Comb-tail paradise fish
This fish is from the island of Sri Lanka, where it hides among bankside vegetation. The rivers it lives in are slow flowing, about 40cm deep and have soft, slightly acidic water. Given the right environment it is a shy, retiring species. They have a orange or reddish brown coloration. Their caudal fin gets longer with age. These fish need a large tank as they can grow up to 12cm of length. I have 4 in a 48inch tank and the largest one has claimed all but one corner as his. The smaller three take cover in their corner, from where it is hard to coax them out for food. Sexual differentiation is hard until the females are full of ova and the males are in bright spawning colors. They generally build their bubblenests as they spawn, instead of before as do Betta splendens. Parents may take care of the fry for up to six weeks after they hatch.
Edith's Betta
This mouthbrooder comes from slow flowing waters of Southern Borneo. Betta edithae reaches a length of 6.5cm, They have a round tail. They have brown molted bodies with darker stripes covering the length of the body. Males have slimmer bodies and straight foreheads. They also have a more intense coloration and blue spots that seem to sparkle. It is a peaceful fish that can be kept with other fish, including other Bettas. They are undemanding as far as Food and water goes. Mine love frozen bloodworms. They are easy to spawn, and usually spawn near the substrate in the mornings. After the typical labyrinth fish embrace, they pick up the eggs from the substrate or catch them as they fall. The female spits the ones she catches at the male, who broods them in his mouth. The female will stay around and defend the male from other tank mates. I have heard of spawnings of 20 to 135 after 9 to 12 days. I hope to find out for myself someday. I have always lost the eggs after about 3 days. It seems the male is eating them.
Siamese Fighting Fish
Convict Cichlid
Dwarf Gourami
Least livebearer
Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus deissneri is from Sumatra. It has also been found on the Malay peninsula and the island of Bangka off Sumatra. There it inhabits narrow, gently flowing water courses with dark brown soft acidic water. Water requirements are similar to those of Sphaerichthys ospromenoides. It is a shy fish, spending its time with its head toward the bottom among the vegetation near the bank or in shadowy, shallow flooded areas.
This small fish stays under 4cm in length. It has two deep dark brown longitudinal stripes. Males when displaying show a sparkling blue-green with reddish tones on the lower fins. The females have an altogether more pale coloration.
Keep in a small tank with plenty of plants and caves. Water should be soft (3° dH) acidic (pH 5) and around 25° C. As the fish is shy and stays hidden, if you want to see them you should keep 8 to 10 together. This will also cause them to display more often. Feed small live foods.
This species is a cave bubblenest breeder. A spawn will have about 50 eggs. The male tends the nest and eggs hatch after 45 to 65 hours. Fry will be free-swimming in 5 days. Move fry to rearing tank when they become freeswimming. They grow quickly to 12mm then their growth slows down. Young reach sexual maturity at 7 months. about 50 eggs in a spawn
Chocolate Gourami
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides is from the South part of the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, and southern part of Borneo. It is found in ponds and ditches with slow flowing brown water, hiding in overhanging vegetation. The water is soft and acidic.
It has an oval body form, laterally compressed. small mouth (mine have a hard time eating adult daphnia). Dark brown with three to four tan vertical stripes. Length is about 6cm. The male has a pointed dorsal fin; the female's is rounded. The female has weaker margins on the anal fin.
Keep them in a well planted species aquarium. preferably larger than 100L (25Gallon) Females will lay about 80 eggs. The eggs are cream colored and 2mm in diameter. Females mouthbrood 17 to 19 days and release fry that look like miniature adults with the deep coloration but only about 7mm long (¼ inch). On occasion they have been reported to build bubblenests.
Croaking Gourami
Trichopsis pumilus comes from Central Thailand. They live in weedy standing water where the temperatures rise to 33° C. They grow to about 4cm in length. The body is a pale tan color with two longitudinal darker stripes. The bottom stripe goes from the eye to the base of the tail. The stripes are broken and sometimes look like a series of spots. The eye has a hint of red in it. Unpaired fins display iridescent blue spots. This fish has a very retiring peaceful disposition, and as such should not be kept with other species unless they have the same size and temperament. Occasionally the fish school. Sexual differentiation is hard. The males are usually smaller and have more pointed fins. the eye of the female is smaller than the male's. A technique used by some is to place the fish in a small glass container and hold it up to a bright light, where it is possible to see the ovaries in the cross light as a triangle pointing towards the tail. They are not very demanding as far as water condition goes, but should be kept in well planted tank with plenty of hiding places. When they are comfortable they will be more assertive in coming out into view. With few plants in the tank, my Trichopsis pumilus were always hiding close to the rhizome of a Java fern, but now in a very densely planted tank, the fish will come up to the front glass when aware of my presence. This fish is one of my favorite fish. Trichopsis pumilus is a cave bubblenest builder, preferring to build his nest near the substrate, many times on the bottom side of broad leafed plants. During courtship the male may emit croaking sounds. With the anabantid embrace the female releases 3 or 4 opaque milky eggs in a clump, which the male quickly places in the nest. If the clump falls apart the female may pick up the eggs and spit them at the male. She does not approach the nest. The male then catches them in his mouth and places them in the bubblenest. A spawn may contain 100 to 300 eggs, which hatch after 42 to 46 hours (at 80.6° F). The female remains around the periphery of the territory, helping to guard it. The male seems to take a better interest taking care of the nest with the female present, so it is advised to leave both parents in the tank until the fry become free swimming two days latter. After a month the juveniles reach a length of 2 cm (¾ inch), and reach sexual maturity at the second month.
