An annual killifish: pairs dive into peat to lay eggs. The peat is removed, partly dried and stored; the embryos rest in diapause (a pause in development that lets them survive the dry season) and hatch when the peat is put back in soft water.
One male with 2-3 females.
30 L tank with a bowl of peat and cool, soft water.
Cool water and live food.
Eggs are kept in damp peat for about 3-4 months, then wetted to hatch; fry take newly hatched brine shrimp and grow fast.
Baby brine shrimp from day one.
One breeding tank for the argentine pearl killifish, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 18–24 °C · pH 6–7 · soft water
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 7 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A 120 cm rack for breeding the argentine pearl killifish in numbers.
In total: 4 tanks, about 180 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
Males are larger and blue-grey with many whitish-blue spots, becoming almost black when spawning; females are smaller (to about 6 cm) and duller brownish.
Typical for killifish (egg buriers)
Pairs lay eggs in peat or coco fibre over several days.
Squeeze the peat damp-dry and store it in a bag at room temperature.
After 1–4 months (depends on the species), add cool soft water. Fry hatch within hours.
Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp from day 3.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Pairs lay eggs in peat or coco fibre over several days.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.