TankBud

Steel blue killifish

Fundulopanchax gardneri

Also known as Gardneri Killi

FreshwaterFish

Steel blue killifish (Fundulopanchax gardneri)
Alexander Prokoshev · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
21 gal
80 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg depositor · Easy
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Origin
Nigeria, Cameroon

Overview

The steel blue killifish is a hardy, forgiving fish for a quiet planted tank. It is one of the easiest killifish and suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The steel blue killifish belongs to a family full of annual species, yet it is non-annual and needs no dry season to breed.

Caring for the steel blue killifish

Keep steel blue killifish in a tank of 21 gal (80 L) or larger, which comfortably houses a small group. Plant it well and add some cover, since they occupy the middle water among the plants. Fit a tight lid, as killifish jump.

Keep the water warm, at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and filter it gently. They are adaptable and tolerate a fair range of conditions as long as the water is clean.

Feed live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms, and they take some flake readily. They are mostly peaceful and safe in a community tank. Keep them as a pair, or as one male with two or three females, since males can chase both rivals and lone females.

Males are bright steel blue and yellow, patterned in red spots, with yellow-edged fins. A pair scatters eggs among plants and spawning mops, and the eggs hatch in water in roughly two to three weeks. Breeding is rated easy, which is why it is often the first killifish people spawn.

Good to know

Fundulopanchax gardneri is an African species in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is widely seen as the first killifish to try.

In the wild

The steel blue killifish comes from streams, pools and swampy places across Nigeria and Cameroon, often in savanna and forest-edge country. Many of these waters are soft and slightly acidic to neutral, warm and well vegetated.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The steel blue killifish is a mostly peaceful, social 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 steel blue killifish need?

A steel blue killifish needs at least 21 gal (80 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a steel blue killifish need?

A steel blue killifish is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a steel blue killifish eat?

A steel blue killifish eats live and frozen foods, such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms. It takes some flake readily as well.

How big does a steel blue killifish get?

An adult steel blue killifish reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

How can you tell a male steel blue killifish from a female?

Males glow steel blue and yellow, with a pattern of red spots and fins edged in yellow.

How does a steel blue killifish breed?

Steel blue killifish pairs scatter their eggs among plants and spawning mops, and the eggs hatch in water in about two to three weeks. Breeding them is easy.

Related species