TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Red-finned paradise fish
★New · no ratings yetPicture coming

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Red-finned paradise fish

Macropodus erythropterus · Red-fin paradise fish, Vietnamese paradise fish

Territorial and best kept singly or in a pair in a larger tank.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
8 cmBody length, without tail ✓
20–30 °CTemperature ✓
6–8pH ✓
72 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Red-finned paradise fish eats animals up to about 2 cm. Ember tetra only grows to 2 cm.
Not recommended
  • Red-finned paradise fish eats animals up to about 2 cm. Chili rasbora only grows to 2 cm.
Not recommended
  • Red-finned paradise fish eats animals up to about 2 cm. Endler's livebearer only grows to 2 cm.
With conditions
  • Red-finned paradise fish may attack colorful long-finned fish like congo tetra.
With conditions
  • Red-finned paradise fish may attack colorful long-finned fish like guppy.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

442 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–20 dGH
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3.5–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Territorial and best kept singly or in a pair in a larger tank.

  • cool

Food

Live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are larger than females and have extended soft rays in the dorsal, anal and tail fins.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Bubble-nester · Moderate

Bubble-nester. The male builds the nest in floating plants; the female is usually tolerated and may help guard it, and adults do not usually eat the fry.

Pairing

One conditioned pair in a planted tank.

Setup

40 L planted tank with floating plants.

What starts it

Live food and warming.

Eggs

Several hundred floating eggs per spawn; fry need infusoria-sized food for the first few days, then microworm or Artemia nauplii.

Raising the fry

Infusoria then baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Heavy flow
  • Keeping with small fish
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionCentral Vietnam
HabitatStreams and ponds in lowland forest
Native rangeAbout 150 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the red-finned paradise fish

Described in 2002 by Freyhof and Herder from hill streams in central Vietnam, it is named for the red spots and bars in its dorsal and tail fins. It is very close to the black paradise fish (M. spechti), which lacks the red; whether they are really separate species is still debated.

Jörg Freyhof and Fabian Herder described this paradise fish in 2002 from central Vietnam. It is one of several Macropodus species recognised from Vietnam in recent decades.

First described by Jörg Freyhof & Fabian Herder in 2002. Named for 'Erythropterus' means red-finned.

  • Its fins show bright red tones.
  • It is closely related to the black paradise fish.
  • Males build bubble nests like other paradise fish.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources