Bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Florida blue dace
Family
Fundulidae (topminnows)
Origin
South-eastern USA: most of Florida, the Chipola River drainage in south-east Alabama and scattered sites north to South Carolina, in weedy ponds, springs and still streams.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
6 cm
Temperature
12–22°C
pH
6.5–6.8
Hardness
Up to medium, to about 15 dGH
Minimum tank
54 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Lifespan
Up to 2 years years

Care

A small North American killifish from Florida and neighbouring states, where it lives among dense water plants in ponds, springs and slow backwaters. Most adults stay under 3 cm, although FishBase records a maximum of 6 cm. FishBase describes it as easy to keep in the aquarium. It is a peaceful fish that does best in a small group with more females than males, for example two males with four or more females. A tank of around 60 × 30 cm (about 54 litres) is a good size for a group. Plant it heavily, as in the wild, with fine-leaved plants and some floating cover, and keep the flow gentle. Unlike many killifish, bluefins usually swim well below the surface rather than right at the top, but a close-fitting lid is still wise. This is a subtropical to temperate fish. FishBase gives 12–22 °C, a pH of around 6.5–6.8 and hardness up to about 15 dGH. It does not need a heater in a room kept at normal temperatures and should not be kept in a warm tropical tank. It copes with some salt and with low oxygen in the wild, gulping air at the surface when it has to, but clean, well-filtered water keeps it healthy. It is not a seasonal (annual) killifish and stays active all year. Males are the colourful sex, with coloured fins (Wikipedia notes an orange tint), while females have clear fins. If you have fish from a known location, keep them apart from others and pass the details on. FishBase and Wikipedia list the species as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It has been introduced to Texas, North Carolina and California outside its natural range, so never release aquarium fish or plants into the wild. It is listed by FishBase as a commercial aquarium fish. Sources: FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Lucania-goodei.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucaniagoodei). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A small micropredator that feeds on tiny invertebrates. Give small live and frozen foods such as Daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops and bloodworm; many fish also learn to take a good small flake or micro-pellet. Several small feeds a day suit it better than one large one.

Breeding

A non-annual plant spawner. Females can breed all year, with a peak from spring into summer, and scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop over many days; FishBase gives up to 200 eggs. Either pick the eggs off the mop each day and hatch them in a small container of tank water, or leave them in a heavily planted tank where some fry will survive. The sources give no incubation time, so check the eggs daily and remove any that turn white. Feed the fry infusoria or very fine foods at first, then newly hatched brine shrimp.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and suitable for a calm, unheated or cool community tank with other small, gentle fish of similar size, such as small cool-water barbs, rasboras or other topminnows. Avoid large or boisterous fish that would bully or eat it, and do not keep it with warm-water tropical species. Males display to each other but rarely do any harm.

Last updated 4 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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