Water Quality
The Trichogaster spp. are considered hardy and highly adaptive and have been found in the wild inhabiting areas that differ widely in water quality parameters (Inger 1962). Geisler et al. 1979 surveyed three streams in Thailand and found Trichogaster sp. occurring in environments with not only widely different substrates ranging from sand to large rock, but also widely varying water chemistry parameters. Fish were found in water with conductivity ranges from 22 to 718 uS, Total hardness from 1.3-185 mgl CaCo3, and pH values of between 5.8 to 7.4 (Geisler et al. 1979). Streams also had a wide range in concentrations of trace elements. The optimal water quality ranges for culture are presented in Table (5) below.