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Variety of Paradise fish

Albino paradise fish

Macropodus opercularis

The named variety of Macropodus opercularis · See the species →

Also known as Albino Paradise Gourami

FreshwaterFish

Albino paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
50–72°F
10–22°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
25 gal
95 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

Sold as albino paradise fish or albino paradise gourami, this line trades the dark body for cream and keeps the banding. Red eyes are the giveaway that separates it from a merely pale wild type. Albino fish see less well in bright light, so shaded cover and a dimmer setup suit them better than an open, brightly lit tank.

In the wild

The albino is a tank-bred strain and no wild paradise fish looks like this. Seriously Fish lists albino among the selectively bred ornamental strains of the species, beside xanthic, red, blue and stripeless forms. The species itself has been in Western aquariums since 1869, but no breeder, country or decade is documented for the albino line.

Good to know

Albinism removes melanin, which is why the eye is pink to red and the dark elements of the wild pattern drop out. As with other aquarium albino lines the trait is recessive, so albino to albino breeds true and albino to wild type gives normal looking carriers.

Did you know

A wild paradise fish carries seven to eleven blue bars on a red ground. The albino drains those colors rather than erasing them, and sellers describe the finished fish as cream to white with the red and blue left as undertones, strongest in the fins.

Common questions

Is an Albino paradise fish a different species from the Paradise fish?

No. An Albino paradise fish is a variety of the Paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does an Albino paradise fish need?

An Albino paradise fish needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

How big does an Albino paradise fish get?

An adult Albino paradise fish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Related species