Albino Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)

Choose a hardy albino paradise fish for a cool indoor aquarium

The Albino Paradise Fish is a farmed colour form of the paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, one of the oldest and toughest aquarium fish there is. Because it lacks dark pigment, it has red eyes and a cream to pearly-white body crossed by soft pink-red bars, and the long dorsal, anal and tail fins carry the same pink-red wash. If you want a bold, characterful labyrinth fish that does not need a warm tropical aquarium, the Albino Paradise Fish is a striking choice.

Paradise fish are part of fishkeeping history. Seriously Fish records that a French soldier named Gerault brought the species to Europe in 1869; only 22 of the 100 fish survived the journey, and Pierre Carbonnier bred them later that year. FishBase calls it the first ornamental fish brought to Europe after the goldfish. Today, Seriously Fish notes, farmed xanthic, albino, red, blue and stripeless strains are far more common than wild fish.

Decide from the complete care picture

Identify the paradise fish and its colour forms

The paradise fish, also written paradisefish, belongs to the family Osphronemidae with the gouramis and bettas. Like them it is a labyrinth fish: FishBase describes it as an obligate air-breather, which is why it regularly rises to take a gulp of air at the surface. Wild fish come from China south of the Yangtze, including Taiwan and Hainan, northern and central Vietnam and north-eastern Laos, where Seriously Fish records them in lowland streams, river backwaters, ponds, irrigation canals, rice paddies and reservoirs.

The classic form is banded in blue and red. In the albino, dark pigment is missing, so the eye looks red and the bars show as pale pink-red stripes on a cream background. Mature males grow larger than females and develop the long, trailing fin tips you see in our photographs; Seriously Fish describes these as extended soft rays in the dorsal, anal and tail fins.

Compare the paradise fish in our range

Our paradise fish buying guide compares them in more detail, and you can see every species on our Macropodus paradise fish page.

Know exactly what you receive

One purchase supplies one live Albino Paradise Fish in the small size grade: a young fish that still has growing to do, with its full fin length and colour still developing. Sex is not chosen or guaranteed. As the fish matures, males become larger and more colourful with longer fins, while females stay smaller and rounder. The photographs show the colour form, not the individual you will receive, and the depth of pink and the length of the fins vary from fish to fish.

Plan the group before you order

• A single fish: OATA says paradise fish are usually best kept alone, and one paradise fish makes a confident centrepiece for a cool aquarium.
• A male with females: Seriously Fish suggests two or more females for each male, to spread his attention.
• Never two males in a normal-sized aquarium: Seriously Fish advises against it unless the tank is very large.

Plan the aquarium around the adult size

Sources give slightly different adult sizes. Seriously Fish gives up to 80 mm standard length (measured without the tail), FishBase gives 6.7 cm standard length, and OATA describes paradise fish as about 10 cm long overall. Plan for a fish of around 8–10 cm including its fins.

For the aquarium, Seriously Fish recommends a base of at least 80 × 30 cm, about 72 litres, for a single pair, and FishBase also gives a minimum length of 80 cm. OATA advises at least 100 litres for paradise fish and larger gouramis. An 80 cm aquarium of 100 litres or more meets all three.

Use a three-step space check

1. Measure the length: at least 80 cm.
2. Check the volume: 100 litres or more, as OATA advises.
3. Count the adults: one male, plus any females or companions at their adult sizes.

Arrange plants, floating cover and an air gap

Paradise fish like a well-planted aquarium. OATA suggests gravel or sand, live or artificial plants and shelter, avoiding sharp ornaments that could tear long fins. Floating plants are especially useful: Seriously Fish describes males building their bubble nests under surface vegetation.

The cover matters for two reasons. A lid stops a lively fish jumping out, and OATA stresses that labyrinth fish need a gap between the water surface and the cover glass so they can reach air. Seriously Fish adds that a tight-fitting cover helps the labyrinth organ develop properly in young fish.

Divide the aquarium by function

Keep the water cool, clean and steady

The Albino Paradise Fish needs the same water as other paradise fish, but the sources give different temperature ranges. Seriously Fish gives 10–22°C and says the species can usually be kept in an unheated aquarium and benefits from a cooler period in winter. FishBase gives 16–26°C. OATA's sheet covers gouramis in general and gives 20–28°C with a heater, which suits the tropical gouramis rather than this cool-water species. The range that satisfies Seriously Fish and FishBase together is 16–22°C.

Match your tap water to the range

Water hardness varies across the UK, so check your water company's report for your postcode and use our water matcher to compare your readings with this range. Treat every water change with a tap water conditioner. If your room stays between 16°C and 22°C all year, the aquarium may not need a heater; if it gets colder in winter or warmer in summer, use a heater or move the tank. Our tropical fish temperature guide and water chemistry guide explain the readings.

Keep it indoors: the law on ponds

Paradise fish cope with cool water, so people sometimes ask about ponds. In England and Wales the answer is no. OATA explains that only six kinds of fish, including goldfish, koi and orfe, may be kept in garden ponds, and that every other freshwater fish, temperate species included, must be kept only in an indoor aquarium. The government's non-native fish guidance links to a checklist that lists Macropodus for indoor aquaria only. Seriously Fish records paradise fish established outside their native range in several countries, mostly through the ornamental trade, which is exactly what these rules aim to prevent. Never release any aquarium fish.

