for about 7 months. I have several plants and a couple of ornaments with hidey holes.
My water parameters are Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, pH 7.5 - 8.0, dH 9. I have always had a problem with high Nitrate and it doesn't seem to matter how many water changes I do (generally 10% every couple of days), or how little
I feed, or how many or few fish I keep in the tank.
<... have you read on WWM re? Here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwnitrates.htm
and the linked files above>
All fish seem happy and healthy with the exception of 1 paradise fish.
<Macropodus... opercularis... an old timey and personal fave. Usually VERY hardy>
This morning I noticed that this guy's jaw appears swollen and (obviously) he can't move his mouth. It looks like it may be some kind of cyst on the left side of his mouth, but the swelling extends under his jaw to the other side. His mouth seems to be permanently open. He tries to eat but he can't seem to get/keep the food inside.
I have spent hours trying to find what this is and what might be causing it, but without success. Apart from this large problem he seems in good health...for now. His colour is good. His activity is the same as always.
Are you able to provide any insight into this problem? Any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Kieron
P.S. Sorry for the bad quality photo's but I couldn't get him to stay still
long enough
<Looks like a physical trauma; naught to treat... likely beaten up by... ?
The other species of Gourami? Bob Fenner>

Re: Paradise Fish Sick 1/29/13
Bob,
<Kieron>
Thank you for your speedy reply. Sorry about the image size. I thought I resized them but I must have only thought about it.
It's good that you don't think my poor Paradise Fish is inflicted with a disease. Sad to think somebody is beating him up!
<Happens... as stated, this species is very tough... Was amongst the first "pet fish"; transported by ship... in milk containers, for weeks!>
My Gourami is an Opaline and tends to keep to himself. I have never seen him attack anything.
<Likely the other Paradise then>
Sometimes the two Paradise chase each other about but generally they get along fine. The non-afflicted one tends to hide in his favourite hole most of the time. The only tank occupant that I have seen show any level of aggression is the Pleco and only when the other fish are eating his algae disc when he wants some.
Thanks for the link re: Nitrate issues.
<Welcome>
Your site is very informative and one of the better ones that I have stumbled across in the years that I have been enjoying my hobby. Thank You!!!
Kieron
<Welcome. If/should you have ideas for improving WWM, please do send them along. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Concerning possible wasting disease or other microbacterial agent 3/12/11
I've had 2 Aquariums with crystal clear water and happy fish for a couple of months now, a 20 gallon and 10 gallon (the latter as quarantine now).

My setup includes airstones and plenty of hiding places with plastic props and plants in both tanks, standard and 150 watt adjustable heater, Aqua-Tech standard carbon-filter media for the 10 - Fluval 20 (3 tier media) for the 20 Gallon [They are both unexceptional]
I've been using Nutrafin cycle and conditioner as well as aquarium salt, seldom more than 1/4 tablespoon per 10 gal on water changes.
<The addition of salt on a regular basis does no good and may do some harm to soft water fish. Do, please, understand that freshwater fish come from habitats without salt. The addition of salt was something done during the 50s and 60s because it seemed to help keep hardy fish alive in the poor conditions often provided. Salt does indeed reduce nitrite and nitrate toxicity. But we don't keep the same hardy fish any longer -- Acaras, for example, and large barbs -- and instead you're keeping far more delicate species for which the use of salt is merely one more stress factor. Note that no, and I mean NO, modern aquarium book recommends the routine addition of salt to freshwater aquaria except under specific situations, e.g., for treating Whitespot.>
My water parameters have roughly always been 7.7PH , 0.03 or less Ammonia/Nitrite.
<So not zero, and non-zero levels of ammonia and nitrite are bad. Despite what beginners think, there aren't "good", "okay", and "bad" levels of ammonia and nitrite. If you have zero levels, that's good, and if you don't have zero levels, that's bad. Yes, higher levels of ammonia and nitrite will kill your fish more quickly than lower levels, but that's sort of like comparing a slow-acting poison against a fast-acting poison -- neither is actually safe!>
Been meaning to check water hardness.
<Hardness is crucial, and if anything, much more important than pH.>
Substrate vacuum during water change every 5-7 Days. Food: freeze dried blood worms as well as brine shrimp, I have cichlid pellets, Pleco logs, and color enhancing and normal flakes.
<Okay.>
Casualties of my ineptitude: 6 Neon Tetras,
<Need cool, soft water to do well.>
1 Female Cherry Barb, 2 Rubber-Nose Pleco,
<Chaetostoma sp., requires a very specific cool, oxygen-rich environment.>
1 Zebra Danio
<Oh dear.>
Currently Alive: 20 Gallon - 3 Blood Fin Tetras, 2 Corys, 2 Chinese Algae Eaters,
<These are aggressive and very large fish that need at least 55 gallons per specimen, and have NO place in this community tank.>
2 Zebra Danios,, Male Cherry Barb, Red Finned Shark, Bala Shark,
<A big, very active, schooling fish that needs a couple hundred gallons for a healthy sized group of 5+ specimens; even a singleton, which would be a cruel way to keep them, needs well over 55 gallons.>
Yoyo loach, Male and female Swordtail,
<Swordtails need cool, oxygen-rich water much different to, say, Gouramis or Bettas.>
2 Male Gouramis - (Red dwarf and Healthy Paradise) and 2 Male Betas
<Bettas don't belong in community tanks, and certainly not with Gouramis.>
10 Gallon - 2 Male Gourami's (Blue powder and sick paradise fish)
<Paradisefish are not Gouramis and need a subtropical aquarium; maintain at 18-22 C/64-72 F.>
I know these breeds are probably not optimal community members and thus introduce stressor risk.
