All fish / Nothobranchiidae

Foersch's Nothobranch

Nothobranchius foerschi

Also known as foersch's killifish, foerschi, nothobranchius foerschi, foersch nothobranchius, killifish, ノソブランキウス・フォエルスキー, 福氏假鳃鳉

Foersch's nothobranch is a small annual killifish from East Africa. Males have a blue to turquoise body with red scale edging and red, yellow-rimmed fins, and females are plain brownish grey. Killifish fans keep it for the bright male colours and its unusual seasonal life cycle.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

30 litres

Keep as

One male with two or three females

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae; flakes are often refused

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

1 to 2 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Tanzania (seasonal pools in the Wami and Ruvu river area, eastern coastal lowlands)

Breeding

It spawns into soft peat on the bottom, and the eggs need to be kept in slightly damp peat for a few months before they are wetted to hatch. Fry grow quickly and can be raised on newly hatched brine shrimp, so breeding is quite doable for anyone patient with egg storage.

Good to know

Males fight each other and can push females hard, so give plenty of cover and keep it in a species tank. It lives only a short time, and the strain should be kept going by breeding regularly.