TankBud

Striped panchax

Aplocheilus lineatus

Also known as Golden Wonder Killi

FreshwaterFish

Striped panchax (Aplocheilus lineatus)
Marrabbio2 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–77°F
22–25°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
115 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Top
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg depositor · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Aplocheilidae
Origin
India, Sri Lanka

Overview

The striped panchax is a large surface predator from South Asia. It is hardy and easy to keep.

Did you know

The striped panchax hangs just under the surface with its upturned mouth and top-set eyes trained upward. It waits there to snatch insects that land on the water, or fry that stray too close.

Caring for the striped panchax

Give striped panchax a tank of 30 gal (115 L) or more with a good footprint. Plant it well, with plenty of floating cover, open surface space and gentle flow. They are strong jumpers, so a snug lid with no gaps is one of the most important parts of the setup.

Keep the water warm at 72 to 77°F (22 to 25°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed meaty live and frozen foods such as insects, bloodworms, blackworms and prawn, along with floating pellets.

Keep them in a loose group with fish of similar size, and choose companions carefully. They hunt and eat small tank mates.

A female striped panchax lays buoyant eggs among fine-leaved and floating plants over many days, and they hatch in around two weeks. Breeding them consistently is hard, mainly because the fry hatch in dribs over a long period. The fry need careful, staggered rearing.

Good to know

The striped panchax is a non-annual, plant-spawning killifish and one of the larger members of the family Aplocheilidae. Its flattened head is built for hunting at the surface. Its gold form is sold in the hobby as the golden wonder killifish.

In the wild

The striped panchax is native to India and Sri Lanka. It lives right at the surface of slow streams, ponds, ditches, paddy fields and other still or gently moving fresh waters.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The striped panchax is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the top. 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 striped panchax need?

A striped panchax needs at least 30 gal (115 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a striped panchax need?

A striped panchax is comfortable at 72–77°F (22–25°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a striped panchax eat?

A striped panchax eats meaty live and frozen foods such as insects, bloodworms, blackworms and prawn. Add floating pellets as well.

How big does a striped panchax get?

An adult striped panchax reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

Does a striped panchax need a group?

Yes. A striped panchax is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a striped panchax breed?

Striped panchax females lay buoyant eggs among fine-leaved and floating plants over many days, and the eggs hatch in around two weeks. Breeding is hard because the fry hatch in dribs and need careful, staggered rearing.

Related species