Pygmy carplet

Care at a glance

Overview

The pygmy carplet is a specialist's fish, a tiny schooling species for an acid blackwater nano tank. It is for experienced keepers only.

Caring for the pygmy carplet

Give pygmy carplets a mature nano blackwater tank of at least 5 gal (20 L). Use sponge-shielded filtration only, since an ordinary intake can pull them in. They need absolute gentleness.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5, and guard that acid blackwater chemistry. Feed infusoria-grade and micro foods.

Keep a school on its own, or with equally microscopic company. Pygmy carplets are peaceful and swim in the middle of the tank. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The pygmy carplet, Paedocypris progenetica, belongs to the family Cyprinidae and is among the smallest vertebrates known. Its females mature at under 8 millimeters. The skeleton stays partly cartilage for the fish's whole life.

In the wild

The pygmy carplet lives in the blackwater peat swamps of Sumatra and Bintan, Indonesia. The water there is stained dark and is nearly as acidic as vinegar.

Common questions

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