rainbow kilifish

Scientific name Nothobranchius rachovii
Descriptor Ahl
Year of description 1926
IUCN category LC
Family Cyprinodontidae
Genus Nothobranchius
Nothobranchius rachovii Nothobranchius rachovii

Introduction

Nothobranchius rachovii, commonly known as rainbow kilifish, is a fresh water fish from the Africa.

Who is it?

Morphology

  • Type
  • Average size
    4 cm
  • Maximum size
    6 cm
  • Longevity
    1 year
  • Type
  • Average size
    4 cm
  • Maximum size
    6 cm
  • Longevity
    1 year

How to recognize the rainbow kilifish ?

The rainbow kilifish measures between 4 and 6 cm. This fish is bicolore with a predominantly rouge and bleu body.

Behaviour & Life cycle

  • diet
    carnivorous
  • Sociability
    living as a couple or in a group
  • territorial
    No
  • Way of living
    diurnal

The rainbow kilifish is a fish living as a couple or in a group naturally found mid-depth and near surface. This species is carnivorous .

Although the rainbow kilifish is non-territorial, it is sometimes aggressive towards other species. In a constant quest for dominance, the dominant males of this species cannot stand each other. The battle between two individuals can be intense and violent. It will result in the submission and sometimes even death of one of the protagonists.

Reproduction

  • Reproduction
    ovipare qui enfouit ses œufs

The rainbow kilifish is a fish ovipare qui enfouit ses œufs.

Harmless species

This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.

Where to find it?

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

  • Temperature
    20 - 24 °C
  • pH (acidity)
    6 - 7
  • Flow
    Stagnant

Biotope presentation

The rainbow kilifish is most often found at a depth between 0m and 1m. However, it is not impossible to find this species at other depths. This animal evolves in areas characterized by a strong presence of vegetation (aquatic and marsh plants, decaying organic matter, roots...).

Species of the same biotope

Main recommendations for fishkeeping

Deontology

In order to preserve wildlife, if you acquire this animal, it must not be released into the wild. See also, the Fishipedia charter.

Fishipedia supports the practice of responsible and environmentally friendly aquarium keeping. We encourage maintenance if it is motivated by a desire to understand the biological functioning of living things and if it is done with respect for animal life.

We believe that aquaristics is an opening to the discovery of aquatic environments, especially freshwater, and that this knowledge is necessary to better protect and respect these environments. Logically, we refute the compulsive purchase of animals that would not find a sufficient and / or adapted place in the host aquarium.

Our recommendations

  • Min volume
    10 liters
  • Population min
    2
  • Temperature
    20 - 24 °C
  • pH (acidity)
    6.8 - 7.2

Characteristics

  • Difficulty breeding
    moderate
  • Robustness
    sensible
  • Behaviour
    slightly aggressive
  • Availability
    standard

General reminders

It is strongly advised to read the complete dedicated file and to get information on the feedbacks of maintenance of the envisaged animal, this to avoid any potential conflict whose end result is generally the death of the individual (or the other inhabitants). It is important not to overload your aquarium to limit pollution. This will make maintenance easier.

In nature, animals are subject to weather conditions and live in waters with variable characteristics. The recommendations offered by our team for aquarium maintenance are a guidance and cannot be assimilated to scientific datas.

General reminder on maintenance datas

Le démarrage d'un aquarium est une partie primordiale pour l'équilibre et le bien-être des poissons. Lorsque l'on met en eau un aquarium, l'eau passe naturellement par un cycle biologique : le cycle de l'azote. Celui-ci dure environ trois semaines. Tous les 2 jours, nous vous conseillons de tester votre eau jusqu'à ce que le taux de nitrite soit à zéro pendant plusieurs jours d'affilée.

Pour accélérer ce cycle, vous pouvez utiliser un activateur de bactéries comme JBL Denitrol. Cette solution riche en bactéries vivantes et enzymes permet une mise en place rapide du cycle de l'azote. Les poissons peuvent alors être introduits plus rapidement.

Il est important de tester l'eau de son aquarium régulièrement pour maintenir un environnement sain pour les poissons et les autres habitants. Les tests d'eau permettent de mesurer les niveaux de différents paramètres tels que le pH, la dureté totale, ainsi que les taux de nitrates, de nitrites et d'ammoniaque.

