Red-striped Killifish Breeding Guide

How to breed Aphyosemion striatum, a non-annual Gabonese killifish that deposits eggs daily in mops or plants, with eggs hatching in water in about 10-14 days.

Overview

Aphyosemion striatum is a non-annual killifish from the lower Mitemele and lower Ogooue basins of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. According to Seriously Fish it reaches about 45-50 mm standard length and, being non-annual, is relatively long-lived compared with the soil-spawning annual killifish.

Sexing

Seriously Fish notes that males are visibly larger, more intensely coloured, and have longer caudal, dorsal and anal fins than females. Females are plainer and shorter-finned.

Conditioning

Seriously Fish recommends conditioning on a varied diet of live and frozen foods, keeping males and females apart beforehand so that females are not subjected to continuous spawning stress. Small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia and bloodworm are preferred.

Breeding Setup

A single pair or a trio of one male and two females is used in a small dedicated tank, furnished with peat moss, fine-leaved plants or artificial spawning mops. A small air-driven sponge filter keeps the water from stagnating, and no artificial lighting is required. Seriously Fish gives water of around neutral pH, 20-26 C, pH 6.5-7.5 and hardness of about 54-215 ppm.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Females deposit eggs in daily batches of about 20-30 over roughly two weeks, but Seriously Fish advises letting a pair spawn for only about one week at a time because the process is exhausting, especially for females. Eggs are laid in the substrate or among the mop or plant fibres.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs incubated in shallow water with methylene blue, kept in darkness, hatch in about 10-14 days depending on temperature; eggs incubated in peat moss in a warm dark container take roughly 18 days. Fry are first offered infusoria-grade foods, then Artemia nauplii or microworm after about two days. Feed twice daily, keep the fry shallow at first and raise the water level as they grow, with water changes every two to three days.

Common Challenges

Over-spawning a female is the main risk, so resting periods between spawns are important. As with most killifish, the adults and the fry are accomplished jumpers, so a tight cover is essential.