Home / Fishes / Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads / Black paradisefish
No federal permit to keepBlack paradisefish
Macropodus spechti
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Osphronemidae (Gouramis and bettas)
The black paradisefish (Macropodus spechti) is a species of gourami endemic to Vietnam.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 2.3 in / 5.76 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 68–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.5–7.8.
- Hardness: 0–20 dGH.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 31 × 12 in (roughly 19 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–86 °F, pH 6–8, 5–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; in a pair; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Can be maintained in a fully-decorated aquarium although many breeders prefer not to use a substrate for ease of maintenance.”
- Diet: “Likely to prey on insect larvae and suchlike in nature, and should be offered small live or frozen Daphnia, Artemia, white worm, grindal worm, etc., in captivity.”
- Tankmates: “This species is relatively peaceful unless breeding.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Gouramis and labyrinth fish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Warm, still, vegetated waters. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Planted, calm tanks with floating plants; they breathe air at the surface, so leave a gap under the lid.
Diet
- Food acceptance is species-specific. Parosphromenus deissneri needs tiny live invertebrate foods and commonly refuses dried foods; a pellet/flake staple cannot cover every labyrinth fish.
Health watch
- Males are territorial; dwarf gourami iridovirus.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is an inhabitant of hill streams, lowland streams, and irrigation ditches in farmland. This species grows to a standard length of 5.8 cm (2.3 in).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Black paradisefish” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Found in all kinds of hill stream habitats and along diverse structured margins or backwaters of large rivers, as well as in small streams and irrigation channels on farmland. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 68–79 °F (20–26 °C), pH 6.5–7.8, hardness 20 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: nesters. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 68–79 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 92°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 62°F (down to 56°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 69–78°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–80% on average (driest month about 72%) |
| Rainfall | about 2241 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 11 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The black paradisefish (Macropodus spechti) is a species of gourami endemic to Vietnam. It is an inhabitant of hill streams, lowland streams, and irrigation ditches in farmland. This species grows to a standard length of 5.8 cm. It is found in the Thu Bon River and Perfume River; its habitat is hill streams, along backwaters of large rivers and small stream and irrigation channels on farmland. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Eggs are deposited in bubble nests. — FishBase |
| Biology | Obligate air-breathing; Found in all kinds of hill stream habitats and along diverse structured margins or backwaters of large rivers, as well as in small streams and irrigation channels on farmland. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 31 × 12 in (about 19 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Parosphromenus deissneri Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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