TankBud

Golden lyretail killifish

Aphyosemion australe

Also known as Cape Lopez lyretail, Lyretail killifish, Chocolate Australe Killi

FreshwaterFish

Golden lyretail killifish (Aphyosemion australe)
Alexander Prokoshev · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–75°F
21–24°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg depositor · Easy
Rarity
Common
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Coastal lowland Gabon (Cape Lopez region)

Overview

The golden lyretail killifish is a small, peaceful killifish for a cool, planted tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Cool water does more than keep golden lyretail killifish comfortable. It stretches out their lifespan, so a tank held at the lower end of their range gives you more years with them.

Caring for the golden lyretail killifish

Keep a single pair of golden lyretail killifish, or one male with two or three females, in 10 gal (38 L) or more. Plant the tank with fine-leaved plants, add some floating cover and use a dark substrate. They are capable jumpers, so fit a tight lid.

Run the water cool, soft and acidic to neutral, at 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Soft blackwater suits them, and a few oak or almond leaves on the bottom help.

Feed small frozen and live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms. They accept small dry foods once they settle in. Golden lyretail killifish are shy and easily outcompeted at feeding time, so choose small, calm tank mates or keep them in a species tank. Anything boisterous will push them off their food.

They are plant spawners that hang their eggs in fine vegetation or a spawning mop over days. Annual killifish, by contrast, bury a single clutch in peat. Breeding is easy once a pair settles in, which makes them one of the easier killifish to raise at home.

Good to know

The golden lyretail killifish, Aphyosemion australe, belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae. It often lives a few years, longer than most small killifish. The golden-orange aquarium strain is the form you will almost always find in the trade.

In the wild

Golden lyretail killifish come from coastal lowland streams and forest pools in Gabon, around the Cape Lopez region. The water there is soft and acidic, stained dark like weak tea.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The golden lyretail killifish is a 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 golden lyretail killifish need?

A golden lyretail killifish needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a golden lyretail killifish need?

A golden lyretail killifish is comfortable at 70–75°F (21–24°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a golden lyretail killifish eat?

A golden lyretail killifish eats small frozen and live foods, such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms. It takes small dry foods too once it settles in.

How big does a golden lyretail killifish get?

An adult golden lyretail killifish reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a golden lyretail killifish breed?

Golden lyretail killifish spawn over days, hanging their eggs in fine plants or a spawning mop. Breeding them is easy once a pair settles in.

Related species