Gardner's splendid carp - Fundulopanchax gardneri - single specimen

Fundulopanchax gardneri, also called Gardners Prachtkärpfling, Stahlblauer Prachtkärpfling or Nigeria Prachtkärpfling, is a 6 to 8 cm long egg-laying toothcarp or killifish from West Africa, where it occurs in very different waters from savannah to rainforest - it lives both in partially drying out small waters such as ponds and streams, but also in the shore zone of larger rivers. There are at least four local varieties or subspecies, which differ somewhat in color and pattern.

The male Fundulopanchax gardneri, which you can buy at Garnelio, have red spots, which are more or less evenly distributed on the body. The base color is yellowish with a blue metallic shimmer. The caudal fin is adorned with two red bands, one above and one below. Above the upper red band sits another orange stripe. The dorsal fin also has a thin red stripe and a thick orange stripe in the upper third. There is also a red stripe on the pectoral fin, which is made up of single dots. The males are clearly more intensely colored than the females. These have a more brownish ground color with less intensely pronounced spots and transparent fins, which may or may not be spotted.

The males are very aggressive among themselves, so we recommend keeping a group of two females and one male. A species aquarium is recommended because the males can also nip other aquarium fish in the fins. Since the splendid carping tends to travel in the middle and bottom of the aquarium, it could be kept with decidedly surface-oriented fish that have the same water quality requirements. Dwarf shrimps are eaten, a socialization with Amano shrimps is conceivable. Since the Prachtkärpfling lives rather bottom-oriented, it should not be kept together with crayfish.

An aquarium of 54 liters is well enough to keep a trio of these great killifish. Soft to medium hard water with a GH of up to 15, a KH of 0-7 and a pH of 6 to 7.5 is ideal. An addition of peat in the substrate helps to establish the optimal water values. Salt does not tolerate the Prachtkärpfling at all. Temperatures from 18 to 27 °C are possible, perfect would be 23-25 °C. A dark substrate mixed with coarse peat fibers is mandatory. Dense planting and floating plants at the surface are also a must. Roots provide good hiding places for the beautiful Kilifish - especially important for females that need a break.

The females of Fundulopanchax gardneri are adhesive spawners. After mating they lay their very hard-shelled eggs on mosses or other fine-feathered plants. For selective reproduction we recommend the use of a spawning mop made of wool. It is possible that also in the aquarium young fish come up, but the old fish chase them. The yield is greater if the eggs are removed daily from the spawning substrate and allowed to hatch in shallow water dishes with an alder cone (to prevent fungus). The fry will not hatch for two to four weeks, so some patience is required. Unlike other killifish, the eggs must not dry out completely. However, you can let them rest in some moist, coarse-grained peat and put them in water bowls until they hatch - but this is not necessary. The fish larvae are fed with infusoria and with artemia euplii.

Gardners are always hungry fish and can consume amazing amounts of food. Consequently, care must be taken with water hygiene and water must be changed accordingly more often. As pure carnivores, they need a good and above all constant supply of high-quality live and frozen food.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Cichfeed has a grain size of 1,5 mm and is therefore also suitable for larger fish. The NH Cichfeed is a soft granulate for predominantly carnivorous fish. It has the same consistency as small crustaceans and insect larvae that fish naturally eat, and the soft granules protect the fish mouth from micro-injuries that can be caused by hard feed granules.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend when keeping fish the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.