<"Probably not optimal" is an understatement!>
They have rarely ever been seen fighting or exhibiting stressed out behavior.
<Too busy getting sick, perhaps?>
Keep in mind the pet-store I got a bunch of these from has a lot of issues, you guys would be appalled, the lady that works there even speculated the Gourami tank had wasting disease I wish I would have known so prior to this nightmare.
<While I sympathise to a degree, none of what I've said above should be a surprise. A good aquarium book would cost you $10, or nothing at all if you visited the public library. Most aquarium web sites are variable in terms of information, there are some excellent ones written by genuine experts, like this one, PlanetCatfish, Loaches.com, SeriouslyFish.com, among others.>
It all started about 3 weeks ago when I noticed Ich had developed on 3 of my Neons tetras. I feel pretty terrible since I thought I could just go ahead and use a product to solve this without doing any research. I used Ich Guard which was pretty rough, since I lost all my neon tetras within a couple days. This also probably weakened all the fish by stressing them out with the daily water changes, messing with the nitrogen cycle, etc. I did that for 7 days; At which point the first signs of what appears microbacterial started to manifest on my brown paradise Gourami.
<Hmm would say more stress-related than anything else.>
I thought he had started getting picked on by some of the other fish because his tailfin looked nipped and he started staying at the bottom, had a loss of appetite. I moved some of the fish I thought were aggressive to the 20. It kept getting worse and I kept moving fish till he was all alone. His fins have degenerated to an almost ridiculous point, he looks like he's been attacked along the body but there wasn't any other fish to have done so.

Then I made the mistake of using Melafix for 5 days, again without research (consequently my two Plecos died shortly on the first day, as well as the female cherry barb despite healthy looking conditions during the Ich treatment). I recently read Melafix is bad for labyrinth fish lungs.
<Read this where? Melafix is at worst useless, but I doubt it's actually poisonous. Has been used widely to treat Bettas, which are labyrinth fish. Since the labyrinth organ (in the head, not the lungs) accepts air, not water, a labyrinth fish is more likely to be damaged by fumes such as paint, cigarette smoke, bug spray, etc.>
Furthermore kinda grasped from some of your organizations faq's that it isn't strong enough as an anti-bacterial agent for defeating most microbacteria.
<Is indeed more of an antiseptic ointment than a genuine cure for systemic infections. At best, it weakens certain bacteria making it easier for the fish's own immune system to work quickly. Would have no problems using Melafix to treat a fish that was damaged by transport or fighting, but would not use Melafix once a fish had a visible infection.>
Basically he's been getting worse, he eats but lightly compared to how he used to. One of the zebra Danios died yesterday with signs of emaciation. I saw what appeared to be a fuzz ball in the middle of one of my blue powder's feelers as well. It looks a little frayed where the ball was and past that the feeler is now missing, he had a lesion like the brown paradise but that's healed up nicely, hopefully it doesn't progress. All of the fish still alive came into contact at one point with the brown paradise. I'm clueless as to how to proceed, furthermore my 20 gallon has just had a confirmed Ich sighting 3 days ago, at which point I bought an adjustable heater which I've had at 86, 89 and now back at 86 for the past three days..
<Do bear in mind Paradisefish need cool conditions, as do some of your other fish, so turning the heater up can, will stress those species.>
Do you guys have any idea how I should proceed in getting this under control?
<You need a much bigger aquarium for many of these fish, and perhaps more than one aquarium, one for the cool water species and one for the warm water species.>
I've read heat and salt could treat Ich, 10 days of 86, how much salt is safe to use?
<Normally 2g/l is used.>
Should I adjust my PH to 7.0?
<If you're asking me about adjusting pH, you clearly don't know enough to do this safely.>
Is water hardness important?
<Here's the thing: hardness is EXTREMELY important; pH hardly at all. Beginners look at pH because it seems easy to understand and you can buy cheap potions that claim the change pH. But beginners end up killing their fish by following this line of reasoning. The first thing is ALWAYS to lower hardness using RO or rainwater, and then once you have the optimal hardness for your collection of fish, you MAY use a pH potion to STABILISE the pH at the chosen value.>
What sort of medicinal remedies should I try to make my tanks safe.
<Least of your problems.>
How badly will said medicines affect beneficial bacteria in the tank?
<Not if used properly.>
If you could provide any answers or input on these questions or anything you've read so far I would forever be in your debt, thank you for taking the time to read this.
<Happy to help.>
Yours truly, Guy
<The bottom line here, Guy, is that your tanks are overstocked and badly stocked. What tends to happen when you do this is that your fish popular "dies back" to the level the tank will support. Yes, bacterial infections may be involved, and yes, isolating sick fish in a well-maintained hospital tank and treating accordingly could help them. But without fixing the underlying problems with this aquarium you're unlikely to turn things around. Nature ALWAYS wins. If you dump a whole bunch of randomly selected fish into an aquarium, the ones worst adapted to that tank and its water conditions will die, and you'll be left with just a few species. Often these are the ones you SHOULD have bought to start with. Do have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlivestk.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
If you tell me what your water chemistry is, I can suggest some sensible species for 10 and 20 gallon tanks. For now though, your main task is rehoming these fish and/or moving them to new, better aquaria of your own. Cheers, Neale.>

Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail, Neale's go 9/14/10
Hello All,
<Salve, Lisa!>
I was sad to see my Paradise Gourami hiding last night.
