We have this beautiful killifish in our stock as offspring; there are no exports from the animals’ original homeland – Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The species was scientifically described as early as 1911 and has been kept and bred in aquariums since 1961. Unfortunately, killifish still have a reputation for being particularly sensitive, short-lived, and fundamentally unsuitable for community aquariums. However, this is not true. The Aphyosemion species that attach the eggs on substrates and hatch the eggs under water (in other species – the so-called annual species – the eggs have to be kept dry for a while) do live as comparatively long as other fish of similiar size, eg 2-3 years. A. striatum belongs to the long-living group.
The animals are by no means particularly sensitive, but they only look beautiful when they are kept in slightly darker aquariums with abundant plant growth. Here they feel safe and show off their full colorfulness.
And finally, on the question of community aquariums: Aphyosemion are calm, somewhat skittish fish. Of course, they should not be kept together with rowdy fish such as cichlids or tiger barbs. But in the company of small, calm tetras or barbs, labyrinth fish, or small catfish species, Aphyosemion can also be a source of great enjoyment.
The water values are of secondary importance for care, but in general the water should be low in germs and the pH should not be significantly above 7.5. The water temperature may be between 22 and 28°C, with the lower end of the spectrum being preferable. They will eat any standard food. An important detail: in nature, these fish probably eat mainly live insects; in any case, they love to jump after small flies, etc. The aquarium must therefore be completely covered! Aphyosemion striatum grows to a maximum length of 5 cm.
For our customers: depending on their size, the animals have codes 314501 (sm) to 314504 (xlg) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale customers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
