Annuelle Killifish from East Africa
Table of contents
- Seasonal killifish from East Africa
- Breeding killifish from East Africa
- An (incomplete) list of killifishes for the aquarium from East Africa
General information on keeping and breeding killifishes or egg-laying toothcarps can be found in our blog "Keeping and breeding killifishes in the aquarium". This is specifically about the seasonal egg-laying toothcarps from East Africa. The species from East Africa that live non-seasonally (for example the genus Pachypanchax from the island of Madagascar) can be found as "special cases" in the blog "Persistent killifishes from West Africa".
Seasonal killifishes from East Africa
The best-known genus of seasonal killifish in aquaristics is the species-rich genus Nothobranchius from East Africa. In their East African homeland, these colourful, rather bottom-oriented seasonal fish live in waters that dry out regularly. The manual fish have adapted perfectly to this with their reproductive strategy.
Most East African killies prefer rather soft to at most medium-hard water in the aquarium - water that is too hard can lead to stress and diseases or to the fish not spawning.
Many species of the genus Nothobranchius are sociable fish that like to live in small schools with an excess of females - keeping them in pairs is also an option in many cases, however. Depending on the size of the aquarium, the group size starts at about five fish. Others, however, are very territorial and should be separated into males and females. With these species, you only put the two sexes together for breeding after appropriate conditioning.
Keeping them in a species tank is a must because of the special reproductive method, the short life span and the variety of locations of the pretty splendid ground killifish. East African killifishes should not be kept in a community tank.
The short-lived species of the genus Nothobranchius live only 6 months, other species can reach up to two years.
The aquarium can be planted for the killies, but a little moss and some roots as structure are also sufficient. The current should be as weak as possible. Aquariums without current are also possible, in which case regular water changes are especially important to keep the water quality good.
Feeding is predominantly carnivorous - frozen food and live food should be given to seasonal killifish in preference, a granulate for predominantly carnivorous fish (such as our NatureHolic Bettafeed) is also a good option.
Breeding killies from East Africa
The name "anuelle fish" is derived from the Latin word annus for year. Seasonal fish do not live very long because they live in waters that dry up seasonally. Most East African killies are nevertheless not difficult to breed, although the eggs depend on a dry period for maturation.
Nothobranchius are bottom feeders or bottom spawners. They prefer to spawn in peat fibres in the aquarium. Unfertilised fibrous peat is best suited for this. The peat fibres should be placed in a deep bowl so that they can be easily removed from the aquarium together with the spawn and are not scattered everywhere when digging. Alternatively, you can cover the entire bottom of the Killi breeding aquarium with peat and simply replace the entire substrate from time to time.
Important: The eggs of the East African seasonal killifish must be drained. The spawn will die if left in the water. For some species, two to four weeks are sufficient for this.
Breeding preparation, drying phase and rearing
The breeding group or the males and females kept separately are conditioned with high-quality, rich live food. Larger water changes with soft and slightly cooler water can stimulate the spawning desire and initiate courtship.
After spawning, take the bowl with the peat out of the aquarium and let the peat first drain in a fine sieve and then dry completely on a newspaper until the surface is dry. The peat must remain slightly moist. You can look for eggs in the loose peat - but you may also be surprised by peat beginnings in which no spawn has been discovered - in any case, keep the peat dry!
Store the tobacco-damp peat in a plastic box with a tight-fitting lid. We recommend labelling the tin with the species if you keep and breed several East African Nothobranchius!
The drying phase (diapause) for the peat build-up of your East African killies is different for each species and must be strictly adhered to. For hatching, spread out the peat mixture in a shallow dish and pour in water at about 15 °C so that the water is about 10 cm high above the mixture. The fry will soon start to hatch. Transfer them to a rearing aquarium with the right water values and feed them with Artemia nauplii.
Professional tip: You can increase your yield of young killifish by allowing the peat to dry again after pouring it on and then pouring it on again after some time. This usually results in a larger number of fry hatching again. You can repeat this procedure several times.
Peat mats with killifish eggs are also often sent by parcel - passing on the pretty little fish is really super easy.
You can tell that a peat batch is ready to be poured on by the eyes that you can then clearly see in the eggs.
Conditioning
To get the killifish breeding pairs or groups in the mood for spawning and to improve the spawning quality of the female egg-laying toothcarps, the fish are conditioned before you start a breeding attempt. To do this, use high-quality live food - live black mosquito larvae, tubifex or grinal worms, which you have previously fed with chlorella or spirulina, are ideal. Artemia or water fleas fed with high-quality dust food, chlorella or spirulina contribute astaxathin and important dietary fibres and supplement the relatively fatty worms with proteins and important chitin.
