Fanning characin
Pyrrhulina rachoviana
Also known as Rachow's pyrrhulina, Fanning pyrrhulina, Rachow's fanning characin
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–79°F
- 20–26°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 2 in
- 5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 16 gal
- 60 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Top
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Lebiasinidae
- Origin
- Native to the lower Parana and La Plata basin of southern South America.
Overview
Keep a small group in a gently filtered, planted tank with floating cover and a tight lid, since it stays near the top and can jump. It is peaceful and undemanding and tolerates cooler water than most tropicals. Males set up small spawning sites and fan the eggs, which is fascinating to watch.
In the wild
Lives in slow, shallow, well vegetated waters of the lower Parana and La Plata region. It stays near the surface among plants and overhanging cover. Being subtropical, it experiences a wider temperature swing than most Amazon fish.
Good to know
Pyrrhulina rachoviana is a small characin of around 5 cm in the family Lebiasinidae, with a dark stripe through the eye and reddish, spotted fins on males. It lays eggs on a cleaned leaf or surface, and the male fans them with his fins. This fin fanning gives the fish its common name.
Did you know
The male cleans a leaf, coaxes the female to lay on it, then hovers over the eggs and fans fresh water across them with his fins until they hatch.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Fanning characin 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.
Brittan's rasbora
Kottelatia brittani
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
White spotted rabbit snail
Tylomelania towutica
Freshwater4.3 in (11 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)
Fire-tail dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma eremnopyge
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
New Guinea blue-eye
Pseudomugil novaeguineae
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
African oneline tetra
Nannaethiops unitaeniatus
Freshwater2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Gold rabbit snail
Tylomelania gemmifera
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Fanning characin need?
A Fanning characin needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the top.
What temperature and pH does a Fanning characin need?
A Fanning characin is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Fanning characin get?
An adult Fanning characin reaches about 2 in (5 cm).
Related species
2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Spotted pyrrhulina
Pyrrhulina spilota
2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Spotted splash tetra
Copella nattereri
2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
2 in (5 cm)14 gal (54 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Marilyn's pencilfish
Nannostomus marilynae
2 in (5 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)
2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Harrison's pencilfish
Nannostomus harrisoni
2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)18 gal (70 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)Golden pencilfish
Nannostomus beckfordi
2.4 in (6 cm) · 18 gal (70 L)
1.6 in (4 cm)14 gal (54 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Elegant pencilfish
Nannostomus limatus
1.6 in (4 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)