General Killifish Husbandry

When we say general...we really must emphasize the general part of the care described in this article. The group of fishes we call Killifish comprise so many species with so many differing care requirements it would be difficult if not impossible to put all of the information into one source. To make matters worse (if you really want to think about it that way...or at least confusing for beginners)...new species are being brought into the hobby nearly every year...and somebody is always debating the name of this fish or that.

First, let us say that we don't believe the myth of Killifish being so difficult to keep. Of course, with a group of fishes with the extreme variety represented within the Killifish world, some fish are extremely challenging and some are easier than guppies. Like any fish, if you give them the proper conditions they will survive, thrive and perhaps breed. Not all killifish are annuals. Some will live for several years and some are rumored to live nearly 10 years, breeding all the while. To take it another step, we don't believe in myths in general (unless they are Irish ones...which of course are true to Irishmen) and would encourage you to take what information you can find and adapt it to your own particular situation. One of the first thing you will want to do is get a book or two that will help you with the basic care and concepts. You will want to join the American Killifish Association (AKA). The beginning kit that comes with your membership in the AKA is worth the cost of the dues! If you chose not to join...at least click on their WWW site and browse through the information. You will find that the site answers many of your questions. If you look at the AKA site you will want to take a look at the numerous local and regional Killifish Clubs...if one is near...join it. You will meet interesting people with a passion for fish.

With the obvious situation of the brackish or desert killifish groups, most killifish we have kept have done fine in our local water...most have bred, some have not. Our water is neutral and 100 ppm TDS straight from the tap. We condition the water with Amquel to remove chloramine but add no other chemicals. We keep all of the tanks in a room with central heating and keep the temperature at about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. There are some killifish that require higher temperatures but even the ones that hail from the forests of Africa take cooler temperatures.

We have often thought that the bigger problem with keeping any fish is not so much the water statistics but rather the "quality" of the water, generally referring to "0" ammonia and nitrites and very low nitrates...to be more specific, we believe that the consistent quality of the water is paramount to success with fish...killifish included. Therefore, changing the water on a regular basis is extremely important. Once a week is probably sufficient and 10% is probably a reasonable amount. We tend to change 20-25% of the water, but 10% each week will do. A recent study we have undertaken at the Farm indicates that perhaps there is an optimum frequency of water changing for maximum egg production. The frequency that seems to be optimum is changeing water on a 4 day cycle. Why the study indicates four days rather 3 or 5 is still being worked on, but for now 4 seems to be the frequency that produces the most eggs.

There is some debate regarding the necessity of providing live foods for killifish. We have found that some killifish do not do as well with prepared foods as they do with live foods. It almost seems that they do not recognize the falling food as a food. Flakes in particular are ignored by a lot of killifish. However, some take the flakes and destroy them in a feeding frenzy. We have used pellets with some Killies with pretty good success. The larger Killies seems to do better on the pellets than the smaller ones. Frozen foods, while more successful than dry foods, are accepted the same way...sometimes ignored as falling "stuff", sometimes ravaged. Some of the live foods are so easy to keep, there is little excuse not too do so. Although we feed the fish at the Farm twice a day, it is only because we are breeding the fish and wish to keep them in breeding condition all of the time. With the fish are not being bred, you will find that these fish are fairly light eaters and every other day will keep most smaller killifish very happy.

We frequently tell people that killifish would be a nearly ideal fish for a small desk top tank at the office. If one was to change the water frequently, filtration is optional and they can do well in small tanks or bowls, They are light feeders when not being bred. They are very colorful and heaters are not necessary in most offices (remember to ask about temperature fluctuations over the weekend and at night).

After you have browsed the AKA site (http://www.aka.org), perhaps even joining a local killifish club...read through a couple of books...surfed the net until you need a new mouse...if all else fails, email us.