TankBud

Spotted blue-eye

Pseudomugil gertrudae

Also known as Gertrudae Rainbow

FreshwaterFish

Spotted blue-eye (Pseudomugil gertrudae)
Der Regenbogenfisch (Diskussion) · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–82°F
21–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.5 in
3.8 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg depositor · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pseudomugilidae
Origin
Australia, Aru Islands

Overview

The spotted blue-eye is a tiny schooling fish for a soft-water planted tank with calm tank mates. It takes a little experience to keep well.

Did you know

Spotted blue-eyes come in several regional forms, with different fin patterns and spot counts. Keepers often keep the strains apart to preserve them.

Caring for the spotted blue-eye

Keep spotted blue-eyes in a group of eight or more, in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Fill it with dense fine-leaved and floating plants, over a dark substrate with leaf litter or wood for a gentle tea color. Keep the water calm and clean.

They love soft, slightly acidic water, at 70 to 82°F (21 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed small foods often, such as crushed flake, frozen cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Spotted blue-eyes are tiny and gentle, and they swim in the middle and upper water. Keep them with equally small, calm tank mates, or in a species-only tank, since anything bigger will outcompete or eat them. Males carry rows of dark spots across clear, feathered fins, and they constantly flick and spread them in display.

They scatter small eggs among fine plants and mops over a long spawning period. The parents give no care and will eat their own eggs. The fry need small first foods and steady water, yet keepers rate breeding as moderate, easier than for many relatives.

Good to know

Pseudomugil gertrudae belongs to the blue-eye family Pseudomugilidae, and it is one of the smallest members. It also goes by the Gertrudae rainbow.

In the wild

The spotted blue-eye lives across northern Australia and the Aru Islands. It is found in soft, tannin-stained pools, swamps and slow streams full of plants.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The spotted blue-eye is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. 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 spotted blue-eye need?

A spotted blue-eye needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a spotted blue-eye need?

A spotted blue-eye is comfortable at 70–82°F (21–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a spotted blue-eye eat?

A spotted blue-eye eats small foods often, such as crushed flake, frozen cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a spotted blue-eye get?

An adult spotted blue-eye reaches about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).

Does a spotted blue-eye need a group?

Yes. A spotted blue-eye is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male spotted blue-eye from a female?

Males carry rows of dark spots across clear, feathered fins.

How does a spotted blue-eye breed?

Spotted blue-eyes scatter small eggs among fine plants and mops over a long spawning period, and the parents will eat them. Keepers rate breeding as moderate, easier than for many relatives.

Related species