<Oh.>
Usually he finds shelter at top of the water under a large fake floating plant and comes out to say hi when I walk by. The last few days I haven't seen him and finally noticed him at the bottom of the tank. I took a good look at him and noticed that his tail was arched and curved.
<Indeed. And it also seems much nipped. Your photos aren't clear enough to be sure, but there should be long "streamers" coming off the top and bottom lobes of the tail fin.>
I have had a three spot blue Gourami have the same thing before but this was over a year ago. He eventually died.
<Worrying. When multiple fish of different species die from similar things over a period of time, it's more likely the environment or maintenance procedure is amiss, and the fish are dying from stress rather than a
specific disease. That's not to say a disease might not be involved somewhere along the line, but the triggering factor is as likely to be stress as anything else.>
Because of my previous run in with this "illness" I immediately quarantined him in a 10 gallon tank.
<Provided water quality in the hospital tank is good, that's a good approach. But always remember isolating a sick fish in an aquarium without a working biological filter isn't going to help.>
His tail looks as if its drooping/sagging rather than it being crooked like a guppy with fish TB.
<Don't think that's the issue here. Or rather, the droopy tail indicates weakness, rather than the same disease. For example, a cough in a human can be caused by tuberculosis or from a simple sore throat.>
I have done some searches on this but cannot locate any specific information on what it could be or how to treat it. I'm not sure if this is a form of TB or more of a dropsy symptom.
<Neither. Guppies "droop" because their tails are unnaturally heavy, so when weakened, they can't carry them. Likewise, Paradisefish have quite big tails and they only hold them out nicely when they're feeling chipper.
Yours is definitely not happy, hence his rather sad-looking posture.>
I have begun to treat with an antibiotic but it has been less than 24 hours since I have qt him.
<May or may not help. I usually warn against "scatter gun" treatment because the medications we use may be toxic to some degree.>
This fish has been a trooper and has survived several life ending near misses. He got stuck in my python syphon hose and had a perfect round, red spot on his side for a couple of weeks where the suction stuck him to the hose (because of that, I now have a cloth mesh net zip tied to the open end so no one else can get sucked in) and he has lived through a power head that shut off killing all angels, ghost knife fish, large neon's, etc from suffocation.
<Yikes!>
Everything died except the few gouramis and my algae eater. This is a two month old 150 gallon freshwater planted tank with 10 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 7.5 pH. He was moved from a 55 gallon to this 150 when I moved homes and was happy as could be. I do weekly to bi-weekly water
changes and no other fish show any illness of any kind, let alone this droopy/arched tail. Is there anything you can tell me regarding this? I have attached some pictures so show the curve of the tail.
<How old is this fish? Paradisefish are subtropical fish and if kept at tropical temperatures won't live nearly as long as they should. The ideal temperature is around 18-20 C/64-68 F, preferably a little cooler in winter. Kept this way they should live 5 years or so. But in a tropical aquarium at 25 C/77 F their lifespan will be much shorter.>
Thank you for any help you can provide, Lisa
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail 9/14/10
I have had him for about two years and he was an adult when I got him from a friend.
<Indeed. May well be old age, or something related to old age, given this fish was kept too warm. Here in England these fish are normally sold as coldwater fish, a much more realistic approach to take.>
My tank is in the 78 F range so I guess I should just see what happens.

I just dosed him for the second day with antibiotics so I will not continue.
<No! Finish the course as stated on the package. Not finishing courses of antibiotics is bad in MANY, MANY ways.>
The quarantine tank I have was already established for several months since I was quarantining plants I received. The qt has stopped for the plants but I had not taken the tank down, thank goodness! Just a couple of days ago he was perky, alert and swimming around the entire tank. Checking things out, seeing what I was doing, etc. As for his tail, it has always looked that way since I had picked him up from my friend. There weren't any type of streamers from the top or bottom of his tail.
<Odd. Take a look at some pictures online; Google "Macropodus opercularis".>
I just associated it with how this one is. He actually became more open and curious since I moved him to this larger tank. I always thought he was just so docile that the other fish scared him in the smaller 55 gallon.
<Could well be. Paradisefish are an awkward combination of aggressive and shy. That's why they are unpopular aquarium fish, I think. In community tanks with small fish they cause havoc, while in bigger tanks they're easily bullied by bigger fish.>
He has never had any bold blue, pink, or orange colors so maybe he is a she? Aren't the males usually the more colorful ones?
<Yes, the females do tend to have less colour and shorter fins, but there's
not a huge amount in it.>
*Sigh, I don't know....When he swims it's as if his rear end is too heavy for him...It hangs low and looks like its more effort for him to swim.
<Indeed.>
Should I just keep him quarantined with the water kept in good quality?
<What I would do.>
Just to wait and see what happens?
<Quite so.>
He doesn't seem to be interested in eating but if I wasn't feeling well, I wouldn't want to eat either.
