TankBud

Cardinal nothobranch

Nothobranchius cardinalis

Also known as TAN 97-27 killi, Cardinalis killi

FreshwaterFish

Cardinal nothobranch (Nothobranchius cardinalis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg burier · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Mbwemkuru basin, Tanzania

Overview

The cardinal nothobranch is a small, fiery killifish for a warm, planted tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The cardinal nothobranch's home pools exist for only a single rainy season. Its whole life, from hatching to breeding, is packed into a few fast months. The genus includes some of the shortest-lived vertebrates known.

Caring for the cardinal nothobranch

A group of cardinal nothobranchs is comfortable in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Give them a warm, gently filtered tank over a soft peat or sand base, with plenty of planting and cover. They swim in the middle water.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. They do best in the neutral to slightly hard, slightly alkaline water they know from the wild. Feed small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp.

Keep a pair, or one male with two or three females to ease the pressure of his constant courting. Males display hard at each other, so keep a single male per small tank, or add sightline breaks and extra females. Be cautious with tank mates, since they are best in a species tank. If you add any, choose only calm, similar-sized fish, never boisterous or fin-nipping company.

Males have a red snout and red fins. Pairs spawn into the substrate, and the eggs pass the dry months in a resting state in damp peat. The peat is then rehydrated to hatch them, a multi-step routine that makes breeding a moderate challenge.

Good to know

Nothobranchius cardinalis was described in 2008 and belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae. It is a true annual killifish.

In the wild

The cardinal nothobranch lives in seasonal floodplain pools of the Mbwemkuru river basin in southern Tanzania. These shallow waters fill with the rains and dry out completely for part of the year.

Common questions

What size tank does a cardinal nothobranch need?

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

What temperature and pH does a cardinal nothobranch need?

A cardinal nothobranch is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a cardinal nothobranch eat?

A cardinal nothobranch eats small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp.

How big does a cardinal nothobranch get?

An adult cardinal nothobranch reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How can you tell a male cardinal nothobranch from a female?

Males are marked with a red snout and red fins.

How does a cardinal nothobranch breed?

Cardinal nothobranch pairs spawn into the substrate, and the eggs rest through the dry months in damp peat. Rehydrating the peat hatches them, and this multi-step routine makes breeding a moderate challenge.

Related species