Pregnant Paradise Fish

Question
I've had 2 paradise fish for over a year. I have determined that one is male and one is female.It looks like my female is carrying eggs. I have them both in a 10 gallon tank. I had the water level lowered and the temp raised, and I floated a leaf for the nest. The male has yet to make a nest and all he does is flare up and shake around the female. Neither one of them seems to be eating now(flake food), where before they had no problem with that. It's been about 24 hrs since I put them in a tank alone with each other. What steps do I need to take to have a successful breed?  

Thanks for your help.
Emily

Answer
Hi Emily;

The female should only be introduced to the male after he has built a bubble nest. They like floating plants to do that so get some if you don't have them already. You may need a bigger tank too. Paradise really should be in a 20 gallon or larger, even if you only have 2.

Paradise fish do "okay" on flake foods but need something better like frozen shrimp, worms, and mosquito larvae to condition them for breeding. Provide a couple of different things for variety. They should be available at your local fish store. Feeding whole high-protein foods like these to your fish signals that it is spring and it is time to breed. Water changes are another signal. Replace 25% of the water every day for 2 or 3 days to get rid of nitrate. Nitrate is a natural result of filtration and is only removed by water changes. That's why partial water changes every week are so important for all fish. Fish can't breed or grow with too much nitrate in there. Nature tells them that it is not a good time to bring new fish into the world. Once "spring has sprung" and there is more water from rain and more food available because bugs are multiplying, then it is a good time to begin a family again. The cycle of life goes on that way every year.

Here are sites to help you more;

http://www.fishdeals.com/anabantids/paradisefish/
http://fish.mongabay.com/belontiidae.htm (scroll down to paradise)
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_macropodus.php
http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/Mopercularis.html
http://www.allpets.co.za/fish/labyrinth/Paradise_Fish.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1957&articleid=2577

Hope they are successful soon......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins