TankBud

Honey blue-eye

Pseudomugil mellis

Also known as Honey blue-eye rainbowfish, Honey rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Honey blue-eye (Pseudomugil mellis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
pH
5.0–7.5
Adult size
1.4 in
3.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Top
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pseudomugilidae
Origin
Endemic to the coastal wallum country of southeastern Queensland, Australia, between Brisbane and Fraser Island, in tea-colored, tannin-stained streams, swamps and ponds.

Overview

The honey blue-eye is a tiny, peaceful schooling fish for a small, soft-water planted tank. It takes a little more care than a beginner fish.

Did you know

The honey blue-eye is protected and threatened in the wild. Keeping captive-bred lines going is a small conservation effort in itself.

Caring for the honey blue-eye

Keep a group of at least six to eight honey blue-eyes in a tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more. A small planted tank with driftwood, leaf litter or botanicals, floating plants and very gentle flow suits them.

Keep the water soft, at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C) and a pH from 5.0 to 7.5. They adapt to harder water, but they color and breed best in soft, gently acidic conditions with tannins. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops, microworm and baby brine shrimp, with fine flake as a supplement.

Honey blue-eyes are peaceful and easily outcompeted. Keep them only with tiny, peaceful tank mates, or give them a species tank.

Males are honey to copper colored with bright blue eyes, and soft water brings out their warm honey tones. Breeding them is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

Pseudomugil mellis was described by Allen and Ivantsoff in 1982. Its species name, mellis, refers to its honey coloring. It is a small blue-eye in the family Pseudomugilidae, with a very limited natural range. Wild populations are of conservation concern from habitat loss and introduced mosquitofish, so aquarium stock is almost entirely captive bred.

In the wild

Honey blue-eyes are endemic to the coastal wallum country of southeastern Queensland, Australia, between Brisbane and Fraser Island. They live in soft, acidic, tannin-stained waters over nutrient-poor sandy soil, in slow-moving or almost still creeks and swamps. The water is tea colored and lined with dense marginal plants.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The honey blue-eye is a peaceful, schooling 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a honey blue-eye need?

A honey blue-eye needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a honey blue-eye need?

A honey blue-eye is comfortable at 68–82°F (20–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.5.

What does a honey blue-eye eat?

A honey blue-eye eats small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops, microworm and baby brine shrimp. Fine flake works as a supplement.

How big does a honey blue-eye get?

An adult honey blue-eye reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does a honey blue-eye need a group?

Yes. A honey blue-eye is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male honey blue-eye from a female?

Males are honey to copper colored with bright blue eyes. Soft water brings out their warm honey tones.

Related species