Datnioides undecimradiatus
The Thai tiger perch inhabits large, deep, low-lying freshwater rivers in the lower Mekong basin in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Currently, due to various man-made factors (dam construction, urban pollution, and haphazard fishing, both for human consumption and for the aquarium trade), the numbers of these fish have declined catastrophically.
Datnioides undecimradiatus has a large body, as befits a predator. Coloration is quite attractive golden colour with transverse stripes running throughout the body. There is no sex difference. The maximum size of the fish is 25-30 cm.
The fish do not tolerate transportation, after which they refuse to eat for quite a long time, and their coloration becomes pale grayish or brownish colour.
Keep the fish in an aquarium with a capacity of 300 liters. Large snags and tree branches should be placed at the bottom. On the surface of the water, preferably placed bushes of floating plants with long roots. Can be kept in a common aquarium with fish of comparable size, which will not compete for food and fight for territory.
Juveniles are usually kept in small groups. Adults are hostile to fish of similar shape and size. Keep perch tiger Thai is recommended in a species aquarium group of 5-7 individuals.
Water parameters: temperature 20-28° C, pH 5,5-7,5. Requires filtration, aeration and weekly change of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh. It should be noted that the Tiger Thai perch produces a lot of waste, so use large canister filters for water purification. If possible, purchase filters with built-in heaters, as adult fish quite often damage the equipment installed in the aquarium.
In the aquarium, young fish are fed with chironomid, small earthworms, minced shrimp meat. Adult fish are fed with fish meat, whole shrimps, mussels, live river shrimps, large earthworms, etc. Do not feed beef and chicken meat, as some of the lipids they contain cannot be digested and cause excessive fat deposits and even lead to degeneration of internal organs. The fish should be fed once a day.
Reproduction
The Datnioides undecimradiatus does not breed under aquarium conditions. All of the fish that appear on the shelves at domestic pet shops occasionally are supplied from their natural habitats.
The life expectancy of Datnioides undecimradiatus in aquariums is about 15 years.
