Nothobranchius Killifish

Nothobranchius rachovii are carnivorous and require high-quality foods including small frozen foods like brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms, supplemented with quality micro pellets. Feed small portions once daily, offering only what they can consume in a few minutes. Live foods are preferred and help condition them for breeding.

These are active, aggressive fish that dart rapidly through the top water column, displaying brilliant coloration especially during feeding and territorial disputes. Males are highly aggressive toward each other and should be kept singly or in heavily planted tanks; females are more peaceful but still territorial. They are short-lived (6-12 months) and spend much of their time near the water surface.

Breeding is challenging and requires specialized knowledge of their annual lifecycle. Eggs must be laid in peat moss substrate and can be dried out for several weeks to simulate their natural habitat before being re-hydrated to trigger hatching. Breeding in captivity is possible but difficult; most keepers should expect a steep learning curve and high fry mortality without proper conditioning and substrate management.