TankBud

Palmqvist's notho

Nothobranchius palmqvisti

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

FreshwaterFish

Palmqvist's notho (Nothobranchius palmqvisti)
Andrewbogott · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
2 in
5 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 coastal seasonal swamps and marshes of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania near the Indian Ocean.

Overview

Palmqvist's notho is an aggressive annual killifish, kept as a small harem in a species tank. It suits a keeper ready to move past beginner fish.

Did you know

Palmqvist's notho is one of the longer-lived nothos in captivity, sometimes reaching two years. Many of its close relatives are gone within a single year.

Caring for the Palmqvist's notho

Keep one male Palmqvist's notho with two or three females in a species tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more. A dark, planted setup with a soft base and a tight cover suits it.

Hold the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Feed meaty live and frozen foods, including bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworm.

Run a single male unless the tank is large, since males are quarrelsome, and choose any tank mates with caution. Males are turquoise with red scale edges and a red tail, while females are plain.

Like all coastal nothos, Palmqvist's notho is an annual. In the wild, its eggs wait out the dry months buried in the mud. Spawn it over peat or a soft substrate, then store the eggs damp to carry the line forward. Breeding it is a moderate challenge.

Good to know

Palmqvist's notho, Nothobranchius palmqvisti, belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae. Because it is widespread along the Tanzanian coast, it has been used in population genetics work.

In the wild

Palmqvist's notho lives near the Indian Ocean in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Its home is intermittent freshwater swamps and marshes on the coastal plain, which flood in the rains and dry back afterward.

Common questions

What size tank does a Palmqvist's notho need?

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

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

A Palmqvist's notho is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

What does a Palmqvist's notho eat?

A Palmqvist's notho eats meaty live and frozen foods, including bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworm.

How big does a Palmqvist's notho get?

An adult Palmqvist's notho reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

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

Males are turquoise, with red scale edges and a red tail. Females are plain.

How does a Palmqvist's notho breed?

Palmqvist's notho is an annual whose eggs pass the dry months buried in mud. Spawn it over peat or a soft substrate and keep the eggs damp. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Related species