Moderate
Blue Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)
18–26°C · pH 6–8 · 80L
£3.99
Climbing Perch, Climbing Ba available for UK delivery.
Anabas testudineus
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Climbing Perch, Climbing Ba available for UK delivery.
18–26°C · pH 6–8 · 80L
22–28°C · pH 6–7.5
22–28°C · pH 6–8 · 160L
20–26°C · pH 6–7.5 · 80L
The Climbing Perch (Anabas testudineus) is a legendarily tough labyrinth fish, famous for its ability to breathe air, survive out of water for hours and even 'walk' short distances over land using its gill covers and fins. Hardy almost to the point of indestructible, it is a fascinating, characterful oddball for the keeper who wants something genuinely out of the ordinary.
Reaching around 25cm, the Climbing Perch has a robust, elongated olive-to-brown body, large rough scales and spiny fins, with a dark spot near the tail base. Its sturdy build and armoured gill covers reflect a fish adapted to survive drought, low oxygen and overland journeys between pools.
Provide at least 200 litres with a tight, heavy, gap-free lid — this is essential, as the Climbing Perch is a determined escape artist and air-breather. It tolerates a very wide range (20–30°C, pH 6.0–8.0) and less-than-perfect water, but appreciates cover, subdued lighting and calm surroundings.
The Climbing Perch can breathe air, survive out of water and actively climbs and 'walks' — a tight, fully-sealed lid is absolutely essential, as it will escape through any gap.
Semi-aggressive and predatory, it will eat tankmates small enough to swallow and can be pushy at feeding time. Keep it alone or with robust, similarly-sized fish that are too large to be a meal, in a spacious tank. It is slow and deliberate but surprisingly capable when it decides to hunt.
| Great tank mates | Best avoided |
|---|---|
| Large, robust community fish | Small fish and fry |
| Similarly-sized hardy species | Delicate or timid species |
| Bigger catfish | Long-finned fish |
| Fish too large to be eaten | Dwarf shrimp |
A hearty omnivore with carnivorous leanings, it takes meaty foods such as earthworm, prawn, mussel and sinking carnivore pellets, along with prepared foods. Feed once a day to appetite, and avoid overfeeding this efficient, opportunistic eater to keep the water clean.
Take the lid seriously — the Climbing Perch's party trick is leaving the tank, and a heavy, fully-sealed cover with no gaps around filters or cables is the single most important part of keeping one.
Every Climbing Perch is hand-selected and quarantined before sale, then packed in oxygenated bags with insulation and heat packs when needed and sent by tracked, live-animal courier. Your order is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, so it reaches you safely anywhere in the UK.
