TankBud

Rubripinnis nothobranch

Nothobranchius rubripinnis

Also known as Redfin notho, Rubripinnis killi

FreshwaterFish

Rubripinnis nothobranch (Nothobranchius rubripinnis)
Alexander Prokoshev · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg burier · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Mbezi drainage, Tanzania

Overview

The Rubripinnis nothobranch is a small, mostly peaceful killifish for a species tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

A breeding of Rubripinnis nothobranchs can travel between countries by post, as a bag of egg-laden peat. The keeper at the other end rehydrates the peat and hatches the eggs.

Caring for the Rubripinnis nothobranch

Keep Rubripinnis nothobranchs as a pair, or as one male with two or three females to ease his constant courtship. A group is comfortable in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Give them a warm, gently filtered tank over a soft peat or sand base, with plants and cover. They swim in the middle of the tank.

Keep the water slightly hard, at a pH of 6.5 to 7.8 and 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C). Feed live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, mosquito larvae, daphnia and brine shrimp.

Males display and quarrel, so keep a single male in a small tank, or add cover and extra females. Treat tank mates with caution. A species tank is safest, and only calm fish of a similar size should be considered.

Males are steel blue, set off by red fins. Pairs spawn into the substrate, and the eggs pass the dry months resting in damp peat before they hatch. This staged routine makes breeding moderately difficult.

Good to know

Nothobranchius rubripinnis is a true annual killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. Its species name, rubripinnis, is Latin for red-finned.

In the wild

The Rubripinnis nothobranch comes from small seasonal pools on the coastal plain of southeastern Tanzania, in the Mbezi drainage. These shallow, rain-fed waters dry out completely for part of the year.

Common questions

What size tank does a Rubripinnis nothobranch need?

A Rubripinnis nothobranch needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Rubripinnis nothobranch need?

A Rubripinnis nothobranch is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a Rubripinnis nothobranch eat?

A Rubripinnis nothobranch eats live and frozen foods, such as bloodworm, mosquito larvae, daphnia and brine shrimp.

How big does a Rubripinnis nothobranch get?

An adult Rubripinnis nothobranch reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

How can you tell a male Rubripinnis nothobranch from a female?

Males are steel blue fish, with red fins that set them off.

How does a Rubripinnis nothobranch breed?

Rubripinnis nothobranchs spawn into the substrate, and their eggs rest in damp peat through the dry months before hatching. Breeding them takes moderate effort.

Related species