Paradise fish
A striped relative of the betta that needs no heater. Males are aggressive and should be kept one to a tank.
Care at a glance
| Minimum tank | 20 gallons (76 L) |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 61–79°F (16–26°C) |
| pH | 6.0–8.0 |
| How many | Male paradise fish fight each other. Keep one per tank. |
| Adult size | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive and territorial |
| Where it lives | Near the top |
| Type | Fish |
Things to know
- It jumps. Keep a tight-fitting lid on the tank.
- It breathes air from the surface, so leave a gap between the water and the lid.
Good tank mates
- Cardinal tetra
- Harlequin rasbora
- Zebra danio
- Platy
- Molly
- Bronze corydoras
- Otocinclus
- Bristlenose pleco
- Kuhli loach
- Tiger barb
- Cherry barb
- Nerite snail
- Black skirt tetra
- Rummynose tetra
- Lemon tetra
- Serpae tetra
- Bleeding heart tetra
- Congo tetra
- Diamond tetra
- X-ray tetra
- Scissortail rasbora
- Giant danio
- Rosy barb
- Gold barb
- Denison barb
- Rainbow shark
- Red-tailed black shark
- Siamese algae eater
- Hillstream loach
- Swordtail
- Bolivian ram
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
- Severum
- Shell dweller
- Panda corydoras
- Peppered corydoras
- Sterbai corydoras
- Clown loach
- Yoyo loach
- Dwarf chain loach
- Clown pleco
- Common pleco
- Rubber lip pleco
- Pictus catfish
- Glass catfish
- Boeseman's rainbowfish
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish
- Golden wonder killifish
- Bala shark
- Dojo loach
- Mystery snail
- Ramshorn snail
- Assassin snail
- Dwarf orange crayfish
- African dwarf frog
Possible with care
- Neon tetra
- Ember tetra
- Chili rasbora
- White cloud minnow
- Guppy
- Pygmy corydoras
- Angelfish
- Fancy goldfish
- Glowlight tetra
- Black neon tetra
- Green neon tetra
- Marbled hatchetfish
- Lambchop rasbora
- Celestial pearl danio
- Endler's livebearer
- Sailfin molly
- German blue ram
- Kribensis
- Firemouth cichlid
- Convict cichlid
- Electric yellow lab
- Peacock cichlid
- Electric blue acara
- Chinese algae eater
- Threadfin rainbowfish
- Clown killifish
- Common goldfish
- Japanese rice fish
Do not mix with
- Betta (male)
- Dwarf gourami
- Cherry shrimp
- Amano shrimp
- Pearl gourami
- Honey gourami
- Three-spot blue gourami
- Sparkling gourami
- Female betta
- Oscar
- Jack Dempsey
- Discus
- Pea puffer
- Ghost shrimp
- Bamboo shrimp
- Crystal red shrimp
Open any pairing to see the reason.