Care
The Siamese Tiger Fish is known from the Chao Phraya, Mae Klong, and Mekong River basins. Here, it inhabits streams and tributaries, including larger lakes connected to rivers, preferring deeper areas with submerged branches, roots, and rocky crevices. Siamese Tiger Fish grow large and require a very spacious and well-filtered aquarium. This is an exclusively freshwater fish which should not be subjected to brackish conditions. The tank should be mature and furnished with plenty of rockwork/driftwood or mangrove root ornaments to create shady hiding places and a plethora of visual barriers. Although juveniles are fairly gregarious, adults are territorially aggressive, and must either be maintained singly or in a group of 6 or more individuals. A larger group (housed in a spacious tank with a multitude of visual barriers) will ensure that no one fish bears the brunt of any squabbles and is subjected to constant stress - any arguments will be spread throughout the group. Tankmates, if desired, should be of similar size and not overly aggressive. Do not house with small fish. The Siamese Tiger Fish used to be very widespread throughout the Indo-China region, but populations have declined dramatically since the 1990s, with the species now extirpated from Thailand and found in much lower numbers elsewhere. This is largely due to habitat alteration from dams, weirs, and locks, along with the removal of associated riparian vegetation, and urban development/pollution. It is currently listed as 'Critically Endangered' on the IUCN redlist for endangered species. Captive breeding efforts are underway in Southeast Asia. May also be seen on sale as Siamese Tiger Perch.
Feeding
Carnivorous. Offer a variety of meaty frozen foods, including bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp etc. Larger specimens will also enjoy krill, chopped prawns, chopped mussel meat, earthworms etc. Some specimens will take dried foods such as sinking carnivore pellets.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