<Don't feed him for a few days. Then offer something really tasty, like some live bloodworms or brine shrimp. Also, do consider constipation as a possible explanation. This is quite common with Bettas, and not beyond the realms of possibility here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
A combination of Epsom Salt and high-fibre foods (live brine shrimp, live daphnia, and/or cooked peas) could be just the ticket. Obviously don't use any foods likely to cause constipation: no flake and nothing
freeze-dried.>
Thank you tons, Lisa
<Glad to help. Cheers, Neale.>

Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail, RMF's go 9/14/10
Hello All,
<Lisa>
I was sad to see my Paradise Gourami hiding last night. Usually he finds shelter at top of the water under a large fake floating plant and comes out to say hi when I walk by. The last few days I haven't seen him
and finally noticed him at the bottom of the tank. I took a good look at him and noticed that his tail was arched and curved. I have had a three spot blue Gourami have the same thing before but this was over a year ago.
He eventually died. Because of my previous run in with this "illness" I immediately quarantined him in a 10 gallon tank. His tail looks as if its drooping/sagging rather than it being crooked like a guppy with fish TB.
I have done some searches on this but cannot locate any specific information on what it could be or how to treat it. I'm not sure if this is a form of TB or more of a dropsy symptom. I have begun to treat with an antibiotic but it has been less than 24 hours since I have qt him. This fish has been a trooper and has survived several life ending near misses. He got stuck in my python syphon hose and had a perfect round, red spot on his side for a couple of weeks where the suction stuck him to the hose (because of that, I now have a cloth mesh net zip tied to the open end so no one else can get sucked in) and he has lived through a power head that shut off killing all angels, ghost knife fish, large neon's, etc from suffocation. Everything died except the few gouramis and my algae eater.
<Gyrinocheilus? Not a good aquarium choice. Please see WWM re>
This is a two month old 150 gallon freshwater planted tank with 10 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 7.5 pH. He was moved from a 55 gallon to this 150 when I moved homes and was happy as could be. I do weekly to bi-weekly water changes and no other fish show any illness of any kind, let alone this droopy/arched tail.
Is there anything you can tell me regarding this?
<Mmm, what other fishes are present with this Macropodus? How old is this fish; i.e., how long have you had it?>
I have attached some pictures so show the curve of the tail.
Thank you for any help you can provide,
Lisa
<The fish does seem "despondent" in static appearance... and the tail/caudal a bit chewed... but from what or whom? This is really one of the most stalwart of freshwater aquarium fish species... generally very tough. Please respond to the above questions. Bob Fenner
Re: Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail 9/14/10
Hi Bob,
<Lisa>
Neale had previously written me back regarding my first email so here is what I replied to him
"I have had him for about two years and he was an adult when I got him from a friend. My tank is in the 78 F range so I guess I should just see what happens. I just dosed him for the second day with antibiotics so I will not continue. The quarantine tank I have was already established for several months since I was quarantining plants I received. The qt has stopped for the plants but I had not taken the tank down, thank goodness! Just a couple of days ago he was perky, alert and swimming around the entire tank.
Checking things out, seeing what I was doing, etc. As for his tail, it has always looked that way since I had picked him up from my friend. There weren't any type of streamers from the top or bottom of his tail. I just associated it with how this one is. He actually became more open and curious since I moved him to this larger tank. I always thought he was just so docile that the other fish scared him in the smaller 55 gallon. He has never had any bold blue, pink, or orange colors so maybe he is a she?
<Yes>
Aren't the males usually the more colorful ones? *Sigh, I don't know....When he swims it's as if his rear end is too heavy for him...It hangs low and looks like its more effort for him to swim. Should I just keep him quarantined with the water kept in good quality? Just to wait and see what happens?
He doesn't seem to be interested in eating but if I wasn't feeling well, I wouldn't want to eat either."

As for my algae eater, Bob, I had to check what a Gyrinocheilus was but, fortunately, I do not have a Chinese algae eater but rather the standard Pleco that can reach over a foot in length. He has now been rehomed and I have a 3" Pleco currently.
<Ah good>
Thank you tonz,
Lisa
<Welcome in quantity. B>

Re: Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail... Hyphessobrycon Tetras... Rainbow ID 9/18/10
Hello Neale & Bob,
<Salve,>
You have helped me much with my unusual problem with my Paradise Gourami but I regret to inform you she passed away last night.
<Too bad.>
The unusual thing was that she didn't die, I believe, from whatever was plaguing her but from becoming entangled in the roots of a type of large fern plant I had in the tank with her.
<Almost certainly not the case.>
I woke up in the AM and found her lodged in the center of the plant. I used tongs to pull her out and it was difficult for me, so I believe she got stuck with the roots lodged behind her fins so she couldn't back out. I am sad and disappointed since I had two angel fish lodge themselves in a large driftwood piece I had and died just three months ago.
<Fish rarely get "stuck" in things. It's almost certainly not why either the Paradisefish or the Angels died. Much more likely they were weakened for some other reason, and either died hiding in these objects, or else drifted into them post mortem.>
Just an odd set of circumstances but I thought I would let you know. I am now afraid of placing this large plant into my main tank. I have attached pics. I'm not sure what type of plant it is but you can see the pocket of roots in the center.
<It's a "Windelov" variety of the Java Fern. Nice plant.>
PS...I have some fish I believe to be Rainbow fish and was wondering if you could confirm this. Again, I have attached pics.
