Red Chinned Panchax
Epiplatys dageti
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–30 °C
Species profile
Lyretail Killifish
Aphyosemion australe
Common names: Lyretail Killifish, Golden Lyretail, Cape Lopez Lyretail
Recognized speciesKillifish
Adult size
Up to 6 cm
Typical adult length 5–6 cm.
Up to 6 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A small planted tank for a pair or trio
- A keeper with soft water
- A quiet tank with small, calm fish
Think carefully if
- You keep boisterous or fast-feeding fish
- Your water is hard and alkaline
- Your lid has gaps
A peaceful, shy killifish from coastal Central Africa with a striking lyre-shaped tail. A small planted tank with soft water and a tight lid suits a pair or trio.
Appearance and Identification
Males have an orange-brown to golden body with red spots and a long lyre-shaped tail with white-tipped extensions. Females are smaller, plainer, and rounder.
The lyre-shaped tail on males is the clearest feature. Females of different Aphyosemion species are very hard to tell apart, so keep lines separate.
Males are larger and more brightly coloured, with extended caudal, dorsal, and anal fins. Females are smaller, plainer, and rounder-bellied.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 60–90 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 25–50 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 30 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 45 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 3
- Activity level
- Low
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- High
Use dense plants, floating cover, and dim light with a gentle sponge filter. A tight-fitting lid is essential, because this fish jumps.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful and shy, spending much of its time among plants.
Keep as a pair or trio. Tankmates need to be small and peaceful.
Males display at each other but are mild compared with many killifish.
Suitable with small characins, rasboras, dwarf cichlids, corydoras, small loricariids, and some anabantoids. Avoid fish that will outcompete it for food.
Water Parameters
Soft, slightly acidic water suits this fish. The reference gives a wide temperature range, and most keepers stay in the low to mid 20s °C.
Parameter caveat
Small tanks change quickly, so keep up with gentle water changes and acclimate slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Insectivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Frozen or live bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimpShould form most of the diet, because these fish prefer meaty foods.
- Small granulesSome fish learn to accept these, but they should not be the only food.
- Mosquito larvaeClose to natural prey, and helpful for bringing fish into breeding condition.
A carnivore that prefers small live and frozen foods and may slowly accept prepared food.
Make sure this shy fish actually gets a share in a mixed tank.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Layer
- Breeding difficulty
- Easy
- Brood or egg count
- A small number of eggs each day
- Incubation
- 15 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpKillifish fry are usually large enough for this as their first food.
- MicrowormsUseful for the smallest fry and for a varied diet.
- InfusoriaKeep some ready in case very small fry cannot yet take larger food.
Spawns in pairs or trios on mops or plants, with eggs that are picked out daily. Incubate them in water treated with methylene blue or on damp peat, with hatching in 10 to 20 days depending on temperature. Breeders recommend soft, acidic water and a dim tank.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Freshwater Stream, Swamp
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Nano Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Aphyosemion
- Family
- Nothobranchiidae
- Species group
- Fish, Killifish
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- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 28 litres
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
Yabassi Lampeye Killifish
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- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–25 °C
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- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 5.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 18–30 °C