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Singa panchax

Epiplatys singa

Also known as Spotted panchax singa

FreshwaterFish

Singa panchax (Epiplatys singa)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–77°F
20–25°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Top
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg depositor · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Lower Congo and coastal basins

Overview

The Singa panchax is an easygoing surface killifish for a quiet tank. It is best for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The Singa panchax is a remarkably productive breeder. In still, clean water, a single well-fed pair can lay on the order of eighty to a hundred eggs in a week. It spawns steadily rather than in one seasonal burst.

Caring for the Singa panchax

Keep the Singa panchax as a pair or a small harem in 14 gal (54 L) or more. It waits under the surface film, so give it floating plants, overhanging cover and open surface space. A tight lid keeps it from jumping out.

Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, at 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Use a dark base and only gentle flow so the surface stays calm. This somewhat timid fish settles best in a shaded, dimly lit tank, which brings out its confidence.

Feed floating and live foods such as mosquito larvae, wingless fruit flies, daphnia and frozen bloodworm. The Singa panchax is peaceful with fish it cannot eat, but very small tank mates will be taken. Choose calm fish of similar or larger size, and skip tiny surface dwellers and shrimp fry.

It is a non-annual plant spawner whose eggs are laid on mops or fine plants and develop in water. Rearing the fry keeps the overall breeding effort at a moderate level.

Good to know

The Singa panchax, Epiplatys singa, was described by the ichthyologist George Boulenger in 1899. It belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae and is a red-flecked, brassy surface hunter.

In the wild

The Singa panchax lives in the lower Congo and the coastal basins, along the lowlands of Gabon and the wider Congo region. It works the surface of soft, slow, shaded streams.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Singa panchax is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the top. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Singa panchax need?

A Singa panchax needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a Singa panchax need?

A Singa panchax is comfortable at 68–77°F (20–25°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a Singa panchax eat?

A Singa panchax eats floating and live foods, such as mosquito larvae, wingless fruit flies, daphnia and frozen bloodworm. It will also take very small tank mates.

How big does a Singa panchax get?

An adult Singa panchax reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a Singa panchax breed?

A Singa panchax is a non-annual plant spawner that lays its eggs on mops or fine plants. The eggs develop in water, and rearing the fry makes breeding a moderate effort.

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