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Delta killifish

Fundulopanchax deltaensis

Also known as Deltaensis killi

FreshwaterFish

Delta killifish (Fundulopanchax deltaensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–77°F
20–25°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg burier · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Niger Delta, Nigeria

Overview

The delta killifish is a handsome, mostly peaceful killi for a shaded, planted tank. It is a little harder than a beginner fish.

Did you know

The delta killifish shares almost the same small map as the Nigerian oil fields. Habitat loss there is a genuine concern for the species.

Caring for the delta killifish

A pair of delta killifish needs at least 14 gal (54 L), and more space suits a harem or a long-term group. Give them a shaded, planted tank with a dark base, tall plants, roots, wood and leaf litter. Keep the current low and the lid tight, since like their relatives they jump.

Hold the water soft and acidic to neutral, at pH 5.5 to 7.0 and 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C). Leaves or peat keep the tannin stain they live in. Feed them generously with live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and whiteworm, and they take some dry food.

Keep a single pair, or a harem of one male to two or more females. The delta killifish is mostly peaceful and patrols the middle and lower water. It is best suited to a species tank, or to the company of small, calm fish that will not compete with it.

It is a semi-annual soil spawner, and its eggs are buried. They get a damp incubation of several months before hatching, a slow routine that puts breeding at a moderate level.

Good to know

Fundulopanchax deltaensis belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae and is one of the larger fish in this group. Radda described the species in 1976, naming it plainly for the delta that holds its entire range.

In the wild

The delta killifish is found only in the swamps of the Niger Delta in Nigeria. It lives in raffia swamps and the boggy edges of forest brooks, where the water is soft, dark and slow.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The delta killifish is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a delta killifish need?

A delta killifish needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a delta killifish need?

A delta killifish is comfortable at 68–77°F (20–25°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a delta killifish eat?

A delta killifish eats live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and whiteworm, and it takes some dry food. Feed it generously.

How big does a delta killifish get?

An adult delta killifish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How does a delta killifish breed?

The delta killifish is a semi-annual soil spawner whose eggs are buried. They get a damp incubation of several months before hatching, a slow routine that puts breeding at a moderate level.

Related species