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Patrizi's notho

Nothobranchius patrizii

Also known as Blue notho, Patrizi's killifish, Red-tailed turquoise notho

FreshwaterFish
Patrizi's notho (Nothobranchius patrizii)
Jokuyken15 · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank
11 gal (40 L)
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Native to seasonal coastal pools and floodplains in southern Somalia and northern Kenya.
Family
Nothobranchiidae

Overview

A male with two or three females fits a 40 litre planted species tank at 22 to 26 C in soft, slightly acidic water around pH 6.0 to 7.0. It is a small, comparatively peaceful notho that does best in a quiet single species setup. Feed live and frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, and micro worm. Spawn over peat and keep the eggs damp for a couple of months before wetting.

In the wild

It occupies temporary rain pools on the coastal plain that dry out for part of the year. Males have an electric blue body with contrasting red fins, while females are plain brown. Keep it in a dim, planted species tank with a soft substrate and a firm lid, and avoid bright direct light.

Good to know

Nothobranchius patrizii is an annual killifish whose eggs pass the dry season in diapause and hatch when rain refills the pools. It is one of the northernmost nothos, reaching into southern Somalia. Bright overhead lighting stresses it, so shaded tanks bring out the best colour and behaviour.

Did you know

Its glowing blue body and red fins have earned it the common name blue notho in the hobby.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Killifish · Nano fish

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