
- Brine Shrimp – Most Killifish do well on this nutrient-packed food choice. Can find frozen too for more convenience
- Mosquito Larvae obtained from ponds – Follow directions to avoid breeding these pests
- Daphnia – Live food source also collected from ponds. Add other food as this can have a laxative effect on fish if given too much
- Various Worms – Use as directed to avoid diseases and too much fat content in the diet
- Beef Heart
- Paste Fish Foods
- Fruit Flies
- Some Specialty Dry Fish Foods
What do killifish eat in an aquarium?
A typical meal for a killifish contains crustaceans like prawns, crayfish, krill, and woodlice. Other favorite diet ingredients include insects, worms, and insect larvae. Some killies also consume seaweed and algae. In your aquarium, it is best to give killies live meals.
What should I Feed my Golden Wonder Killifish?
A Golden Wonder Killifish can eat bigger pieces of food and requires a higher caloric intake when compared to a Clown Killifish. As for feeding times they have high metabolisms so they should be fed in small meals throughout the day. Annuals should be fed more than non-annuals to support their growth and reproduction.
Are killifish omnivores?
In the wild, a large percentage of Killifish are considered carnivores and eat insect larvae, worms, and various crustaceans like brine shrimp. However, there are certain kinds that would be classified as omnivores and eat mostly algae and other plant materials.
Do killifish get along with other fish?
That said, killifish are primarily ideal as community fish as they get along pretty well with other non-aggressive fish species. That said, it must be pointed out at this stage that as you are arranging your tank, you should know that killies can jump with incredible energy.

What do Gulf killifish eat?
The Gulf killifish feeds throughout the water column, consuming fishes (e.g., killifishes and anchovies), terrestrial insects on the water surface as well as benthic algae and crustaceans (Ley et al. 1994; Rozas and LaSalle 1990). When allowed access to a flooded marsh, feeding is increased (Rozas and LaSalle 1990).
What do you feed killifish?
Killifish are carnivores. Depending on the size of your fish, frozen foods such as brine shrimp, newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii, daphnia, mysis shrimp, mosquito larvae and bloodworms are all good choices.
What do saltwater killifish eat?
They normally feed on algae, soft aquatic plants, baby grass shrimp, fish eggs, mosquito larvae, and anything else small enough to eat. Are Killifish Aggressive? Killifish are mostly peaceful towards other fish, especially fish that look nothing like them in color or shape.
How do you take care of a killifish?
3:294:36Killifish Beginner Care Guide | Get To Know The Killifish - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you'll want to add things into their diet such as brine shrimp bloodworms tube effects wormsMoreSo you'll want to add things into their diet such as brine shrimp bloodworms tube effects worms mices trim or other live foods.
Do killifish eat flakes?
Killifish vary considerably in their adaptability, many accepting various prepared pellets and flake foods.
How do you keep killifish alive?
To keep them healthy and happy, you will need to maintain their tank. Ensure their water is clean, deionized, and at an appropriate temperature and salinity. Change the water and clean the tank regularly. Give new jellyfish time to acclimate to their tank by slowly mixing the water in their bag with water in the tank..
Do killifish like soft water?
These small fragile fish prefer soft, acidic water and temperatures slightly lower than most fish.
Do killifish need to be in pairs?
Killifish are mainly found in shallow subtropical and tropical waters. They inhabit both still and moving waters, and are mostly freshwater fish....Killifish Facts & Overview.CategoryRatingDiet:CarnivoreFamily:CyprinodontiformesMinimum Tank Size:20 gallons per pair7 more rows•Nov 10, 2017
Should killifish be kept in pairs?
Keeping Killies Together Killifish thrive when they are kept together. You should keep at least 3 of them together (1 male and 2 females). In larger tanks (30+ gallon tanks) you can keep up to 12 individuals and they will school together.
Are killifish cold water?
This killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) is another coldwater nano fish that can be kept in a community tank with other small species. They have striking blue eyes, their bodies are marked with wide vertical bands, and the males possess a tail that looks like a rocket flame (hence their other nickname “rocket killifish”).
Are killifish good for beginners?
One of the most commonly seen and a suitable beginner's fish, is Aphyosemion australe, one the few killies that does have a common name, the Lyretail. This species spawns in floating mops. It comes in three color strains.
What is the easiest killifish to keep?
