[fishfreaks]

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.
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-- A little of everything, mine stays between middle and bottom mostly.
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?-- Not critical, near equator naturally
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-- Imagine a slightly elongated pea 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 caudel 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 but I'll try to get one of him in his morning light brown coloration
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-- 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 need groups so you'd need a big tank with alot of algae. 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.