Thank you, Peter, for kind comments and for the additional collection information – I have it saved for reference. It was a lucky find! I am very happy for the sake Dr. Link and the other paro keepers (and for the fish themselves) that this form is now known to still be extant. Hopefully there will be success in breeding them within the PP network in the future.
Also the habitat info is useful – and it is the way I have the fish set up, as it turns out. Lot’s of java moss, water of pH 5.5 now – conductivity of ~100µS (could be lower) – no filter=still water, humic substances in the water, temps 23-26C. I separated out one pair into 25cmX25cm of aquarium space with 7 inches deep water. Right now, the female is the boss. They are coexisting fairly peacefully, eating well, but the female chases the male away from time to time – he can hide in the peat fibers and java moss until she calms down. I will keep an eye on the interactions and if more space is needed for the pair, I’ll increase it. So following the advice of the breeders – hopefully with proper water, live foods and correct temps – something good will happen. The commotion of separating the fish has made them very shy now – so probably no good photos until they settle in again.
Glad to hear about the sumatranus being secure in the hobby over there – it is a really interesting species. It would be great to see some good photos of them from the current generations on the forum 🙂