If you are looking for a vivid killifish for your daughter to start with, and one that is easy to breed and care for I would recommend the Golden lyretail panchax killifish (Aphyosemion australe). These animals are very attractive and easy to care for.
Are killifish good for beginners?
One of the most commonly seen and a suitable beginner's fish, is Aphyosemion australe, one the few killies that does have a common name, the Lyretail. This species spawns in floating mops. It comes in three color strains.
Do killifish need to be in pairs?
Killifish are mainly found in shallow subtropical and tropical waters. They inhabit both still and moving waters, and are mostly freshwater fish....Killifish Facts & Overview.CategoryRatingDiet:CarnivoreFamily:CyprinodontiformesMinimum Tank Size:20 gallons per pair7 more rows•Nov 10, 2017
How many killifish can you have in a tank?
Keeping Killies Together Killifish thrive when they are kept together. You should keep at least 3 of them together (1 male and 2 females). In larger tanks (30+ gallon tanks) you can keep up to 12 individuals and they will school together.
How long do killifish live for?
The majority of killifish are found in permanent streams, rivers, and lakes, and live between two and three years.
What do Gulf Killifish eat?
The Gulf killifish feeds throughout the water column, consuming fishes (e.g., killifishes and anchovies), terrestrial insects on the water surface as well as benthic algae and crustaceans (Ley et al. 1994; Rozas and LaSalle 1990). When allowed access to a flooded marsh, feeding is increased (Rozas and LaSalle 1990).
What is a killifish?
Ecology: Primarily estuarine, the killifishes (Cyprinodontidae) are inshore fishes associated with a variety of low-salinity habitats (including marshes, seagrass beds, oyster, etc.). However, most killifish species have wide salinity tolerances, and can sometimes be found in habitats ranging from hypersaline tidal pools to freshwater reaches. ...
What is the largest killifish?
www.itis.gov. Identification: The Gulf killifish is one of the largest killifish species (to 18 cm), with a blunt head and short snout. The caudal peduncle is relatively deep. Mandibular pores = 5. It is yellowish or pale below, darker on the back, with many small pale spots, mottling and inconspicuous bars. Spots may be pearly in colour.
Where is the Gulf Slope?
On the Gulf Slope is is native to the Nueces, San Antonio Bay, Colorado, Brazos, Galveston Bay, Sabine Lake, and Calcasieu drainages (Conner and Suttkus 1986); and the lower Rio Grande (Smith and Miller 1986).
Is F. grandis in the Brazos River?
It is possible that Lake Brazos does not represent a barrier to F. grandis, and that Brazos River populations are still expanding.
What do killifish eat?
Feeding the killifish is probably one of the most exciting activities about them. A typical meal for a killifish contains crustaceans like prawns, crayfish, krill, and woodlice. Other favorite diet ingredients include insects, worms, and insect larvae. Some killies also consume seaweed and algae.
Where to find Killifish?
If you want to locate killifish naturally, you stand the best chance if you check creeks, small streams, and edges of rivers or brooks. The reason is that these locations are the preferred areas of the killifish.
What worms are used in killifish?
There are also the tubifex worms, also considered first-class food options for killifish.
Why are killifish so popular?
Of all the varieties for breeding, killifish consistently rank among the first, and this is because breeding killifish is as stress-free as it can get .
How long do killifish stay in water?
The sand layer has to be temperature-controlled and kept wet for about 90 days after which you can then introduce more water, and this usually triggers a new round of hatching. Under ideal circumstances, annual killifish can stay for as long as a couple of years in your aquarium.
How many species of killifish are there?
Elegant, colorful, and majestically graceful, killifish is one of the most beautiful types of fish you can find anywhere. With almost 1,300 species of killifish (you can also call them killies), they all belong to the families of Cyprinodontiformes (a member of the superorder Atherinomorpha) which are mainly tiny fish that dwell in freshwater.
Why do killifish die out?
As for yearly killifish, they are called thus because, in the water bodies where they are found naturally, they die out every year because the water bodies dry out completely every year. As a result of this, annual killifish have evolved to grow and sexually mature at rapid rates.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
This post applies to adult killifish - a post on feeding killifiish fry will follow at a later date. Adult fishes have mouths big enough to eat all the foods below, babies need a slightly different approach.
Feeding Killifish
This post applies to adult killifish - a post on feeding killifiish fry will follow at a later date. Adult fishes have mouths big enough to eat all the foods below, babies need a slightly different approach.
What is a killifish?
