sunstrip

A few days ago a friend of mine from work got rid of his tanks...he managed to give away all his fish except for one... I told him I'd take it...it was a Paradise Fish..I tried putting him in both my tanks...and let me tell ya....this guy is one of the meanest belligerent fish I have ever seen ! He wanted to attack and kill everything in sight ! Phoned my friend up and asked if this little #@*&! was like that when he had him...he said he wouldn't know...cause he kept him in a tank with 6 large Cichlids and he kept to himself...I went into panic mode and had to get him out of the tanks...there was NO WAY my wife was going to let me buy another fish tank...so my only alternative was to put him in my old 5 gallon betta tank....he seems to be doing OK...but I have read mixed comments on tank sizes for these guys...some say a minimum of 20 Gallons and other say that they are the same as a Betta and can live well in a 5 Gallon...I have even read that they can be kept in a goldfish Bowl....you guys have any info and or advice for me ?...Keeping in mind that I can't buy another tank (or my wife will kill me) and I'm pretty sure I can't give this guy away to anybody cause I'm pretty sure that whoever I give him too will show up at my door and throw him back in my face...LOL...this little dude is meeeeeeeeeeean ! LOL

capekate

sorry to hear that Sunstrip....
lol.. i know its not funny, but yes, the true paradise fish is a meany for sure. They are aggressive and territorial usually with their own species, but I see that you are not having that kind of luck. There are other species of paradise fish that are much more nicer.. seems you dont have one of those.
I have no advice for you.. as I dont know what you can do with the guy now that you have him, other than trying to see if a LFS will take it off your hands!
I feel your pain!

~ kate

Drea

I didn't know there were other paradise kind. My paradise....Pilot is wonderful (click on camera-have pics) he never bothers anyone else in the tank, and is always swimming up to the glass when people pay attention to the tank....He's a very very sweet good boy (my favorite, but don't tell the others)

capekate

Hi Drea,
I dont have any paradise fish but yes, there are different kinds. Check out the Chinese Paradise fish, wow is that a gorgeous fish. It seems that the blue paradise fish, is the most aggressive of its two closest relatives, the M.Concolor (black paradise fish) and Macropodus ocellatus (Chinese paradise fish.)
Im glad that yours is working out well for you. Id love to have some of them myself if I could find the Chinese paradise fish!

~ kate

capekate

HI Drea, lol.. never realized that was what that camera icon was for DUH.... I love your gold gourami and your paradise fish is gorgeous too. I saw them at petsmart when I bought my blue and gold gourami's. Almost got them instead.. hmmmmm I may have to go and have another look at them! BTW... your tank set ups are gorgeous! great job

~ kate

Drea

Thanks, Kate....I am really glad I have Pilot...his blue/orange colors are alot more intense than the picture shows...yeah,and the gold gourami (George) and Pilot get along. Best luck I've had with 2 gouramis in the same tank ever!!!

sunstrip

I have a Blue Meanie ! Oh...I mean Paradise...LOL...keep on track guys...LMAO ! Just foolin' with ya guys..LOL...seriously though...do you think he will be fine in the 5 Gallon tank by himself ?

Drea

I don't see why he wouldn't.....does the community tank have alot of plants and stuff? Sometimes that will help fish acclimate to each other better, or changing the decor around, will keep a "territory" from being "guarded".

sunstrip

My community tank has a few plants in it...want to replace (but not all)plastic ones with real ones.....but from the advice Ive gotten..I don't have enough light wattage (what-ever..into this hobby for fish...not plants)...I would really love to add this guy to the big tank...I tried....but he just wants to ATTACK everyone ! This fish is a real buttwipe with other fish..but on his own...he seems fine in the 5 Gallon...allthough my wife has started to refer to him as "the fish in solitary confinment...otherwise known as...the "time out tank"...LOL !

Thanks for the post Drea !

sunstrip

Looks like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place...the 5 gallon will have to do...allthough...this afternoon...I modified the little filter that they have in there...cut out the bottom half of the filter...removed the carbon...left the top screen/wool (what-ever)...and added a bio-bag with some Amo-Sorb underneath it...water flow seems to be great...hoping it will do the trick...sound good to you guys ?.?.? Flyin' on a string here...trying to do my best.

capekate

g'morning Sunstrip
If the 5g is the only option other than returning the meanie to the LFS, than I guess its going to have to do. Blue Gourami grow to up to 6 inches, so eventually that tank will be to small. IMO the 5g right now is too small. Gourami like larger tanks with plenty of swimming areas.

~ kate

sunstrip

Your going to love this one Kate...LOL...as you know...I had a horrible time with my Paradise Fish...had to put him in the "time out tank" as my wife referred to the 5 Gallon...LOL...everyday my wife would stand in front of the tank...and shake her finger at him and scold him...LOL...it was funny to watch...LOL...after about 5 days of this..I decided to try re-introducing him to my 55 Gallon tank...it's been close to a week now that he's been in there...and he has become a perfect gentleman ! He now gets along with everyone ! LOL...how funny is that ! Still...every morning...my wife walks by the tank and says "good fishy....good fishy....I'm still keeping an eye on you though" LMAO ! I guess it was just the stress of the move that had him in a bad mood.....I have now turned the 5 Gallon "time out" tank into a new home for a Purple Beta (Bob)...if he only knew that he is living in the former "Alcatraz" of fish tanks...LOL !

capekate

LOL Sunstrip..
that is soooo funny and I sure can relate to your wife! haha...
Those Paradise fish who are cousins of the Gourami can be just as testy. Im so glad that the 'time out' worked.. lol. I have also had to use time out for a few of my fish too. One was a crazy tiger barb. Ohhh how he was moved from tank to tank, trying to find where he would get along. didnt happen...
I have used the time out with other fish... they seem to get along for awhile.. but their true personalities do come back some of the time. But the time out helps because you are now bringing it back into a tank where it is no longer dominate and not trying to defend its territory. It now has to claim new territory and that is where the problem sometimes begins again.
LOL.. thanks for sharing... too funny....

~ kate