Fish
Günther's Nothobranch
Nothobranchius guentheri
Origin: Günther's nothobranch comes from the island of Zanzibar and coastal Tanzania in East Africa. It inhabits temporary seasonal waters — pools and marshes that dry up in the dry season.
Also known as: Redtail notho, Nothobranchius guentheri
Fact sheet
- Size
- 6 cm
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Minimum tank size
- 40 L
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
- pH
- 6–7
- Hardness GH
- 5–15 °dH
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Social behavior
- Harem
- Group size
- 3+ individuals
- Swimming zone
- Middle, Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Jumps out
- Yes
- Eats plants
- No
Overview
Günther's nothobranch is a bright African egg-laying fish of the so-called 'seasonal' (annual) killifish. Males are dazzlingly coloured: a bluish-turquoise body with red edging on the tail and fins. It is a fish with a short life cycle: in nature it lives only one rainy season, and its eggs survive drought in the dried mud. In the aquarium the nothobranch is also short-lived (about a year), but easy to keep and breed. Keep it in soft water, often as a pair or with more females. An excellent choice for killifish enthusiasts.
Appearance
The body is stocky and elongated, 5–6 cm long. Males are brightly coloured: a bluish-turquoise body with red speckling and a broad red margin on the tail fin. Females are plain, greyish-beige. Sexual dimorphism is very strong. Male colour intensifies with age.
Care
A tank of at least 40 L with soft water, dark substrate (peat), and cover. Temperature 22–26 °C, pH 6.0–7.0, hardness GH 5–15. Clean soft water and regular water changes are needed. The species is short-lived — this is normal, not a disease. It is best kept as a species tank.
Feeding
A predator. It prefers live and frozen foods — bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, and tubifex. It takes dry food reluctantly. Live food matters for bright colour. Feed once or twice daily.
Compatibility
Males are aggressive toward each other. Keep one male with several females or as a species tank. Tankmates are usually not added because of the specific care and short cycle. Small peaceful upper-level fish are possible, but a species tank is best.
Breeding
'Seasonal' spawning: the female lays eggs in the substrate (peat), where they go through a diapause mimicking drought. To breed, the peat with eggs is dried for several weeks to months, then flooded with water — the fry hatch. Breeding is easy but specific.
Fun facts
Nothobranchius eggs can survive a water body drying out completely, staying alive in dry mud until the next rainy season. It is one of the shortest-lived aquarium fish — about a year. Egg diapause is a unique adaptation of 'annual' killifish to drying waters.