Blackfin goodea
Goodea atripinnis
Also known as Blackfin splitfin, Blackfin goodeid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 61–79°F
- 16–26°C
- pH
- 7.2–8.2
- Adult size
- 7.1 in
- 18 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Livebearer · Easy
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Goodeidae
- Origin
- Widespread on the central Mexican plateau in the Rio Lerma and Rio Santiago basins and nearby lakes, in a range of still and slow moving waters.
Overview
The blackfin goodea is a big, hardy livebearer for a large, hard-water tank. It is easy to keep.
Did you know
The blackfin goodea grazes so much plant material that it will strip soft aquarium plants.
Caring for the blackfin goodea
Blackfin goodeas get big, so give a group at least 53 gal (200 L) with strong filtration. Expect fast growth and messy feeding, which demand good maintenance. Use tough plants such as Anubias or Java fern, or none at all.
Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 61 to 79°F (16 to 26°C) and a pH of 7.2 to 8.2. Cool to moderate temperatures suit them. Feed a mostly vegetable diet of spirulina, blanched greens and vegetable pellets, with occasional frozen foods.
Blackfin goodeas are hardy and mostly peaceful, but they can nip fins and will eat very small tank mates. Choose sturdy companions.
The blackfin goodea is a livebearer and easy to breed. Large females can carry big broods.
Good to know
The blackfin goodea, Goodea atripinnis, is one of the most widespread and adaptable Mexican goodeids. It is the largest commonly kept goodeid, a robust, deep-bodied fish. Adults are olive to gray with dark fins and are not brightly colored. Several former species are now treated as part of a variable G. atripinnis. The female feeds her developing young internally through trophotaeniae.
In the wild
The blackfin goodea is widespread on the central Mexican plateau, in the Rio Lerma and Rio Santiago basins and nearby lakes. It lives in a range of still and slow-moving waters. There it eats huge amounts of algae and plant matter.
Common questions
What size tank does a blackfin goodea need?
A blackfin goodea needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a blackfin goodea need?
A blackfin goodea is comfortable at 61–79°F (16–26°C) with a pH of 7.2–8.2.
What does a blackfin goodea eat?
A blackfin goodea eats a mostly vegetable diet of spirulina, blanched greens and vegetable pellets. Add occasional frozen foods.
How big does a blackfin goodea get?
An adult blackfin goodea reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).
How does a blackfin goodea breed?
Blackfin goodeas are livebearers and easy to breed. Large females can carry big broods.
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