An (incomplete) list of killifishes for the aquarium from East Africa
Among the splendid ground killifish, too, there are species that are super-easy to keep and can be propagated by peat culture, and other species that are more something for professionals. Below you will find a long, but by no means complete list of the most beautiful Nothobranchius from East Africa that can be kept in the aquarium.
The genus Nothobranchius - Magnificent Ground Darters
Nothobranchius eggersi - Orchid Groundkeeper: The Orchid Groundkeeper from Tanzania can live up to 2 years if kept well in the aquarium. The males grow to 5 cm long, females remain somewhat smaller at approx. 4 cm. There are different varieties of the orchid groundhog, for example the orchid groundhog "Kibiti red" and others.
Recommended water values: GH up to 12, KH up to 5, pH 6 up to 7.5, temperature 25 up to 28 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat: 4 up to 6 weeks
Recommended group size: at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius foerschi - Foersch's splendid ground carp: Foersch's splendid ground carp from Tanzania grows to about 5 cm long (although the females remain a little smaller). As a seasonal fish, the Foersch's Giant Gudgeon will live up to 9 months if kept under good conditions in the aquarium.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 15, KH below 8, pH 6 to 7.5, temperature 22 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for the peat mixture: 6 to 10 weeks
Recommended group size: at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius furzeri - Türkiser Prachtgrundkärpfling "Mazimechopes River MOZ 04/13: Diese Standortvariante des Türkisen Prachtgrundkärpflings Nothobranchius furzeri aus dem Mazimechopes River in Mosambik wird ungefähr 6 cm lang. The females remain somewhat smaller. Even for a seasonal fish, the Turquoise Gorgonian is extremely short-lived - it is considered one of the shortest-lived fish in the world, living only about 3-4 months even with the best husbandry.
Recommended water values: GH 15 to 20, KH 8 to 15, pH 7 to 8, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat preparation: 3 to 9 months
Recommended group size: Keep the sexes separate, only put them together for breeding!
Nothobranchius fuscotaeniatus - Dunkel gestreifter Prachtgrundkärpfling: Der sehr klein bleibende Dunkelgestreifte Prachtgrundkärpfling aus Tansania wird nur ungefähr 3,5 cm groß (die nicht gestreiften Weibchen bleiben sogar noch ein bisschen kleiner). The dark-striped tansan can live up to 2 years in good aquarium conditions.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7.5, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for the peat mixture: 4 to 6 months
Recommended group size: pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with excess females.
Nothobranchius guentheri "blau" - Günthers Prachtgrundkärpfling "blue": The blue colour form of Günther's Gorgeous Bottom Carp comes, like the red and golden variants, from Ungunja Island in eastern Tanzania, where the species is endemic. The Günther's Giant Gudgeonfish grows to a length of about 4 to 5 cm. Günther's splendid groundhog reaches an age of 10 to 12 months in the aquarium under good conditions.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7.5, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat preparation: 3 to 5 months
Recommended group size: pair keeping or harem keeping of at least 5 animals, with excess females.
Nothobranchius hassoni - Hasson's splendid ground carp: Hasson's splendid ground carp from the Congo can grow up to 4.5 cm long and is therefore a smaller representative of the genus Nothobranchius. Hasson's magnificent groundhog can live up to 2 years under good conditions.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7.5, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat preparation: 4 to 6 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with excess females.
Nothobranchius ivanovae - Ivanov's splendour bottom fish: Ivanov's splendour bottom fish was named after the Bulgarian aquarist Iva Ivanova and comes from small temporary streams in the west of Tanzania. The males grow up to 4.5 cm long, the females remain smaller. Ivanov's splendid ground carp can reach an age of 1 to 2 years under good conditions.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7.5, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat preparation: 3 to 6 months
Recommended group size: pair keeping or harem keeping of at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius kafuensis - Caprivi Magnificent Ground Darter, Kafue Magnificent Ground Darter: The Caprivi Magnificent Ground Darter has its distribution area near the Kafue River and the Zambezi River in Zambia. The males grow slightly larger than the females at 6 cm. The Caprivi or Kafue Giant Giant Giant Giant can reach an age of about 1 to 2 years in the aquarium.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 12, KH less than 8, pH 6.5 to 7.5, temperature 25 to 28 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat build-up: 3 to 5 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with an excess of females.