<You do, the red fish are male Glossolepis incisus, and the silvery fish with colourful horizontal bands are Melanotaenia fluviatilis or some other Australian Rainbowfish species. You also have some Hyphessobrycon tetras, which tend to be nippy, especially the group of species we call Serpae Tetras. Among other things, these fish could easily harass your Paradisefish, and I'm surprised the Angel hasn't been nipped.>
Thanks again for all your help.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Paradise Gourami with Curved Tail 9/18/10
Wow! I knew you guys were AWESOME but now I know you are totally AWESOME!.
<Yes we are.>
Dead on with the rainbow fish. I have a third one that is opalescent/iridescent with a yellow tail that I forgot to attach pics from (in the second and third pic he is the one at the top of the tank, you can sort of see the yellow tail).
<Looks red in those photos, in which case Melanotaenia praecox would be likely. But really, to identify fish we need sharp, in focus photos that don't have so much flash you can't see the colours. If you have to explain where the fish is, and use words like "sort of see" it's a good clue the photo isn't good enough. In the meantime, avail yourself of Fishbase, and review the species in the genus Melanotaenia.>
I am relieved to here that you don't think that she got suck in the fern as the reason why she passed. I will be looking to place the fern into my main tank but will need to make room. It's almost 8" in diameter as a large ball so it will need some space. As for the tetras, I know of their nipping history, along with black & white skirt tetras I have in the tank but have had them successfully in there for several months now.
<For "now" being the operative word here. Both Hyphessobrycon eques and Gymnocorymbus ternetzi are nippy fish.>
They don't even chase anyone around and kind stay out of the way of the Angles, so I figured I will take them out when they get too mean. I have been keeping an eye on the rest of the fish that I have in the tank since I have gold gouramis and blue dwarf gouramis but I do not see this mysterious curved/arched tail symptom.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Help please with my Gourami 11/30/08 I have a female Gourami, Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis). I have had her for about three years. She is currently living with 2 plecostomus, a kissing, a marble kissing, a fantailed goldfish, 5 Danio's, a gold Gourami (not sure the breed) and a single surviving guppy, all of them live in a 55 gallon tank. I left last week to see family for thanksgiving I carefully cleaned the tank 2 nights before I left and a neighbor was feeding them while I was gone. The tank is currently at 75 degrees. The problem is I just got back and I have noticed she has been hiding in the plants (which she never does), clamping her fins and seems to be several shades darker. I am very worried about her because she seems very stressed but I have searched every inch of her body and can't find any other signs of illness. she has a healthy appetite so far but I am afraid to wait and see if any more signs occur, Last time I did that I lost my angelfish before I could find the fungus. I though about calling the pet store but every time I do that they know less about fish than I do. I am very attached to her and would hate to lose her. Please write me back quickly if you could. Thank you so much. <Hello April. There's nothing obviously "wrong" here so you have to run through all the usual things: water quality, water chemistry, and social behaviour. In particular, check there is no ammonia or nitrite in the water; that the pH is stable; and that none of the fish are chasing her. Male three-spot gouramis (Trichogaster trichopterus) -- including the "Gold Gourami" variety you have -- are notoriously aggressive and I would not be at all surprised that your Paradisefish was being bullied. Cheers, Neale.>

My Gourami fish Hi the other day I purchased two flame Gouramis from my local pet store. Can you please answer the following questions for me? How can I tell which one is a male or female? <Males are a bit larger, much more colorful, with unpaired fins that will be a bit longer, more pointed... they act a bit more aggressively than females... have the folks at the store where you shop show you these differences. Very often folks just get/have males with no females...> How can I get them two [sic] breed? <A bit involved, and best searched on the Net... under the terms "Gourami breeding"... elevated temperature, a covered system (to prevent drafts... damage to young labyrinth organs, conditioning of adult breeders, their separation, joining... preparation of foods for the fry...> What other Gouramis go good with them? <Other small Colisa, Trichogaster species> Which is the easiest Gourami to bred? <Mmm, likely Macropodus species, Paradisefishes. Bob Fenner>

Sick Gouramis... Pleco comp. 03/07/08 Hello, all. I've read a great portion of your website, mainly the Q&A section. I have searched in great lengths for problems similar to mine, but to no avail. However, I have gathered a great deal of knowledge about the hobby in general. <Very good; but please don't think that replaces buying a book! Before you buy a fish, buy a book -- there is so much to learn!> Apologies in advance, this will most likely be fairly long. Also, I am at great risk of sounding like some kind of *emo freak* as I never imagined I would actually get so attached to fish. Here goes: My hobby started with a Christmas gift. A 5 gal tank with built-in filter & light, hex shaped. <5-gallon tanks are known in the trade as "buckets". They're of no good for keeping fish, and certainly not by beginners.> Being ambitious and completely ignorant, I filled the tank and promptly added WAY too many fish. 2 Dwarf Gouramis, which died within days of what I have read to be Dwarf Gourami disease (brought on by ammonia poisoning, no doubt) and 5 (yes, ridiculously, 5) Paradise Fish - Blue variety. <Oops.> I did a very limited amount of research and learned that for the fish I currently had still living, I needed at least 20gal. <Not a chance. Paradisefish are mutually aggressive, and males are very much "one to a tank". They will also fight with other similar looking fish, including, I dare say, Gouramis. Paradisefish are not community fish and are never, ever recommended for beginners by sensible aquarists.