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Paradise

Paradise Fish Species:

Paradise fish are a species of fish that are native to the area that stretches from Vietnam to North Korea.



This species of fish naturally populates the rivers and muddy rice paddies in the region, feeding on other fish and insects. The fish is so wonderfully colored that it is also a favorite aquarium fish and has been so for a very long time as well. Though a favorite, it is also slightly difficult to keep because it is quite an aggressive fish for its miniscule size.



Because of this trait, it is virtually impossible to keep more than one fish in a tank. Keeping two males in a tank is basically impossible.

The paradise fish measures in at a few inches but despite this, it has quite a temper to speak of.



This is probably because the fish is used to preying on other species, especially the young of other fish. Curiously, when in the presence of bigger fish, this fish will go into a mode of high stress and its health could even suffer adversely. One of the major pet health issues when it comes to keeping a paradise fish is dealing with the fish going into constant stress when in the presence of bigger fish that it cannot dominate.

This becomes a major concern in terms of pet health care in the fish as you cannot keep the fish in the presence of any bigger and aggressive fish. The ideal companions of this fish are probably cichlids but these species are slightly unpredictable in their own right. A major part of pet health information about the paradise fish starts with understanding its reproductive patterns as well. The paradise fish is extremely particular and territorial but will relax its rules when there is a female around its territory. The fish will mate by gently embracing the female, fertilizing its eggs, and then scooping them into its mouth. The male then takes on the onus of bringing up the young. After mating, the female is actually considered a threat and will often be attacked by the male. At some point after the eggs hatch, even the fry are not completely immune from the wrath of the male and it makes sense to remove the male from the tank after the eggs have hatched. The young can then feed on newly hatched brine shrimp that form a major part of its diet. The fish can survive in quite a wide variety of temperatures so temperature control is not a major concern for an owner. 

 
  Submitted on May 7, 2010