Clown killifish care
Epiplatys annulatus · Swamps and streams of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia
Clown killifish are banded surface fish with a striking rocket-shaped tail.
- Tank size
- 5 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 80 °F (22 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 4 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.4 in
- pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 8 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½
16 3/16 × 8⅜ × 10½ in outsideHow to keep clown killifish
Clown killifish are banded surface fish with a striking rocket-shaped tail. Keep four or more in a covered, planted 5 gallon or larger tank with floating plants and gentle flow; they suit nano tanks with small rasboras or shrimp.
Diet: Micropredator: small live and frozen foods, crushed flakes. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Clown killifish tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Dwarf pencilfish
1.4 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Dwarf corydoras
1.4 in · 10+ gal · 68–82 °F
Black neon tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 73–81 °F
Glowlight tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
African dwarf frog
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Umbrella dwarf cichlid
1.5 in · 15+ gal · 70–79 °F
Glowlight danio
1.5 in · 15+ gal · 66–75 °F
Rosy tetra
1.3 in · 15+ gal · 75–82 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; clown killifish grow to 1.4 in.
Discus: No shared temperature: clown killifish need 72 to 80 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Blood parrot cichlid: Adult blood parrot cichlids eat fish under about 2 in; clown killifish grow to 1.4 in.
Oscar: Adult oscars eat fish under about 4 in; clown killifish grow to 1.4 in.
What a clown killifish tank needs
A tank of 5 US gallons or more (such as the 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Nano
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter up to 5 gal
Rated by the maker for up to 5 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon clown killifish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 5W
Rated by the maker for up to 10 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon clown killifish tank without being built for a far bigger one. Its surface skimmer can pull in small fish: cover it with sponge or mesh, as hygger advises.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Clown killifish need 72 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding clown killifish.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 5 gallon tank · Heaters for a 5 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common clown killifish problems
- They jump; keep a tight lid.
- Fry are tiny and eaten by adults; move eggs to raise them.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Epiplatys annulatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Clown killifish Dornenwolf, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf pencilfish Fanch from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf corydoras AquariaNR, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Umbrella dwarf cichlid Gordon Axmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight danio Melanochromis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy tetra Aquakeeper14, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blood parrot cichlid Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lyretail killifish Alexander Prokoshev, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gardneri killifish Tommy Kronkvist, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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