TankBud

Kadlec's notho

Nothobranchius kadleci

Also known as Kadlec's killifish, Kadlec's nothobranch

FreshwaterFish

Kadlec's notho (Nothobranchius kadleci)
Mahomed Desai · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg burier · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Native to seasonal floodplain pools in the Save, Pungwe, Gorongose, and Zangue river drainages of Sofala Province in central Mozambique.

Overview

Kadlec's notho is an aggressive annual killifish for a species tank. Its care is moderately demanding.

Did you know

In the hobby, Kadlec's notho is easy to confuse with the red-tailed form of the turquoise killifish. It carries far more red, though, across its body, lips and pelvic fins.

Caring for the Kadlec's notho

House Kadlec's notho as one male with two or three females in a species tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more. Give it a soft, dark substrate, gentle filtration and a secure cover.

Keep the water soft, at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Feed live and frozen meaty foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp and grindal worm.

Rival males spar, so keep one male per small tank, and choose any tank mates with caution. Males are light blue with heavy red scale edging.

Kadlec's notho is a short-lived annual whose eggs pass the dry season in diapause. Collect and store the eggs if you want to keep a line going. Breeding it is a moderate challenge.

Good to know

Kadlec's notho, Nothobranchius kadleci, was described by Martin Reichard in 2010. It is one of the closest known relatives of the turquoise killifish, furzeri. Only a red male color form is known, while furzeri has both red and yellow tailed forms.

In the wild

Kadlec's notho lives in seasonal floodplain pools in the Save, Pungwe, Gorongose and Zangue river drainages. These lie in Sofala Province in central Mozambique, just north of the turquoise killifish's range. Like that close relative, it lives in temporary rain pools that dry out for part of the year.

Common questions

What size tank does a Kadlec's notho need?

A Kadlec's notho needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Kadlec's notho need?

A Kadlec's notho is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

What does a Kadlec's notho eat?

A Kadlec's notho eats live and frozen meaty foods, such as bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp and grindal worm.

How big does a Kadlec's notho get?

An adult Kadlec's notho reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male Kadlec's notho from a female?

Males are light blue, with heavy red edging on the scales.

How does a Kadlec's notho breed?

Kadlec's notho is a short-lived annual whose eggs rest in diapause through the dry season. Collect and store the eggs to keep a line going. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Related species