Golden topminnow

Care at a glance

Overview

The golden topminnow is a hardy, peaceful North American killifish that likes to be kept in a group of six or more near the surface. It stays in the upper and middle water, so a tank with floating plants and a tight lid suits it, since it will jump. Feed a mix of live and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms, along with some flake, matching its habit of taking insects at the surface. It handles cooler water and does not need tropical heat. A tank of 85 liters or larger gives a small shoal room to cruise.

In the wild

Golden topminnows come from the still and slow waters of the southeastern United States, including swamps, ponds, ditches and vegetated pool edges. They hang near the surface among plants, waiting for insects to fall or drift by. To match this, plant heavily, add floating cover and keep the flow gentle, with water from about 15 to 24 C so it can be run cool or unheated. A pH between roughly 6.5 and 8 suits them, and a secure lid is important because they are practiced jumpers.

Good to know

The golden topminnow is a member of the topminnow family Fundulidae and grows to around 7.5 cm, with gold flecks and, on males, scattered red spots. Its upturned mouth is built for feeding at the surface film. It is not an annual killifish: the female lays eggs a few at a time among the roots of floating plants over an extended spawning period, and the eggs hatch in around two weeks. There is little formal record of controlled breeding, but it spawns willingly in a well planted tank.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Northern studfish

  Fundulus catenatus

  5.9 in (15 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)

  5.9 in (15 cm)37 gal (140 L)59–77°F (15–25°C)

• 

  Bluefin killifish

  Lucania goodei

  2 in (5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)

• 

  African moon tetra

  Bathyaethiops caudomaculatus

  3.1 in (8 cm) · 22 gal (85 L)

  3.1 in (8 cm)22 gal (85 L)72–77°F (22–25°C)

• 

  Argentine pearl killifish

  Austrolebias nigripinnis

  2.8 in (7 cm) · 18 gal (70 L)

  2.8 in (7 cm)18 gal (70 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)

• 

  Brilliant rasbora

  Rasbora einthovenii

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Sardine cichlid

  Cyprichromis leptosoma

  4.3 in (11 cm) · 63 gal (240 L)

  4.3 in (11 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)