Description
Black Paradise Fish – Striking Contrast and Fiery Personality
(Macropodus opercularis – Black Variant)
The Black Paradise Fish is a bold and dramatic color variant of the classic Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis), showcasing deep, velvety black tones with hints of iridescence under the light. Combining old-school charm with a fresh modern look, this fish is a perfect choice for aquarists seeking a unique and eye-catching centerpiece with a lively personality.
Key Features:
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Deep Black Coloration: The Black Paradise Fish features a rich, dark body that may shimmer with blue, green, or bronze highlights depending on lighting, offering a unique visual contrast in any freshwater setup.
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Highly Active and Engaging: Known for their energetic swimming and inquisitive behavior, these fish often interact with their environment and display fascinating social cues.
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Labyrinth Fish: Like bettas and gouramis, they can breathe atmospheric air thanks to their labyrinth organ, making them adaptable to a wider range of water conditions.
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Hardy and Resilient: An excellent choice for intermediate keepers, they are tough, long-lived, and capable of thriving in less-than-perfect conditions with proper care.
Tank Compatibility:
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Best kept solo or with carefully chosen tankmates due to their semi-aggressive and territorial nature
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Compatible with robust, fast-moving species—avoid slow or long-finned tankmates
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Males can be aggressive toward one another; keep only one per tank unless breeding in a controlled environment
Care Requirements:
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Temperature: 22°C–28°C (72°F–82°F)
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pH: 6.0–8.0
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Moderate water hardness
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Provide plenty of plants, rocks, and hiding spots; they enjoy having territory and visual breaks in the aquascape
Feeding Tips:
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Omnivorous and eager eaters
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Will thrive on a varied diet of high-quality pellets, flakes, and frozen or live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia
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A varied diet enhances coloration and boosts immune health
Why Choose the Black Paradise Fish?
The Black Paradise Fish combines the timeless appeal of a classic labyrinth species with a rare, modern color twist. With its striking appearance, lively behavior, and manageable care needs, this fish offers both visual drama and interactive charm—perfect for aquarists who want something different without added complexity.
Click & Collect
Livestock will only be bagged once you arrive, or if you contact us in advance to request it ready beforehand.
Local Delivery
Order anything from our in-store range and have it delivered right to you.
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Minimum spend: £50
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Delivery up to 10 miles: £10
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Delivery up to 25 miles: £20
Distances are measured “as the crow flies”, not by road.
Once your order is placed, we’ll be in touch to arrange a suitable delivery date and time.
Please note, delivery may take a little longer as we often group orders together to build an efficient delivery run.
Important: If you’re ordering a large aquarium, please ensure someone is available to help unload the van on arrival.
Dry Goods Delivery
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DPD Next Day: 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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DX Next Day (Heavy Items & Small Aquariums): 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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Express Pallet: 1–3 working days
If you'd like to add more items to an existing order that hasn't yet been dispatched, please place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to combine the orders.
Please note: We currently only dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Pre-Order
Want the full details? Check out our Terms & Conditions.
Livestock Delivery
Thursday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Wednesday afternoon
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Delivered Thursday before 1pm
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Order by Wednesday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Friday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Thursday afternoon
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Delivered Friday before 1pm
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Order by Thursday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Saturday Delivery – £29
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Dispatched Friday afternoon
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Delivered Saturday before 1pm
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Order by Friday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
📦 Want to Add to an Existing Order?
No problem! Just place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to link it with your original one (as long as it hasn’t been dispatched yet).
🛒 Dry Goods Now Included!
You can now include dry goods in your livestock delivery – perfect for topping up supplies in one go.
❄️ Please note: We can’t send frozen food with livestock – please order frozen items separately.
⚠️ Delivery Exclusions
Unfortunately, we’re unable to deliver livestock to the following postcodes:
Scotland & Isles:
AB30–AB56, DD8–DD10, DG3–DG9, DG12–DG14, FK17–FK21, KA18–KA19, KA26–KA30, PA20–PA38, PA80, PH3–PH40
Cornwall Isles: TR21–TR25
All of the following postcodes are excluded:
BT, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW
Plus Channel Islands and Shetland Islands
Payment & Security
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