Affinis Distichodus Breeding Guide

Distichodus affinis is a smaller Congo-basin characin not bred by hobbyists, though it is now produced commercially. Aquarium spawning remains undocumented.

Overview

Distichodus affinis is the smallest and most peaceful of the commonly kept Distichodus species, collected from various biotopes throughout the lower and central Congo basin. Seriously Fish records a maximum size of about 20 cm, and FishBase lists 20 cm TL. It is an egg-scatterer that, according to Seriously Fish, spawns in large shoals in open water in nature.

Sexing

Sexual dimorphism is reported as unknown by Seriously Fish, and FishBase lists no maturity data. There is no described external means of distinguishing the sexes.

Conditioning

The species is omnivorous and accepts most foods, but it should be offered a good proportion of vegetable matter, such as frozen peas, Spirulina flake and blanched spinach, alongside small live or frozen foods like bloodworm and Daphnia. Documented parameters are 23-27 C, pH 6.0-8.0 and hardness 5-20 dH (Seriously Fish). Unlike larger congeners it can be maintained in a group.

Common Challenges

Because natural spawning occurs in large open-water shoals, replicating the trigger in a home aquarium is difficult, and no fertile-egg or fry-rearing data is published. Aquarists seeking captive-bred stock generally rely on commercially farmed fish.