Paradise Fish
Macropodus opercularis
Also known as: Paradise gourami, Blue paradise fish
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 6-10 cm (2.4-4 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 75 litres (20 gallons)
- Lifespan: 6–8 years
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Swimming level: all-levels
- Diet: carnivore
- Minimum group size: 1
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 10–26°C
- pH: 6–8
- Hardness (GH): 71–357 ppm (4–20 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
One of the first tropical fish ever kept in the West, introduced to Europe in the 1800s, and still among the hardiest aquarium fish available. A labyrinth species like the betta and gouramis, it breathes air at the surface and tolerates an extraordinary range of conditions, including genuinely cool water, which makes it a candidate for unheated tanks in temperate Australian homes. The flipside of that toughness is temperament: paradise fish are bold, territorial, and predatory toward small tankmates, closer in attitude to a scaled-down cichlid than to the peaceful community labyrinth fish. Kept as a single centrepiece with robust, cool-tolerant companions, a male in full colour, banded in iridescent blue and red, is a striking and characterful fish with a long history behind it.
Tankmates
Beautiful but pugnacious. Males are highly territorial and fight other male paradise fish savagely, and they treat other labyrinth fish (bettas and gouramis) as rivals, so only one labyrinth fish belongs per tank. They are also micropredators that eat fish small enough to fit in their mouths, ruling out neon-sized tetras, shrimp, and guppy fry. Suitable tankmates are robust, fast, non-long-finned, and too large to swallow: larger barbs, danios, and armoured catfish, ideally ones that share the paradise fish's tolerance for cooler water. A single specimen in a well-planted tank with broken sightlines is the safest stocking. Females and juveniles are less aggressive but still not community pushovers.
Compatible with
Avoid keeping with
- Betta
- Dwarf Gourami
- Three Spot Gourami
- Neon Tetra
- Guppy
- Cherry Shrimp
- Long Finned Species
Common Problems
- aggression toward other labyrinth fish and small tankmates
- male-on-male fighting
- predation on very small fish and shrimp
- fin damage from its own boldness or from fin-nippers
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-20