TankBud

Bluefin notho

Nothobranchius rachovii

Also known as Rachovii Killi

FreshwaterFish

Bluefin notho (Nothobranchius rachovii)
Cisamarc · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–75°F
20–24°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg burier · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Mozambique

Overview

The bluefin notho is a mostly peaceful killifish for a cool tank with soft water. It is an easy fish to keep.

Did you know

Bluefin notho eggs can wait out the dry season buried in barely damp substrate for six months or more. They hold in a paused state called diapause until fresh water tells them the rains have returned and it is safe to hatch.

Caring for the bluefin notho

A tank of at least 11 gal (40 L) comfortably holds a small harem of bluefin nothos and a spawning tray. Use a deep tray of peat or coconut fiber. A soft, gently filtered tank with dark substrate, cover and subdued light shows off their red and blue pattern. They swim mostly through the middle of the tank.

Soft water at a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 suits them. Keep it a little cooler than a typical tropical community, at 68 to 75°F (20 to 24°C). The cooler water lengthens their short lives and keeps the color strong.

The bluefin notho is a hungry predator and does best on live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms. Keep one male with several females, since males can be pushy toward each other and toward single females. Choose tank mates with caution.

Males are intensely colored, among the most colorful of all freshwater fish. Like other Nothobranchius, it is an annual spawner, and the pair drive their eggs into the soft bottom. Breeding is hard, because the eggs need a careful storage and hatching routine.

Good to know

The bluefin notho is an African annual killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It grows fast, maturing in roughly two to three months, and rarely lives beyond a year even in good care.

In the wild

Nothobranchius rachovii comes from seasonal pools and floodplain pans near the coast of Mozambique. These pools appear in the wet season and dry up as the dry season sets in. The fish live only a few months as adults.

Common questions

What size tank does a bluefin notho need?

A bluefin notho needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a bluefin notho need?

A bluefin notho is comfortable at 68–75°F (20–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a bluefin notho eat?

A bluefin notho is a hungry predator. It eats live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms.

How big does a bluefin notho get?

An adult bluefin notho reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male bluefin notho from a female?

Males are intensely colored, among the most colorful of all freshwater fish.

How does a bluefin notho breed?

Bluefin nothos are annual spawners, and the pair drive their eggs into the soft bottom. Breeding them is hard, because the eggs need a careful storage and hatching routine.

Related species