> After several fights with the hubby, he finally bought me a 29gal. I filled it, moved the fish in, and started reading about the cycling process. This is when I started to feel like a serial killer. I read that Paradise fish are actually very forgiving in regards to water quality, and if you are going to be cruel enough to cycle with fish, they are ones to use. <Up to a point this is true, but even hardy fish can be killed by high levels of ammonia and nitrite. That's why you need to have your nitrite and ammonia test kits, and as soon as you detect more than 0.5 mg/l of either, you do a BIG (i.e., 50%) water change. This may well be as often as once a day for the first couple of weeks!> So, I did frequent small water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites down, and eventually, the tank cycled. It has been steadily 0 ammonia & nitrites, and low nitrates (10 or less) for at least a month now. All my fish actually did great. I got a black Sailfin Pleco for the algae problem. I read up on them, and saw that they will "suck" on sick or slow fish, but mine seem to be active and very quick. <The Sailfin Plec is likely Pterygoplichthys pardalis or similar. These are HUGE fish and require tanks 55 gallons upwards. Completely unsuitable for this system. In any case, they have no positive impact on algae. Think about it for just one second: algae grows when the water has fertiliser added, i.e., nitrogenous wastes from the fish. Add more fish, the water is more fertile, and the algae grows faster. Add a huge catfish, and even though it's eating algae, it is also eating catfish pellets and vegetables, so will be making the water much more fertile. It's a case of one step forwards and seventeen steps backwards. There are only TWO ways to control algae: use lots of fast-growing plants, or use elbow grease and a scraper. There is nothing else. Nada. Nix. Nyet. Non. Nein.> Then... got up one morning, and one of my females looked like she was missing scales. She was still acting normally, so I added some Melafix, as it supposed to help with missing scales and Finrot. <I'm not impressed with Melafix. Because it's cheap and "New Age" people buy into it, but it isn't any more effective than any other cheap, New Age medication.> It only got worse from there. When I got home that evening, it was an open (almost looked to bleeding) wound. I searched the internet, and closest thing I could find was AEROMONAS (hole in the side disease). <Hole-in-the-Head is not caused by Aeromonas bacteria. These are different syndromes. Almost certainly you're dealing with a plain vanilla Aeromonas infection, what on a human would be considered sepsis. The skin is damaged, and otherwise harmless Aeromonas bacteria get into the wound and cause serious problems. Long term: death through blood poisoning. Use something like Maracyn or eSHa 2000 to treat.> It seems, though, that this is more commonly associated with wild or farm fish. <No, the problem here is more than likely physical injury and/or poor water quality. I hear what you say about the good water quality stats, but the overwhelming experience of most newbie aquarists is variable to poor water quality, e.g., by overfeeding, under-filtering, or overstocking. So take a conservative approach, and assume the worst case scenario.> I moved her to the 5gal (now hospital tank, also cycled) and tried feeding her anti-bacterial food (soaked and broken up first). She wouldn't touch it, and developed dropsy that night. She was dead the next morning. Next was one of the males. I tried parasite treatment on him. Dropsy, and died within a day. <When masses of fish die for seemingly random reasons, the problem is 99.99999% likely water quality, water chemistry, or poisons. So: check water quality, and do a 50% water change daily until thing settle down. As for water chemistry, check the pH isn't fluctuating wildly. Fish are somewhat tolerant of the "wrong" pH and hardness relative to what they prefer, but what they can't abide is changing water chemistry. Finally, consider poisons. Things like paint fumes can quickly kill fish. Small children are apt to dump things in fish tanks, so it's important to make sure that doesn't happen.> Now my second female has a hole on either side of her body, well behind her gills, mid-body. Also - a large hole, as if something is eating away at her, on her anal fin. it is near her tail. She is now in the hospital tank, and I ordered Maracyn Two, which is on the third day of treatment, and no change, only getting worse. <Stop moving the fish to the 5 gallon tank. Pointless. Such a tank is a death trap itself. Treat the whole tank with Maracyn. Be aggressive with water changes (big, often). Study water chemistry and quality closely. Above all: DO NOT FEED the fish.> One of the males left in the main tank now has a hole in his side, and the other has a hole in his anal fin, in the same exact location as the female. I have tried to take photos, and they just WILL NOT hold still long enough. If they won't eat the anti-bacterial food, and the Maracyn doesn't help, then I am at a loss. The girl in the hospital tank is developing fungus, and I don't want to treat for the fungus while still using the Maracyn, in case there would be a reaction. I am afraid that they are developing secondary problems due to all the HORRIBLE water conditions I subjected them to. If this is the case, do they stand a chance at all? <If you do precisely what I say, yes, some should recover, assuming any Finrot (for that's the issue) is limited to superficial tissues. But if the body cavity is infected, then realistically, no, the fish aren't likely to survive.> Just a mention - the sick female (now in hospital tank) was being harassed by the Pleco. He would attach to her, and she would shake him off, but he probably did the most harm while I was sleeping and could not monitor. Is it possible this is what is happening to the other? I can't imagine the Pleco would decide to attach to the anal fin, though?? <Obviously this Plec needs to go back to the pet store. This is non-negotiable. How, why it is sucking onto the fish is largely academic (though I imagine it is hungry because you are not providing the foods it needs).> OK, I drew a rough image with Paint, which looks like a child created (hence the file name "kindergarten fish") showing the same location all fish are developing the hole in their sides and fins. <Yikes!