Playfair's panchax (Pachypanchax playfairii) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Golden panchax
Family
Aplocheilidae (Asian and Madagascan killifishes)
Origin
Endemic to the granitic Seychelles (Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette and La Digue), in small fresh and brackish streams and ponds under forest. Once introduced to Zanzibar.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
10 cm
Temperature
18–24°C
pH
6–8
Hardness
Medium to hard, 5–15 dGH
Minimum tank
68 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Lifespan
About 3 years years

Care

Playfair's panchax is a robust, heavy-bodied killifish and the only purely freshwater fish native to the Seychelles. It has a long history in the hobby: it was first brought to France in 1867 and was among the very first killifish kept in aquariums. It grows to about 10 cm, so it needs more room than most killies. Seriously Fish does not give a tank size; a base of about 75 × 30 cm (around 68 litres) is a reasonable minimum for a pair or trio, and larger if you keep a group. Provide plenty of plants, driftwood and other hiding places, plus floating plants. Males fight among themselves, though serious damage is rare, so give enough cover for rivals and females to get out of sight. A tight lid is wise, as with all panchax. It prefers cooler water than many tropical fish, about 18–24 °C, with a pH of 6–8 and moderate hardness. It tolerates slightly brackish conditions in the wild. It is not an annual species and usually lives for a few years; around three years is common. This species is easy to tell from its relatives: adult males have raised scales along the back, which give the skin a rough look, especially in breeding condition, and females have a black eye-spot in the dorsal fin. Males are larger, longer-finned and more colourful than females, with rows of reddish-brown spots on the flanks. The name is often spelt 'playfairi' in the trade. FishBase and Wikipedia list it as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/pachypanchax-playfairii/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Pachypanchax-playfairii.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachypanchaxplayfairii). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A greedy predator that eats worms, crustaceans, insects and small fish in the wild. It readily takes good dried foods, plus live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Tubifex, Daphnia, fruit flies, tiny crickets and even earthworms as long as itself.

Breeding

A non-annual plant spawner and not difficult to breed. Eggs are scattered among live plants, floating plants, aquatic mosses or synthetic spawning mops; FishBase gives about 50–200 eggs per spawning. In a well-planted tank some fry may survive with the parents, but for more fry collect the eggs or move the mops to a separate container, as the adults will eat eggs and young. The sources do not give an incubation time for this species.

Compatibility and tank mates

Fairly peaceful towards fish it cannot eat, but it will prey on much smaller fish and shrimp. Keep it with sturdy fish of similar size that like the same cooler, harder water, or in a species tank. Avoid small tetras, rasboras and livebearer fry.

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

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