Nothobranchius kilomberoensis - Kilombero splendid ground carp: The Kilombero splendid ground carp comes from the vicinity of the small town of Ifakara in Tanzania. The males remain quite small at 4 cm, but nevertheless grow slightly larger than the even smaller females. The rather lively Kilombero Gorgeous Ground Carp will live in the aquarium for about 12 to 15 months. This killifish does not tolerate current well.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 8, KH less than 5, pH 7 to 7.5, temperature 24 to 26 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat build-up: 3 to 4 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harem of at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius korthausae "red" - Korthaus' splendid ground carp "red": Korthaus' splendid ground carp has its natural distribution area in Tanzania. Here you can buy the red variety of this beautiful killifish. The males grow up to 5 cm in length, the females remain somewhat smaller. Korthaus' splendid ground killifish only reaches an age of 10 to 12 months even under good conditions.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7.0, temperature 22 to 27 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for the peat mixture: 1 to 4 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with a surplus of females; if there is more than one male, there must be many hiding places in the aquarium.
Nothobranchius neumanni - Neumann's magnificent ground carp Kintinku FTZ 09-16: Here you buy the site variant Kintinku FTZ 09-16 of Neumann's magnificent ground carp from near the small town of Kintinku in central Tanzania. The males grow a little larger than the females at just over 5 cm. Neumann's magnificent groundhog can reach an age of approx. 1 to 2 years in the aquarium.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 12, KH below 5, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 22 to 28 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat preparation: 3 to 6 months
Recommended group size: pair keeping or harem keeping of at least 5 animals, with excess females.
Nothobranchius palmqvisti - Palmqvist's splendid ground killifish: Palmqvist's splendid ground killifish from Kenya and Tanzania can live up to a maximum of 2 years in the aquarium. The killifish can grow to 5 to 6 cm.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 12, KH less than 5, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 24 to 28 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat: 3 to 6 months
Recommended group size: pair keeping or harem keeping of at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius patrizii - Patrizis Prachtgrundkärpfling, Blue Prachtgrundkärpfling: The Blue Prachtgrundkärpfling from eastern Kenya and parts of Somalia reaches a size of up to 5 cm in the aquarium and lives for 1 to a maximum of 2 years. This killifish is considered a good beginner species because it is relatively robust.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 12, KH less than 5, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 23 to 28 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat: 3 to 4 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harem of at least 5 animals, with excess females
Nothobranchius rachovii "Albino" - Rachov's splendid ground carp "Albino": The albino Rachov's splendid ground carp is a variant of Nothobranchius rachovii from Mozambique. A site variant also available in the shop is Nothobranchius rachovii "Beira", which has been represented in aquaristics since 1958. This annual killifish grows to a total length of 4 to 6 cm in the aquarium. Rachow's splendid ground killifish lives 1.5 to 2 years in the aquarium. This killifish is relatively lively in the aquarium.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 8, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 20 to 25 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat: 4 to 7 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with an excess of females; if more than one male is kept, it needs sufficient hiding places in the aquarium.
Nothobranchius rubripinnis - Red-finned Gorgonian: The Red-finned Gorgonian from Tanzania is one of the smallest killifishes in aquaristics, measuring just over 3.5 cm. The females remain somewhat smaller. In the aquarium, the Redfin Giant Killifish lives a little over 6 months.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 12, KH below 5, pH 6.5 to 8, temperature 22 to 29 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 60 cm edge length
Drying time for peat: 2 to 4 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with a surplus of females; if there is more than one male in the aquarium, it needs especially many hiding places.
Nothobranchius rubroreticulatus "Zakouma" - net pattern Magnificent Ground Killifish "Z akouma" : The Magnificent Ground Killifish "Zakouma" is a site variant of Nothobranchius rubroreticulatus and comes from the Zakouma National Park in Chad. In the aquarium, this killifish grows up to 5 cm long and reaches an age of about 1 to a maximum of 2 years.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH less than 4, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 21 to 24 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat build-up: 5 to 7 months
Recommended group size: Keep in pairs or harems of at least 5 animals, with a surplus of females; if there is more than 1 male, the aquarium needs many hiding places.
Nothobranchius virgatus "Fugnido" - Striped Ground-Killifish "Fugnido " : The Ground-Killifish "Fugnido" or "Funyido" is a locality variant of Nothobranchius virgatus from the west of Ethiopia. In the aquarium this killifish grows up to 5.5 cm - the females do not quite reach this length. The killifish can live for about 1 to 2 years.
Recommended water values: GH 2 to 14, KH below 4, pH 6.5 to 7, temperature 24 to 27 °C
Recommended aquarium size: from 80 cm edge length
Drying time for peat build-up: 5 to 8 months
Recommended group size: pair keeping or harem keeping of at least 5 animals, with excess females