Platinum Medaka
Oryzias latipes var Platinum
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3.6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 16–22 °C
Species profile
Medaka (Japanese Ricefish)
Oryzias latipes
Common names: Medaka, Japanese Ricefish, Ricefish
Recognized speciesRicefish
Adult size
Up to 3.6 cm
Typical adult length 3–3.6 cm.
Up to 3.6 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- An unheated aquarium or small pond in a suitable climate
- A keeper who wants easy breeding
- A calm planted tank
Think carefully if
- You keep warm tropical fish
- You keep other Oryzias species
- You want a long-lived fish
A small, hardy cool-water fish from East Asia, kept for centuries in Japan and now bred in many colours. It breeds easily and suits unheated aquariums and small ponds.
Appearance and Identification
A small, slim fish with large eyes and a flat upper head, in natural silver-grey or line-bred orange, white, blue, and metallic forms.
Many Oryzias species look similar, and they can interbreed. Check the name if you keep more than one type.
Males have elongated dorsal and anal fin rays and a slimmer body. Females have a rounder body and often carry eggs near the vent.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 80–120 litres an hour
- Minimum tank volume
- 40 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 45 cm
- Minimum group size
- 8
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Provide fine-leaved plants or floating roots for eggs, plus open water near the surface and gentle flow. A heater is often unnecessary, as long as the room stays within range.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Generally peaceful and active near the surface. Males display to females.
Needs to be kept in a group, ideally 8 or more.
Mostly non-aggressive toward its own kind.
Best alone for breeding. Otherwise suits small, peaceful, cool-water fish. Avoid other Oryzias species because of the risk of hybridising.
Water Parameters
Adaptable to a broad range of neutral to alkaline water. Cool conditions suit it better than warm tropical setups.
Parameter caveat
Hot rooms may need cooling measures in the warmest months. Acclimate slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Fine micro granules or crushed flakeUse a particle size the fish can swallow whole, and feed only what is eaten within a couple of minutes.
- Frozen or live daphnia and cyclopsSmall crustaceans add variety and help bring adults into breeding condition.
- Frozen or newly hatched brine shrimpA good small meat food a few times a week rather than the only food.
An omnivore that eats small invertebrates, algae, and small prepared foods, mainly near the surface.
Reduce feeding if the water cools in winter, because the fish become less active.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Layer
- Breeding difficulty
- Very easy
- Brood or egg count
- A small batch every few days
- Incubation
- 14 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumNeeded for the first days after fry become free-swimming, because the fry are very small.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly as a supplement, and siphon out anything left uneaten.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry are large enough to swallow it, usually after several days.
- MicrowormsA useful next step for fry that are still too small for brine shrimp.
Easy and prolific. Females produce batches of adhesive eggs every few days or even daily, usually in the early morning. Eggs hang from the female before being scattered among fine-leaved plants, and they take about 1 to 3 weeks to hatch. Adults may eat fry, so dense plants or a separate container help.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Asia, Captive Bred, China, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam
- Natural habitat
- Ditch, Pond, Rice Field, Slow River
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Coldwater Aquarium, Nano Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Pond, Temperate Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Oryzias
- Family
- Adrianichthyidae
- Species group
- Fish, Ricefish
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Celebes Ricefish
Oryzias celebensis
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Daisys Blue Ricefish
Oryzias woworae
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Glitter Medaka
Oryzias latipes var. Glitter
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3.6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 16–22 °C