In The Wild
Date Classified:
1905
Native Location:
Borneo
Environment:
Rivers, streams, puddles, trickles and ditches
Water pH:
7.5
In Aquaria:
Physical Appearance:
- Male – intense blue-green with and/or without iridescence
- Male – horizontal stripes until fully grown
- Female – less intense blue-green
- Female – horizontal stripes even fully grown
Finnage:
- Male – anal fin has blue band margined in black on outside; spots on inside
- Male and Female – some strains have muted blue body and head
Size:
Less than 6 inches with the males being larger
Feeding in Captivity:
Live and frozen; commercial flaked and dried
Water and Hardness:
Calcium-magnesium – 10-20
Water Temperature:
70-77 degrees Fahrenheit
Water pH:
6.5-7.5
Breeding:
They spawn near the bottom, toward nightfall. Keep the large tank well covered and fill with many different types of vegetation. Use 3-inch PVC tubes or clay flowerpots for caves.