Persian toothcarp

Care at a glance

Overview

Because males are territorial, keep it as a harem of one male to several females in a 110 litre or larger tank with hard, alkaline water at pH 7.5 to 9.0 and a wide temperature range of 15 to 30 C, dropping cooler in winter. Give dense plants or rockwork to break up sightlines. Feed a varied diet of live and frozen foods plus some vegetable matter and algae, since it grazes as well as hunts. Spawn it on mops or fine plants during the warm months.

In the wild

It lives in hard, mineral-rich waters such as springs, spring-fed streams, and brackish coastal pools around the eastern Mediterranean. Males are boldly marked with iridescent blue and dark bars, while females are plain silver, and both are stocky. It wants hard alkaline water, plenty of plant or rock cover, and a cooler period in winter.

Good to know

Aphaniops mento, long known as Aphanius mento and also placed in the genus Paraphanius, is a hard-water toothcarp adapted to warm springs and salty coastal habitats. Unlike most killifish it prefers alkaline water of pH 7.5 to 9. It is non-annual but benefits from a cool winter rest that matches the seasons of its home range.

Did you know

It is one of the few killifish that wants hard, alkaline water and can even live in brackish coastal pools, the opposite of the soft acidic conditions most killifish prefer.

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