Clown Killifish, rocket killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) care guide

Group

Freshwater fish

Other names

Clown killifish, Rocket killifish, Banded panchax

Family

Nothobranchiidae (African killifishes)

Origin

Coastal lowlands of southern Guinea, Sierra Leone and north-west Liberia, in swamps, slow streams and small rivers in savannah and rainforest, sometimes slightly brackish.

Water

freshwater

Maximum size

3.5 cm

Temperature

20–26°C

pH

4–7

Hardness

Very soft to soft, 1–8 dGH

Minimum tank

41 litres

Care level

intermediate

Temperament

peaceful

Care

The clown killi is a tiny, striking fish with four broad dark bands on a cream to yellow body and a flame-coloured, rocket-shaped tail in males. It was long kept as Pseudepiplatys annulatus, but that genus has been merged back into Epiplatys, which Seriously Fish, FishBase and Wikipedia all now use. You will still see the old name on sale. It is fairly sociable and looks best in a small group of 8–10 rather than a single pair. A tank with a base of 45 × 30 cm (about 41 litres) is enough. Set it up as a heavily planted nano tank with a sandy floor, driftwood, a few dried leaves, floating plants and dim lighting. Like all surface killies it can jump, so keep a well-fitting lid on. It comes from warm, soft, acidic water, so aim for 20–26 °C, a pH below neutral and very low hardness. It is sensitive to swings in water quality and should only go into a mature tank; small, frequent water changes are better than big ones. FishBase calls it very difficult to keep, while Seriously Fish describes it as fairly easy to breed once its needs are met; it is a good fish for someone with some experience of soft-water nano tanks. Colour, especially in the unpaired fins, differs between wild populations, and fish are sometimes sold with a locality name. Keep each population separate. Males are more colourful, have longer fins and grow bigger than females. FishBase and Wikipedia list it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/epiplatys-annulatus/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Epiplatys-annulatus.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiplatysannulatus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A tiny micropredator that eats small invertebrates. It may take fine dried food, but it needs small live or frozen foods every day, such as baby brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii), Daphnia, Moina and grindal worms. Its mouth is very small, so foods must be tiny.

Breeding

A non-annual plant spawner and fairly easy to breed. Eggs are laid among fine plants such as Riccia, moss, floating-plant roots or a spawning mop. In a mature, well-planted tank the adults can be left to spawn and some fry will survive; for more fry, collect the eggs and hatch them separately. Incubation takes about 9–12 days at 24–25 °C. The fry are very small: in a mature planted tank they find natural micro-organisms to eat, but in a bare rearing tank they need rotifers or similar infusoria-sized food before moving on to baby brine shrimp.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful, but too small and specialised for a typical community tank. Best in a species tank, or with very small, calm fish that live lower down and will not outcompete it for food, such as tiny tetras, small rasboras or dwarf Corydoras. Avoid anything boisterous or large enough to eat it.

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