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i have a 20 gallon planted tank with a male paradise. i was wondering what would fit in nicely in there with him. i have no idea how he would react to other fish as he is alone in that tank. the tank will be heavily planted shortly with easy plants (anubias, java fern, various crypts, dwarf hygro, ect) i know paradises can be very variable in character so im not really sure what to do. ny ideas?

i would say most anything common that can go in a 20, such as corys/gouramies(some people have problems mixing the two, but i haven't seen any) / tetras. etc,

I agree just about anything can go with them, but like cichlids, paradise fish have widely different personalties. Some will see small fish as something to pick on, others leave them alone.

I have a 29 with 2 otos, a clown pleco, and two dojo loaches and they do great together.

Eric

i have 3 emperor tetras in my 10g. they are rather young but just big enough to sex them. i have 1 male 2 females. i will be buying more females shortly. so they might be ok with him?hmmmmmm. i would enjoy having a pearl gourami in there with him.i will see how he handles tankmates.

I don't think I'd add both a pearl gourami and a paradise fish in a 10 gallon tank with your other fish. One or the other would probably be OK, but you don't want to put two territorial fish in such a small tank - especially since both will reach about 4" long.

Eric

Edit here - I just re-read and see you plan on putting them all in a 20 gallon (I'd forgotten that). The paradise and the pearl may work, but some paradise fish just don't like another labyrinth fish in their neighborhood. So it would just depend on your fish. At least pearls don't have coloration that would remind a male paradise fish of another paradise fish.



Last edited by Big E at 15-Nov-2005 23:30

i think you misunderstood. i meant that i currently have 3 emperor tetras in my 10g and might try adding them to my 20g to see how it goes. if the paradise handles tankmates well i could try going for other fish.

I did misread your post, sorry about that. As per my edit above, the emporers should do great in a 20 with a paradise fish. The pearl may or may not - depending upon the paradise fishes personality.

Eric

its ok. i will see how he handles the tetras and ill go from there

Trying him out with the tetras is a good idea. Mine is in a 30g with neons, cories, a RTBS, and a BN. He's quite a personable fish but has never shown aggression towards the other fish. He actually tries to school with the neons...not chase them but gets right into the middle of the group. Yesterday I saw him on the bottom of the tank & thought he might be sick but he was hanging out with the cories

JMO but I wouldn't recommend mixing labyrinth fish. If the tetras work out you could add a schooling fish to the tank. Bottom feeders of some sort would most likely work as well.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

if the 3 emperor tetrs work out i was planning on getting more .ive always been fan of cories so i will get a shoal if it works out. the emperor tetrs are about 1 inch ong right now. are they large enough to add to the other tank with the paradise?

I've kept paradise fish with inch long white clouds...and that worked out fine. Some of it will depend on your particular fish, but personally I'd give it a go.

My paradise fish has a tendency to follow around bottom feeders and trying to steal what they're eating...he's a pretty smart fish. My clown pleco and the dojos will get all riled up and shove him around - no one is hurt and he'll give them space, for a bit at least. He does steal algae waffer bits from the otos on a regular basis, but they hang around until he drops some so they get their food, too.

Man, I love paradise fish!

Eric

what a wuss. i put in my emperor tetras and my dwarf gourami in the 20g to see. guess what. the dwarf gourami i chasing him around the tank. im moving back the dg after writing this. i a pearl gourami wont beat up on him i think it could work.