Blue lyretail killifish
The killifish most often recommended as a first one, and the reason is life history rather than colour: it is a non-annual species whose eggs survive several weeks of damp peat, so a keeper can post them and a beginner can hatch them.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Fundulopanchax gardneri
- Adult size
- 5–6.5 cm (2–2.6 in)
- Lifespan
- 2–3 years
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 3–12 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 40 L (11 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 45 cm
- Swimming zone
- Midwater
- Social
- Harem
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Hardy and adaptable for a killifish, with two real requirements: a covered tank and males kept apart or kept singly.
Small savannah and forest streams, swamps and seasonal pools on the Jos and Mambilla plateaux.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Blue lyretail killifish
- Scientific name
- Fundulopanchax gardneri
- Family
- Nothobranchiidae
- Order
- Cyprinodontiformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- steel-blue killifish, gardneri, Fundulopanchax gardneri, Aphyosemion gardneri
- Former or synonymous names
- Aphyosemion gardneri
Adult size and growth
5–6.5 cm (2–2.6 in)
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 2–3 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: fusiform — the ordinary torpedo with a moderate. Assigned from what is typical of Nothobranchiidae, not examined for this species.
Water and tank requirements
A pair or trio occupies little space, but needs a broken floor plan so a female can leave a male's line of sight.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Seasonal pool
Water that exists for part of the year and dries completely for the rest — the habitat of the annual killifishes.
The chemistry is the least important thing about this habitat. What matters is that the animal's whole life is compressed into months, and a keeper who slows that down with cool, stable water is often doing the fish a favour.
- Conductivity
- 30–400 µS/cm
- Flow
- still
- Dissolved oxygen
- variable
- Seasonality
- strong
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — seasonal pool. Seasonal pool generally runs 18–34°C, and the advised band of 20–26°C is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- pHFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — seasonal pool. Seasonal pool generally runs 5.5–7.5, and the advised band of 6–7.5 is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- General hardnessFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — seasonal pool. Seasonal pool generally runs 1–12 dGH, and the advised band of 3–12 dGH is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
Scale: 15.6 to 36.4 °C.
Scale: 5.2 to 7.8 pH.
Scale: -0.6 to 13.7 dGH.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 20–26 °C (68–79 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6–7.5 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 3–12 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 40 L (11 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 45 cm long | A pair or trio occupies little space, but needs a broken floor plan so a female can leave a male's line of sight. |
| Water flow | still | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Yes | This species jumps. |
| Structure | Dense planting, spawning mops and a dark base. Colour intensity tracks how covered the fish feels. |
Behaviour
- Hangs in midwater among plants and darts rather than cruises.
- Males display to each other with flared gill covers and spread fins.
Telling males from females
Males carry red spotting over blue-green flanks and extended fin margins. Females are plain brown with rounded fins.
Feeding
Takes dry food readily, unusually for the group, but conditions and colours up on live and frozen.
- Diet type
- Insectivore
- Staples
- Frozen bloodworm and daphnia, Live grindal and white worm, Small dry foods
Breeding
- Strategy
- Egg-depositing in mops or peat, incubated damp for two to three weeks
- Difficulty
- straightforward
- Parental care
- none
Non-annual: eggs will also hatch in water. The damp-peat method is a convenience for shipping rather than a requirement.
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | low | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | moderate | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | high | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | none | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | none | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | none | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- Jumps through gaps a fish this size looks too big for.
- Sold as a community fish; two males in a community tank is where that goes wrong.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- Nigeria and Cameroon
- Habitat
- Small savannah and forest streams, swamps and seasonal pools on the Jos and Mambilla plateaux.
What the checklists say
1 distribution statement retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.
| Status | Places | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded as present, establishment means not stated | 1 | The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in. |
No checklist AquariumHQ holds positively calls this species native anywhere, so the native range above rests on AquariumHQ’s own reading of the literature rather than on a cited checklist.
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Fundulopanchax gardneri | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Nigeria and Cameroon | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 5–6.5 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 2–3 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 20–26 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–7.5 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 3–12 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 40 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 45 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-12. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableLimited evidence — treat with caution.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. 1 distribution statements held, and not one of them states an establishment means. Presence without native-or-introduced is not a native-range claim, so this stays below requirement rather than being read as one.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Scientific and trade namesThis species has been published under more than one accepted name.
- The kinds of water aquarium fish come fromThis record's water bands follow seasonal pool, which is the kind of water this animal is recorded from.
Group size and social behaviour
Best as one male with several females. Two males in a small tank will fight to visible fin damage.