> I never dreamed I would feel so bad over fish, but they are part of family now, and I really don't want to lose them. What can I possibly do?? <Read, learn, understand.> Thank you much, Jiffy <Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Gourami/Paradisefish problems 03/07/08 Thank you, Neale, for your speedy response. <You're welcome.> It seems my worst fears are realized and I have done unrepairable damage to most of my fishy friends. :( <Quite possibly.> Emo = emotional basket case, which is what my hubby and most my friends think of me when I go on and on about saving my fish. As of tonight, the 5-day Maracyn treatment will be completed in the 5 gal, and the girl is not doing any better. The reason I have been moving them is because the other fish seem to realize who is weak and pick on them. <Oh dear.> Since the treatment did not work on her, I will treat the remaining 2 (sadly, both males - maybe I need a tank separator) in the large tank. <Does sound a short term solution, at least.> The Pleco was purchased with the understanding that it would eventually be returned, upon aggression or growing to large for the tank, so he can easily be returned to the pet store. Once he cleaned the tank, I started feeding the sinking algae disks when I turned off the lights, and witnessed him eating voraciously. I have read that they attack sickly fish, and suspect this is the case here. <Loricariid catfish are classic opportunists (like humans) and they will have a go at whatever seems edible. That's their ecological niche. While they rarely, if ever, cause problems in tanks with healthy fish... in tanks where fish are dropping like flies, I dare say even the best behaved Plec isn't above taking advantage of the situation.> How long should I not feed? A couple days? the duration of the Maracyn treatment? <The latter at minimum. Fish can last a week without food, and after that week, feed small amounts once per day. No more.> Finally, what book(s) would you suggest? I will gladly purchase and read anything that will help me to better care for my fish. <Many, many choices. Go visit your local bookstore, and have a browse. Look for something published reasonably recently so that it is up to date in of filters, medications, etc. Don't be dazzled with pretty pictures -- some aquarium books that are "coffee table" type books look lovely to look at, but thin on information. Pick something that clearly explains about filters, water chemistry, disease and so on. If it has a section on community fish, listing their water chemistry needs, preferred temperature, social behaviour and diet then so much the better. You can use that to decide what fish you want to get next. But right now your need isn't for a book containing hundreds of fish or advanced topics like plants or cichlids; you want something focusing on the foundations of the hobby. Master them, and the rest of the hobby is pretty straightforward.> Thank you so much for your expertise, Jiffy <Cheers, Neale.>

Paradise fish tankmates 3/19/07 Hello crew, <<Greetings, Adam. Tom here.>> I have two 8 gallon, unheated tanks each containing a male paradise fish, java moss and java fern. I bought what I thought was a female in hopes of spawning them and placed it in with my wild coloured male. The male was not too impressed with his new tankmate so I transferred it to the other tank where it then began to attack my blue male. The "female" has a much stockier body, shorter fins and is usually a pale brown colour but when it sees a male its colours darken and it develops iridescent blue edges on the fins and it flares its fins and projects its gill covers. How can I be sure that this is in fact a female? Are there any definite characteristics I can look for? <<First, Adam, don't let the behavior of the female lead you to think you may have gotten another male. If its contained to flaring at one another along with changes in her coloration, this can be/is part of the mating ritual. It may look like they're squaring off for a set-to but that isn't necessarily the case. From the way you've described your third Paradise fish, it sounds to me like you've got a female. The tail split is far less pronounced on the females as well as the tail tips being far more rounded. There's also a spotted pattern to the coloring of the males tail fin while the females all have fairly uniform coloring to theirs. The dorsal and anal fins are also shorter and rounded at the tips as compared to the male. My male displays vertical bars that are quite distinct as opposed to the females which have them but are much less apparent. (My males eyes also look like he's ready to kick the snot of out something/anything all the time. Almost scary looking, really.)>> I know females are not supposed to be imported into Australia but this one looked really female in the store and the guy said they do come in from time to time by accident. <<Hmmm They're not supposed to be imported, he's not supposed to have them and, if he gets any, he shouldn't be selling them to his customers. He'd do very well in the States! :) >> Also, are rosy barbs and leopard danios appropriate tank mates for these fish? <<Within the context of what you're asking, Adam, I would say that the Barbs would be fine but the Danios might be questionable. In my 50-gallon tank I've got Black Skirt Tetras and Serpae Tetras with mine, none of which will put up with any of the Paradises garbage. My squadron of Corys wouldn't care if I put a Great White in the tank with them. I've a lone Angelfish that the Paradise fish take steps to avoid and my Boesemanni Rainbows seem to get along fine with them though, admittedly, they're nearly twice the size of the Paradise fish. Finally, my Sailfin Pleco doesn't much care about anything other than his personal piece of driftwood and eating. (Gorgeous animal but doesn't say much.)>> I got some cheap feeder ones to see it they can cohabitate. Can you suggest any better tankmates? What about white cloud minnows or zebra danios? <<The issue here, Adam, is finding fish that will work in eight-gallon tanks. Just between us guys, Id rather see you upgrade to larger tanks or leave well-enough alone. Your Gouramis will lose a lot of attitude if housed in bigger environments but you've got a couple of species set-ups right now. A couple of minimal ones, to be honest. Like Bettas that Paradise fish are so often compared to, you really want to recognize the limitations of small aquariums and accept them for the good of your pets. Easier said than done, isn't it?>> Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. Adam <<Stick with what you've got for now, Adam. When you're in a position to get larger quarters for your fish your options will improve dramatically. I hope things work out for your new couple, by the way. Cheers. Tom>>
