The
PAROSPHROMENUS PROJECT

The
PAROSPHROMENUS
PROJECT

My Parospromenus

#6052
Peter Finke
Participant

Without doubt P. ornaticauda, although not in display colours.

Teunis: It would be informative – for many readers – if you told us where you got this from: a private breeder or the trade. If the trade: which country and which town and which date. Where other species available there at the same time? Have these been named correctly?

You could identify the females, too: shorter, blunter dorsal, not whitish borders at the anal, in normal colouring no red “flag” in the caudal fin.

For a peat swamp tank, dried leaves of oak or beech should be added and the whole milieu should look darker. Your water seems to be clear water. P. ornaticauda is a typical blackwater species, and one of the more difficult to breed. It depends on good pairs and really ripe animals. In order to see the extraordinary intensive pairing colours and the astonishing zig-zag dance you need to give them the adequate environment. Plants are of minor importance, the (very small) cave, the tea-coloured water, the subdued light and the dancing space is necessary. If you happened to get a good pair, they will do it in clear water to, but not with a pH of 6 or more. 4,5 is good, 3,5 is possible (but not without adjustment time of about a week.