Marbled hatchetfish care
Carnegiella strigata · Amazon basin
Hatchetfish live right under the surface, so the tank needs a tight lid and open water at the top; they can jump clear out of an uncovered tank.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.5 in
- pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 8 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Surface feeder
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep marbled hatchetfish
Hatchetfish live right under the surface, so the tank needs a tight lid and open water at the top; they can jump clear out of an uncovered tank. Keep six or more in a 20 gallon long or larger at 75 to 82 °F with soft water and calm tankmates.
Diet: Surface feeder: flakes, fruit flies, small floating foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Marbled hatchetfish tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
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
Neon tetra
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 70–79 °F
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
Serpae tetra
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Pitbull pleco
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: marbled hatchetfish need 75 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; marbled hatchetfish grow to 1.5 in.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; marbled hatchetfish grow to 1.5 in.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as marbled hatchetfish.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as marbled hatchetfish.
What a marbled hatchetfish tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
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 PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon marbled hatchetfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon marbled hatchetfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Marbled hatchetfish need 75 to 82 °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 marbled hatchetfish.
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 75 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 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 marbled hatchetfish problems
- Jumping is the commonest loss; cover every gap around filters and heaters.
- Feed foods that float; they rarely take food from the bottom.
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: Carnegiella strigata. 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.
- Marbled hatchetfish Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Serpae tetra Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pitbull pleco Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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