Pour réaliser ces tests, vous pouvez utiliser des produits d'analyse spécialisés tels que JBL ProScan qui permet de réaliser un diagnostic de l'eau directement via un smartphone. Il existe également des coffrets de tests plus classiques de bandelettes, comme JBL PROAQUATEST.

En cas d’usage de l’eau du robinet, vous pouvez utiliser un conditionneur d’eau de type Biotopol de JBL pour éliminer les substances nocives comme le chlore, le cuivre, le plomb et le zinc. Les conditionneurs d'eau garantissent une meilleure santé aux poissons et une meilleure croissance des plantes.

Chlorine and chloramine are dangerous for the health of animals. Used to disinfect water, these agents are present in significant quantities in tap water. We recommend using an anti-chlorine agent every time you change the water. In addition to chlorine, treatments and medicines sold for aquarium use sometimes contain dangerous heavy metals in high doses.

Specific needs for the rainbow kilifish

The rainbow kilifish is a species which lives naturally at a temperature between 20 °C and 24 °C. For proper maintenance, the temperature should never exceed the 27°C for long periods. The rainbow kilifish is sensitive to abrupt changes in parameters as well as to chemicals. Its acclimation in an aquarium must be done with special care to prevent it from developing diseases or weaknesses. Nitrate levels should remain below 25mg/L. To keep the water clean and unpolluted, plan on changing 20% to 30% of the water volume each month.

The breeding of this species is accessible on condition of being well informed about its needs in aquarium . Any cohabitants must be chosen with care to avoid the loss of animals. This animal is somewhat more sensitive than others to environmental influences and water quality.

This species is particularly common in the aquarium trade. Animals from long-term breeding are usually acclimatized at a temperature of about 26 °C in neutral water.

Cohabitation & Environment

The rainbow kilifish is a fish which it is advisable to maintain in specific aquarium. A 10 liter tank is sufficient to consider its breeding. Associating it with other species is not fundamentally impossible but a documentation work is necessary for the constitution of the population.

The males of this species do not support each other, the maintenance of several of them in the same tank is strongly disadvised.

The rainbow kilifish is a fish that generally lives in groups outside of the reproduction periods. If you want to reproduce them and have a good chance of forming a couple, it is recommended to keep at least 5 individuals.. In a community aquarium, the chances of survival of the larvae are almost null. After a few spawns, it is preferable to isolate the couple or to separate from the other members of the group.

The hierarchical organization and the aggressiveness between fellow fish can weaken certain individuals, the presence of hiding places becomes then necessary. If you wish to add new members, it is better to introduce younger fish. They will have a better chance of integrating into the new balance.

The species enjoys a particularly vegetation-rich environment. The addition of plants will provide many useful hiding places for resting. These areas are also conducive to possible breeding in the aquarium. Floating plants such as Salvinia can be added to recreate the subdued atmosphere characteristic of its living conditions in the wild.

Tips for feeding

The rainbow kilifish is carnivorous.

This species does not appreciate being fed with freeze-dried food (flakes...). Some specimens will never eat this type of food.

You should not overfeed your residents to avoid polluting the water. For most species, it is better to feed a few small portions each day rather than one large meal.

Food recommendations from our partner JBL - Products PRONOVO

Reproduction protocol

  • Maintenance difficulty
    moderate
  • egg-laying protection
    No

Reproduction of this species in an aquarium is considered moderate. Ideally, it takes place at a temperature of around 22 ° C for a pH of 6.8 .

Hybridization risks

In general, it is advised not to mix several species of the same genus or different varieties of the same species, to avoid the risks of hybridization.

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Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.

Bibliographic references

Notes on the annual killifish species Nothobranchius rachovii (Cyprinodontiformes; Nothobranchiidae) with the description of two new species - KONSTANTIN M. SHIDLOVSKIY - BRIAN R. WATTERS - RUDOLF H. WILDEKAMP - ZOOTAXA - 2010. Zootaxa 2724: 37–57 - ISSN 1175-5334

Otoliths of Five Extant Species of the Annual Killifish Nothobranchius from the East African Savannah - Bettina Reichenbacher - Martin Reichard - PLOS One - 2014. e112459

Systematics of the Nothobranchius melanospilus species group (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae) with description of two new species from Tanzania and Mozambique - Rudolf H. Wildekamp - Konstantin M. Shidlovskiy - Brian R. Watters - Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters - 2009. Zootaxa 2724: 37–57 - ISSN 1175-5334

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