TankBud

Ivantsoff's blue-eye

Pseudomugil ivantsoffi

Also known as Ivantsoff's blue-eye rainbowfish, Ivantsoff's rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Ivantsoff's blue-eye (Pseudomugil ivantsoffi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Top
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pseudomugilidae
Origin
Timika region, southern West Papua

Overview

Ivantsoff's blue-eye is a tiny, timid schooling fish for a densely planted tank with gentle company. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Ivantsoff's blue-eye was first identified as Pseudomugil reticulatus. That species comes from the Vogelkop Peninsula, 900 kilometers away on the far side of West Papua. It took closer study to show the Timika fish was its own species.

Caring for the Ivantsoff's blue-eye

Keep a group of eight or more Ivantsoff's blue-eyes in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Give them dense planting, floating cover, a dark substrate and gentle flow.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 7.8. Feed fine live and frozen foods with crushed flake.

Ivantsoff's blue-eye is timid and completely peaceful, safe even with shrimp. It needs equally gentle tank mates or a tank of its own. Males carry extended fins washed in red and yellow, and they display at each other through the day.

It scatters its eggs in fine plants. If breeding is the goal, keep more females than males. Give the fry tiny first foods, since they grow slowly. Breeding is rated medium.

Good to know

Pseudomugil ivantsoffi was described in 1999 by Allen and Renyaan. It was named for Walter Ivantsoff, a lifelong researcher of the blue-eye family. It is assessed as Endangered in the wild, so tank-bred stock matters.

In the wild

Ivantsoff's blue-eye lives in small, shaded jungle streams around Timika in southern West Papua. The water is often slow and tannin-stained, under overhanging plants. It shares these streams with the red neon and transparent blue-eyes.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Ivantsoff's 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 an Ivantsoff's blue-eye need?

An Ivantsoff's blue-eye needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does an Ivantsoff's blue-eye need?

An Ivantsoff's blue-eye is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.8–7.8.

What does an Ivantsoff's blue-eye eat?

An Ivantsoff's blue-eye eats fine live and frozen foods, along with crushed flake.

How big does an Ivantsoff's blue-eye get?

An adult Ivantsoff's blue-eye reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does an Ivantsoff's blue-eye need a group?

Yes. An Ivantsoff's blue-eye is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Ivantsoff's blue-eye from a female?

Males carry extended fins washed in red and yellow.

How does an Ivantsoff's blue-eye breed?

Ivantsoff's blue-eyes scatter their eggs in fine plants. Keep more females than males if breeding is the goal, and give the slow-growing fry tiny first foods.

Related species