Marzuki, my unsexed DP(she's/he's to young to show signs)
DISTRIBUTION-- India, low current areas.
HABITAT-- Likes densely planted habitats with little current.
SIZE--1"
TANK SIZE-- a 2.5 to 3 gallon will hold 1, though it is best to keep a 10 gallon with 1 male and 2 females if the tank has caves and other hiding places so they can make territories, DO NOT USE THE 1" PER GALLON RULE!!!!!!! 10 DPs in a 10 gallon is a death sentences for more then half, the are mean little buggers so don't let the cute face fool you.
DIET-- They will eat frozen and live foods. They also eat snails in the wild and if they're very hungry they'll eat fins. I feed mine bloodworms.
TANK ZONE-- All
TEMPERAMENT--Aggressive
CHEMISTRY:
-pH- Not important i keep mine at 7.0
-Hardness- Not important, i keep mine medium
-Temperature- Around 75 degrees F
LIGHT-- 12 hours light/12 hours dark
SEASONAL CHANGES CRITICAL?-- Equator, no need
SENSITIVITIES-- Can not handle a cycle, must be introduced to a well cycled tank.
HARDINESS & LIFESPAN-- Pretty tough with water conditions but not cycling conditions. I believe it lives 2 to 3 years
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION-- Slightly enlongated with a thick and short tadpole tail. That is the body shape. The front of the head has a slightly triangular shaped area on an angle where on the wide ends are eyes and below the lower point in a small beak like mouth. The stomach is white and above the stomach is dark green/brown with dark brown spots and a dark brown line on the tail. It has a cauadel fin that can fan and contract(the contracted tail is like a tadpole's) and right before the tail there are identical anal and dorsal fins on the bottom and top of the fish. Though all fish vary in patterns and have the ability to change color slightly, I've seen mine become dark brown, green, light green, and very light brown. I've posted a picture of mine for clarification.
SEXES-- The males get a brown stripe down the center of its belly. As it ages and it is thought to commonly have "wrinkles" behind their eyes. Females don't have this.
ACTIVITY PEAK-- During the day.
HABITS--It seems to be intelligent. At night mine lays immobile in the gravel with its eyes closed and turns a very light brown. They will eat bloodworms off your finger. But it is unlikely to see them "puff".
SPAWNING NOTES[/color]-- This fish is an egg layer. The male will guard them (i believe) and before the spawn the male may nip and the females belly
OTHER NOTES-- Not very friendly. Only good match are ottos but it isn't advised for the DP may injure the fragile otto and ottos do better in groups but you'd need a big tank with alot of algea to support a group of ottos though many people have kept 3 DPs and a otto in a 10 gallon with a good outcome. Female(and sometimes male) DPs will get alone with other fish if they are friendlier then your normal DP but most will nip other fishes' fins. No snails unless you won't miss them, DPs are musculavors by nature and will snack on any size snail by eating it out of its shell or, if the snail is smaller then the DP's eye, it will crack the shell with its beak. Shrimp may live for awhile but in time will be eaten. Also no strong current, they hate it for they aren't very powerful swimmers. I used a small internal filter and mine likes to use the outtake's current as a ride sometimes but it's not powerful. Overall they are a very "loveable" fish and will make a great addition to a desk or fish room.