Sheepshead minnow
Cyprinodon variegatus
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–81°F
- 20–27°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 2.8 in
- 7 cm
- Minimum tank
- 26 gal
- 100 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Egg depositor · Hard
- Rarity
- Very rare
- Family
- Cyprinodontidae
- Origin
- United States, Mexico
Overview
The sheepshead minnow is a stocky, adaptable pupfish that does best as a group in hard, alkaline water. It suits a keeper with a little experience.
Did you know
The sheepshead minnow is one of the most salt-tolerant fish known. It even survives brief swings in salinity that would kill most other fish.
Caring for the sheepshead minnow
Keep sheepshead minnows as a group in a tank of 26 gal (100 L) or larger, with open swimming space. They stay in the middle and lower water. A mineral-rich substrate such as crushed coral holds the pH high, and sturdy plants and rockwork round out the setup.
Keep the water fresh, hard and alkaline, at 68 to 81°F (20 to 27°C) with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Firm, mineral-rich water and clean, well filtered conditions keep them in good health. Feed a varied diet of live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms and daphnia. Add algae and vegetable matter as well, since wild fish graze widely.
Sheepshead minnows are generally peaceful, but breeding males defend territories. Give the group room to spread out, and choose tank mates with caution.
They are not annual killifish but hardy, territorial spawners. Males hold small patches of bottom and court passing females. The females lay eggs on the substrate and among plants over a long breeding season. Reliable breeding is hard, since it usually calls for hard, saline-leaning water and careful separation of aggressive males.
Good to know
The sheepshead minnow belongs to the pupfish family Cyprinodontidae and has a deep, chunky body. Breeding males turn a bright, iridescent blue.
In the wild
Sheepshead minnows live along the coasts of the United States and Mexico, in salt marshes, lagoons, estuaries and coastal ditches. They are strongly euryhaline, living everywhere from freshwater ditches to coastal pools several times saltier than the sea.
Common questions
What size tank does a sheepshead minnow need?
A sheepshead minnow needs at least 26 gal (100 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a sheepshead minnow need?
A sheepshead minnow is comfortable at 68–81°F (20–27°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
What does a sheepshead minnow eat?
A sheepshead minnow eats a varied diet of live and frozen foods, such as brine shrimp, bloodworms and daphnia. Give it algae and vegetable matter as well, since wild fish graze widely.
How big does a sheepshead minnow get?
An adult sheepshead minnow reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).
How does a sheepshead minnow breed?
Sheepshead minnow males hold small patches of bottom and court passing females. The females lay eggs on the substrate and among plants over a long breeding season. Reliable breeding is hard, and it usually calls for hard, saline-leaning water and separating aggressive males.
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