I have come across some information that some Killifish can be kept in moderately hard water and though they will not breed, can be kept in it. Can people please give me any information on whether they think this may be correct?
Killifish question
- Thread starter Jennet
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To help killifish keepers, here 'moderately hard' is 8.8 dH on the water provider's website and 9 dH using a liquid GH tester. Words can be misleading 
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You never know until you try . Some species will live and breed in hard water and others will not . If breeding is your goal then buy a home reverse osmosis unit and mix your water to how you want it . My Killifish are kept and bred in 50 - 75 parts per million ( PPM ) total dissolved solids ( TDS ) water and I have good results once I’ve figured out all the other variables . It’s all those other variables , like aquarium size , feeding , conditioning and compatibility , that stymie you more than water conditions . African Nothobranchius annuals thrive and breed in hard water . Aphyosemion and Fundulopanchax species do not generally .
East African killies tend to be hard water fish. I used to live north of a hardwater zone, and all the killie keepers in it kept Nothobranchius, annual killies. They are beauties, but they are annuals. Lifespans ranged from a few months to around a year, unlike soft water non annuals that can live 3 or 4.
They adapted to hard water as they live in pools that dry up, and with evaporation comes higher mineral levels.
There are some rarely kept coastal killies, as well as the desert killies of the Middle east. They used to be in the genus Aphanius, which has been broken up. A few are in the European hobby, but they tend to be rare. Many are endangered and protected.
Cubanichthys are around in some killie clubs, and they like hard water. They aren't lookers though.
I don't know where in the UK Stourbridge is, but I would search out the British Killifish Association and see if there's a local group. You might be able to speak with someone who knows what fish would work where you are. There could be some pleasant surprises.
They adapted to hard water as they live in pools that dry up, and with evaporation comes higher mineral levels.
There are some rarely kept coastal killies, as well as the desert killies of the Middle east. They used to be in the genus Aphanius, which has been broken up. A few are in the European hobby, but they tend to be rare. Many are endangered and protected.
Cubanichthys are around in some killie clubs, and they like hard water. They aren't lookers though.
I don't know where in the UK Stourbridge is, but I would search out the British Killifish Association and see if there's a local group. You might be able to speak with someone who knows what fish would work where you are. There could be some pleasant surprises.
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Sorry to steal the Killie thunder, but don't forget Ricefish! A very hardy species and will tolerate quite a range of water parameters.
Rice fish, mice fish...that goes against the grain.
We need a 'groan' reaction.......
Stourbridge is in the West Midlands area, so central slightly towards the west of England 'ish. I have applied to join the British Killifish Association, as from what I have read, they are interesting fish.
As I am looking at getting a bigger tank tank perhaps custom made to fit a 1 meter by 50 cm 'hole' in a unit I had one of my snake vivs in. I will probably only go about 40cm high though to enable me to reach the back for any work needed in the tank.
That will take me a while to save up for, so for now, am just looking at what I can do with my small tank, and having fun reading about all the different sorts of fish I was not aware of in the 70's and 90's when last keeping tropical fish.
The thought that having fish that naturally die off after one (or a few) seasons is new to me. Interesting.
As I am looking at getting a bigger tank tank perhaps custom made to fit a 1 meter by 50 cm 'hole' in a unit I had one of my snake vivs in. I will probably only go about 40cm high though to enable me to reach the back for any work needed in the tank.
That will take me a while to save up for, so for now, am just looking at what I can do with my small tank, and having fun reading about all the different sorts of fish I was not aware of in the 70's and 90's when last keeping tropical fish.
The thought that having fish that naturally die off after one (or a few) seasons is new to me. Interesting.
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I wish those Rice Fish would stop being lumped in with Killifish . They are a totally different creature .
It's funny. As hobbies go, ricefish keeping and killie keeping have taken very different paths. The fish aren't that closely related though they look it. But the Medaka/ricefish people have gone all in on fancy breeding. In some ways, these fish are like the new guppies. They are being linebred and their colours are really changing. I respect the skills involved, but I dislike the results.
I've communicated with Japanese fishkeepers who got into Medaka big time after the tsunami caused nuclear power plant breakdowns gave them a shaky grid with intermittent power. Medaka are tough and do well with just water changes, and no filters or heaters in Japan's climate.
The killie hobby took a different road from ricefish breeding. It generally sticks to its guns as the last refuge of next to no linebreeding and the preservation of how the fish look in nature.
Medaka have been sent on an ornamental fish trajectory, while killifish are treasured as nature.
There are other fish that are killie-like. I mop spawn Pseudomugil blue eyes, and they act a lot like some killies. Ricefish score high on killielike, as are a lot of livebearers, despite the absence of egg laying. I love lampeye killies (not hard water fish though) and they show the connections with some livebearers.
I've communicated with Japanese fishkeepers who got into Medaka big time after the tsunami caused nuclear power plant breakdowns gave them a shaky grid with intermittent power. Medaka are tough and do well with just water changes, and no filters or heaters in Japan's climate.
The killie hobby took a different road from ricefish breeding. It generally sticks to its guns as the last refuge of next to no linebreeding and the preservation of how the fish look in nature.
Medaka have been sent on an ornamental fish trajectory, while killifish are treasured as nature.
There are other fish that are killie-like. I mop spawn Pseudomugil blue eyes, and they act a lot like some killies. Ricefish score high on killielike, as are a lot of livebearers, despite the absence of egg laying. I love lampeye killies (not hard water fish though) and they show the connections with some livebearers.
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