Filter gently and change water every week

OATA says a filter is always essential and recommends a gentle current for long-finned fish. Wild paradise fish live mostly in ponds, backwaters, canals and rice paddies, so avoid strong outflows that push them around or break up a bubble nest.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness, as OATA advises, at least weekly.
2. Change at least 25% of the water with conditioned water at the same temperature.
3. Siphon waste from the gravel and remove dying plant leaves.
4. Rinse filter media in the water you removed, never under the tap.
5. Check the lid and the air gap before you finish.

Feed small, varied meals once a day

In the wild, Seriously Fish says, paradise fish eat insect larvae and similar prey, and FishBase adds small aquatic animals, including small fish. In the aquarium, Seriously Fish recommends small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp (artemia), white worm and grindal worm, noting that farmed strains readily accept good dried foods. OATA advises feeding once a day, only what the fish eats within a few minutes.

Build one measured meal

Introduce it to a mature aquarium

Add the fish to an aquarium that has been running and cycled for several weeks. Follow OATA's floating-bag method: switch the aquarium lights off, float the sealed bag for about 10 minutes to match the temperature, then add small amounts of aquarium water to the bag over up to 20 minutes before netting the fish into the aquarium with as little bag water as possible. Our guide on how to acclimatise new fish gives more detail.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Keep one male and screen every tank mate

Paradise fish are bold and territorial. Seriously Fish describes males as territorially aggressive, more so when breeding, and FishBase notes that males fight each other. OATA describes paradise fish as semi-aggressive and usually best kept alone. Seriously Fish recommends peaceful schooling companions that share the same water needs and advises avoiding fish of a similar shape, which males treat as rivals. OATA adds: choose robust tank mates, and avoid timid fish, small fish that could be eaten and fin-nippers.

Use the same questions every time

Read our White Cloud Mountain Minnow guide for that species' needs, and check any mix in our tank mates tool before you buy.

Watch for health problems and act early

OATA describes a healthy fish as having clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, steady breathing and normal swimming. Warning signs include clamped fins, flicking against objects, shimmying, and changes in colour, appetite or behaviour.

Pair each observation with an action

Breed paradise fish in a separate aquarium

Paradise fish are bubble-nesters. Seriously Fish says soft water and a slightly raised temperature can trigger spawning. The male builds a nest under floating plants and displays to the female with spread fins; she turns paler when ready, and the pair spawn beneath the nest in an embrace. According to FishBase, the male collects the eggs in his mouth, places them in the nest and guards them, and a female can produce up to 500 eggs; Seriously Fish describes several hundred floating eggs.

The sources disagree on timing. Seriously Fish says the eggs hatch in three to four days, while OATA's general gourami sheet says about one day for gouramis. The fry stay in the nest until they have used their yolk. Seriously Fish advises removing the adults once the fry swim freely and feeding them infusoria for the first few days, then microworm, such as our live microworms, and newly hatched brine shrimp, with small, regular water changes. OATA notes that breeding rarely succeeds in a community aquarium, so use a dedicated set-up.

Browse our full range of gouramis and labyrinth fish and other labyrinth fish. Before you order, read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information.

Answer Albino Paradise Fish buying questions

What is an Albino Paradise Fish?

It is a farmed colour form of the paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, a labyrinth fish from China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Laos. The albino form lacks dark pigment, so it has red eyes and a cream body crossed by pale pink-red bars. Seriously Fish lists albino among the farmed strains of the species, alongside xanthic, red, blue and stripeless forms.

Does an Albino Paradise Fish need a heater?

Often not. Seriously Fish says the species can usually be kept in an unheated aquarium and benefits from a cool spell in winter. Keep it within 16–22°C, the range Seriously Fish and FishBase share, and add a heater if the room falls below that.

Can I keep paradise fish in a garden pond?

Not in England and Wales. OATA explains that only six kinds of fish, such as goldfish and koi, may be kept in garden ponds there, and the government checklist lists Macropodus for indoor aquaria only. Keep your paradise fish in an indoor aquarium all year.

How big does an Albino Paradise Fish grow?

Seriously Fish gives up to 8 cm standard length and FishBase 6.7 cm; OATA describes paradise fish as about 10 cm long, tail included. Males grow larger than females and have longer fins.

Can I keep two male paradise fish together?

Not in a normal aquarium. Seriously Fish advises against keeping males together unless the tank is very large, and suggests two or more females for each male. OATA says paradise fish are usually best kept alone.

Which fish can live with an Albino Paradise Fish?

Calm, robust shoaling fish that like the same cool water and are too big to be eaten, such as adult White Cloud Mountain Minnows or Peppered Corydoras. Avoid other gouramis and bettas, fin-nippers, timid fish, very small fish and shrimps.

What does an Albino Paradise Fish eat?

Small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, white worm and grindal worm, plus a quality flake or granule. Feed once a day, only what it eats within a few minutes.

How many fish come with one purchase?

One live Albino Paradise Fish in the small size grade, a young fish that has not reached adult size. Sex is not chosen, and colour and fin length vary from fish to fish.

Consult the care references

• Seriously Fish: Macropodus opercularis — size, aquarium base, water range, unheated keeping, diet, behaviour, sexing, breeding, history and farmed colour strains.
• FishBase: Macropodus opercularis — maximum length, temperature and water range, distribution, air breathing, nest-building and fecundity.
• OATA: How to look after gouramis & paradise fish — UK guidance on tank size, water quality, cover, grouping, feeding, maintenance, acclimatisation and health signs.
• OATA: Can I keep tropical freshwater fish in an outside pond? — which fish may be kept in garden ponds in England and Wales, and why the rest must stay indoors.
• GOV.UK: Introduce or keep non-native fish and its ornamental fish checklist (13 October 2026) — the indoor-aquarium general licence that covers Macropodus.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.