Re: paradise fish tankmates (Follow-up) 3/21/07 Thanks Tom, <<Hello, Adam, and you're welcome.>> Unfortunately for one of the feeder barbs the male paradise lived up to his rep as a cold blooded killer. It calmly swam up to it and promptly proceeded to remove its face, not a pretty sight. <<Ye gads! That's a bit over the top even for a Paradise fish! I suspected the cramped quarters would lead to squabbling but not downright mayhem. Im sorry about that to say the least, Adam.>> I rescued the remaining barb and put it in the pond with my other barbs and Buenos Aires tetras. So far the danios have escaped injury from the other male (in the other tank). I placed the original male in a clear floating tank and returned the female. Will this help get him used to the idea of having a wife? <<Right now, Adam, I don't know how far I would trust this particular fish even with a female of the same species. It would probably be prudent to consider the possibility that this fellow is a rogue or, very close to being one. Given the almost non-existent supply of females that you have available Down Under, Id be very leery of potentially jeopardizing her with a known killer. Observe them for a bit before chancing a close encounter and then watch both of them like a hawk!>> I don't think I'll add any more tankmates unless I do upgrade to bigger setups. <> Also, what is the minimum temperature leopard danios can tolerate? <<About 50 degrees (F.). I wouldn't push this for a long period, however. (Where Im at, 50 degrees doesn't sound all that bad, though. :) )>> I "rescued" them from the feeder fish tank at my LFS and if I have to remove them I'd like to add them to the pond but I don't know if they can handle the lower winter temperatures like the barbs and tetras. <<Actually, they've got quite a large range of tolerance, Adam. I wouldn't be too concerned as long as they can be kept above 50 for most of the time.>> Adam <<Good luck and keep an eye on Jack the Ripper! Tom>>

Paradise Gourami I have a male and female paradise Gourami, I believe they have mated he has made a bubble nest and they have did the mating thing, I have seen what seems to be eggs come from the female after a very interesting mating courtship the male wraps himself around the female and flips her upside down then after a few seconds she floats away and he is curled up like a leaf at the top of the tank, after those kinds of interactions is when I have notice the small white eggs floating in the water. The male scoops them up and spits them into the bubble nest area. <Yes... good description.> My question is how long before I should see babies. <About four days near 80 F. To wiggling stage... need to cover the tank to avoid cold air drafts...> And is something wrong with my tank. I am afraid I have a fungus now growing in that tank brown clumps of some sort are starting to accumulate in the bottom and float to the top. I have read that it is hard to get the young to mature because of disease , is this a fungus or algae. Any help would be greatly appreciated. <Maybe an algae of some sort, perhaps an algae and other life forms... maybe just detritus... I would place a sponge type filter, or an open-top (leave the lid off) air-driven corner filter... to prevent the babies from being sucked in... And start studying... books, the Net re raising Gourami fry... have you looked into growing their food? I would... and start now... infusoria... Bob Fenner> Marty

Bettas and Paradisefish - 02/18/2004 I have a question. <Okay> Tell me please can I put in my 20 l aquarium 1 Betta (male) and one Macropodus (male)??? <This may be do-able, depending upon the temperaments of both fish. If both are relatively laid-back, it should work out fine. I have seen particularly aggressive Paradisefish (Macropodus sp.) terrorize fish more than three times their size, but I've also seen a few that are quite tolerant of most any tankmates. Same with Bettas, some are very peaceful, some are terrors. I would say try it, and be prepared to remove one of the fish if you see any serious aggression.> Thanks! <You bet! Wishing you and your Anabantoids well, -Sabrina>

Paradise fish, beh., comp. 2/28/07 Hello Crew, <Jessica> I have a 30gal freshwater tank that's been empty save for a pair of bristle nose Plecos for about two months. Firstly, to insure it was well cycled (I made that mistake with my previous 10gal and it was rather horrible), and also just because I haven't been having much luck getting any other fish. Anyway, I recently (about a week ago) got a Paradise fish who after quarantining is now with the Plecos (introduced two days ago). My first question is that he's kind of... Hyper, I suppose. All he seems to do is pace back and forth along the glass really quickly. I'm not sure that he's eating either, because he's too busy flying around to pay attention when I put food in. I've seen him eating some of the Plecos algae wafer, but that's about it. Is this normal behavior for a Paradise fish? Or is something wrong with him/the tank? <Is likely normal... this fish is probably seeing its reflection... reacting to such... will greatly calm down with the addition of tankmates...> All water levels (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc.) are as they should be. Also, I have a Opaline Gourami and a school of Harlequin Rasboras in quarantine right now, and I've been reading some worrisome stories about Paradise fish consuming smaller fish. <These will all be fine together> The Opaline doesn't bother the Rasboras at all in the QT tank, so I'm not too worried about him being aggressive (until he get's larger anyway) towards the smaller fish, and I feel like he's big enough and 3in right now) to defend himself from the Paradise. Do you think my Rasboras will be ok with the Paradise? <Yes> They're a little on the small side right now as well, I'd say they're about an inch or slightly larger not yet two inches, but it's hard to tell since they're fast and hard to get a good look at. The tank is well planted with plenty of hiding spots, but I'd rather know now before I put them in and find out. Thanks for you help, Jess