Clown killifish
Epiplatys annulatus
Also known as Banded Panchax
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–79°F
- 20–26°C
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- Adult size
- 1.4 in
- 3.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 15 gal
- 55 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Top
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Nothobranchiidae
- Origin
- Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia
Overview
Keep them in a small group, where they spend almost all their time near the surface. They have tiny mouths, so feed small foods like micro pellets, crushed flake, daphnia, baby brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae. They want calm water at pH 6.5 to 7.5 and a cool to moderate 20 to 26 C, and a tank of around 55 liters is plenty. They are peaceful, so pair them only with other small, gentle fish, ideally in a nano or species tank.
In the wild
Clown killifish live in shallow, slow streams, swamps, and forest pools in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The water is soft and slightly acidic, shaded by overhanging plants, with little flow. Recreate that with a gently filtered, heavily planted tank, plenty of floating plants up top, and a tight lid since they jump.
Good to know
Epiplatys annulatus is in the family Nothobranchiidae and is one of the smallest killifish, reaching only about 3.5 cm. It is an egg layer that deposits eggs among fine-leaved plants, with the fry hatching after roughly ten to fourteen days. The striped body and the red and blue tail markings make it easy to recognize.
Did you know
The tail is the giveaway, with a blue and red pattern that has earned the nickname rocket killifish from the way the fins flare out. That bright tail shows best against dark substrate and tannin-stained water.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Clown killifish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the top. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Harlequin rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Green lace shrimp
Atyoida pilipes
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Butterfly hara catfish
Hara hara
Freshwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
New Guinea blue-eye
Pseudomugil novaeguineae
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
Eschwartzae tetra
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Bamboo shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)72–84°F (22–29°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Clown killifish need?
A Clown killifish needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the top.
What temperature and pH does a Clown killifish need?
A Clown killifish is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.
How big does a Clown killifish get?
An adult Clown killifish reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).
Related species
1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)Dubois' panchax
Epiplatys duboisi
1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
1.8 in (4.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)70–75°F (21–24°C)Red-chinned panchax
Epiplatys dageti
1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)Infrafasciatus killifish
Epiplatys infrafasciatus
2.4 in (6 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)Singa panchax
Epiplatys singa
2.4 in (6 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)Guinean panchax
Epiplatys guineensis
2.8 in (7 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)Redspotted panchax
Epiplatys lamottei
2.8 in (7 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)