Killifish are a very pretty freshwater fish that come in a variety of different colors. The list of different patterns and colors is quite long, and they’re all stunning! Not only that, but they’re pretty straightforward to care for and get along well with their tank mates. This makes them a go-to aquarium fish option for many freshwater aquarists.
How long do killifish live?
Killifish Lifespan. With the proper care and right tank conditions, the average Killifish lifespan will typically fall within the 2 to 5 year range when living in a well-kept aquarium.
Why do killifish swim?
Killifish typically swim below the water surface to avoid their natural predators. This is because they have a reflective underbelly that helps conceal them from attacks by predators in the water beneath them. Be alert to signs of fluke if your fish begins to hover near the water surface or is swimming upside down.
How big do Killifish get?
The largest of these fish will still rarely hit 6 inches in length, and most only reach a size of 1 to 2 inches.
How big of a tank do you need for a Killifish?
Since Killifish are rather small, these fish can be kept in smaller desktop variety aquariums. When housing just a trio of these colorful fish, a 5 to 10 gallon tank is usually appropriate .
What are the body shapes of a Killifish?
The vast majority of these fish have body shapes that can be described as pike-shaped and somewhat thin. This makes it easy for them to swim long distances for long periods of time. The fins of a Killifish can be rounded and a bit short, and others have fins that are rather broad and long depending on the species.
What to use to keep fish from spawning in tank?
Instead, utilize softer peat moss that doesn’t contain harmful additives or various fertilizer products, and provide larger rocks and caves for your fish to hang out in to rest when desired.
Killifish Overview
Killifish is the common name used for any fish in the order Cyprinodontiformes (Toothcarps).
Killifish Appearance
While there are over 1000 recorded species of Killifish they all share some common characteristics.
Breeding Killifish
Breeding for killifish depends on if your particular species is non-annual or annual.
Should You Keep Killifish? (Summary)
Killifish are relatively obscure in the fishkeeping hobby and this is a shame because they are some of the most stunning fish around.
Killifish Location
Origin of Killifish
Killifish Physical Features
- Because of the staggering number of species of killifish, the specific physical features will depend on the type of species considered. However, one feature that is common to virtually all killifish is that they are tiny in size as they are just a few inches in length. In terms of size, the most prominent killifish species are typically less than six inches. So, what that means is that if you ar…
Behavior of Killifish
- The good thing with killifish is that when it comes to natural features, a vast majority of their species are peaceful and non-aggressive, thus making handling a lot easier and pleasurable for you. They tend not to cause trouble when placed in community tanks, but you should put it at the back of your mind that the males can be quite violent among themselves. Because the males ca…
Feeding of Killifish
- Feeding the killifish is probably one of the most exciting activities about them. A typical meal for a killifish contains crustaceans like prawns, crayfish, krill, and woodlice. Other favorite diet ingredients include insects, worms, and insect larvae. Some killies also consume seaweed and algae. In your aquarium, it is best to give killies live me...
Types of Food
- The widespread belief is that the most nutritious meals for grown killies are: • Daphnia:This is very common and well-accepted and is in many aquariums. You can decide to grown daphnia yourself or get them from natural sources like pools. If you are going for the latter option, then you should be very careful to make sure you are getting only the daphnia, and nothing else. If you choose to …
Breeding of Killifish
- There is one primary reason why killifish are so well-loved by aquarists and fish breeders. Of all the varieties for breeding, killifish consistently rank among the first, and this is because breeding killifish is as stress-free as it can get. No one surely wants to run into regular problems while breeding fish, and that is why killifish have emerged as highly-preferred alternatives. For those w…
Care For Killifish
- Caring for killifish starts from getting the tank requirements entirely right. Even though they are not difficult to breed, there are feeding and tank requirements. These include: • A tank with a capacity of 20 gallons can contain two killifish. In a case where you have more killifish to train, then you have to increase the size of the tank. • The tank should not be deep; it should be shallo…
Diseases
- Aquarium fish like killies are very vulnerable to several diseases. This is often because of the unnatural and constrained environments that they are kept. Killifish can suffer from a number of the following diseases: Fin Rot Disease:This is often a result of infection by bacteria and the disease chips off the outer margins of the fins. The best way to handle it is to ensure that the wa…
Aquarium Mates
- As hinted earlier, killies are good community fish, and are ideal aquarium mates are with other species like Rummy Nose Tetras and Neon Tetras.