Singa panchax

Epiplatys singa

Also known as Spotted panchax singa

FreshwaterFish

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
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lower Congo and coastal basins
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

The Singa panchax is an easygoing surface killifish kept as a pair or a small harem near the top of the tank. It waits under the surface film, so give it floating plants, open surface space, and a tight lid against jumping. It is peaceful with fish it cannot eat, but very small tankmates will be taken, so choose calm fish of similar or larger size and skip tiny surface dwellers and shrimp fry. Feed floating and live foods such as mosquito larvae, wingless fruit flies, daphnia, and frozen bloodworm. A pair or small group is comfortable in a tank of about 54 liters.

In the wild

The Singa panchax lives along the coastal lowlands of Gabon and the wider Congo region, working the surface of soft, slow, shaded streams. Recreate that with floating plants, overhanging cover, a dark base, and gentle flow so the surface stays calm. Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, about pH 5.5–7.0, and warm at 20–25 C; a shaded, dimly lit tank suits this somewhat timid fish and brings out its confidence.

Good to know

Epiplatys singa was described by the ichthyologist George Boulenger in 1899 and belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae, reaching about 6 cm. A red flecked, brassy surface hunter, it is a non-annual plant spawner whose eggs are laid on mops or fine plants and develop in water. It is among the more free breeding of its group, though rearing the fry keeps the overall effort at a moderate level.

Did you know

It 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, spawning steadily rather than in one seasonal burst.