Should I buy it?
Clown Killifish
Epiplatys annulatus
Typical trade / ID note: Epiplatys annulatus
Also known as: banded panchax, rocket killifish, Banded panchax, Rocket killifish
Fishori provides conservative planning guidance, not guarantees.
Based on typical aquarium care sources; details may vary between setups. Use the numbers here as planning defaults — your room, water, and routine still shape real-world outcomes.
The nano surface fish that works in shrimp tanks. Soft acidic blackwater plus micro-food, and the colony settles in a 30L planted cube.
Best for
Nano planted blackwater setups 20–40L for intermediate keepers comfortable with soft acidic water and live or frozen micro-foods.
Avoid if
Hard alkaline tap water, inability to source live or frozen micro-foods, or community tanks with larger fish.
Top things that go wrong
- Group welfare — not a solo display fish. Plan at least **6** together for normal behaviour; smaller groups often mean stress, colour loss, or nipping depending on species.
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp: compatible in most setups. Cherry shrimp and other dwarf species coexist with peaceful small fish, though baby shrimp are food for almost any fish that gets to them.
Common mistakeFeeding standard flake. Clown killifish have tiny mouths and starve on normal-sized food. They need micro-pellets or baby brine shrimp.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Bought as a single fish or pair. Clown killis lose colour and stop displaying in a group below six.
- 2.Fed flake food. The mouth cannot handle standard flake; the fish starves slowly in a tank that looks well stocked.
- 3.Easy on temperament, demanding on water and feeding. Wants soft acidic blackwater (pH 5.5 to 7.0, soft hardness). The mouth is too small for most flake; needs micro-pellets, baby brine shrimp, and frozen daphnia. A group of six or more in a planted 30L cube works.
About this species
Clown killis are 3.5 cm top-dwelling killifish from West Africa. The body shows black-and-yellow bands like a wasp, and the small mouth hunts surface insects and microfauna. A peaceful nano fish that ignores tank mates below it in the water column.
- Pea Puffer40L min · same group, similar adult size
- American Flagfish60L min · same group, similar adult size
- Marbled Hatchetfish60L min · same group, similar adult size
- Golden Wonder Killifish80L min · same fish family
- African freshwater butterflyfish150L min · same fish family
- Ropefish / reed fish200L min · same fish family
- Senegal bichir300L min · same fish family
- Black ghost knifefish500L min · same fish family
- Cardinal Tetraalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Celestial Pearl Danioalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Chili Rasboraalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Dwarf pencilfishalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara)also intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Green neon tetraalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
No reverse lookups on file yet.
Plan grid
Key limits are shown above; this section adds planning detail: pH band, swim level, bioload and activity, and the radar.
Swim zones
Planning trait chart
Six indices for comparing species on paper before you spend.
- Beginner ease56
- Peacefulness90
- Community fit86
- Small-tank fit100
- Hardiness54
- Energy54
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Common setup sketches
Conservative patterns from Fishori fields — still run the pair checker for every species you add; sketches are not a stocking guarantee.
Rough 90L+ layout: one calm centrepiece, 8–12 small tetras/rasboras, 6–8 corydoras-type bottom fish — verify every name in the pair checker before buying.
Safe directions on file include: Chili Rasbora, Ember Tetra, Corydoras Catfish.
Prioritise 6+ of Clown Killifish in 20L+ with filtration sized for messy feeding — add only mates that already pass pair checks with this species.
Tank mate intelligence
Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Clown Killifish against your own reading before you buy.
Pair-level compatibility with this fish as anchor.
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: Clown Killifish + Chili Rasbora
- Try Chili Rasbora — open the pair check.
- Try Ember Tetra — open the pair check.
- Try Corydoras Catfish — open the pair check.
- Try Otocinclus — open the pair check.
Behaviour, temperament, and what to watch
Prose and lists come from the same record: read temperament first, then glass-level signals so you are not surprised after day three.
Clown Killifish is peaceful in mixed company.
Stress / aggression triggers on file
- Sudden crowding
- Poor water quality
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper, but individuals can still test fins under stress or in a crowded tank.
Predation: Not a predator toward similarly-sized community fish. The usual community caveats about mouth size still apply for very small fry or shrimp.
Territory: Not strongly territorial, but still claims a working area in the tank. Give it room to settle without overlapping the next species' patch.
Planted tanks: excellent — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Moderate pacing — not hyperactive, not motionless.
- Shoaling/schooling: most colour and confidence show when the group meets **6+**.
- Clamped fins, gasping at the surface, hiding non-stop, or refusing food after the first week.
- Rapid breathing when parameters swing — fix ammonia/nitrite first, then reassess mates.
- Low listed risk — still watch new introductions.
- Separate or rehome if injuries appear, one fish is pinned, or feeding becomes a daily chase.
- If water is stable but behaviour worsens, reduce stocking or remove the highest-impact species first.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Care parameters: water, food, inverts, grouping
Chemistry and group rules sit here so you are not re-reading the same line from tank mate or temperament blocks. Swim level is in the plan grid above.
Hardness
soft
Diet
carnivore
Small invertebrates, frozen bloodworm or daphnia, and protein-rich prepared foods. Rotate the menu and feed by appetite rather than by clock.
Shrimp & snails
Shrimp: compatible in most setups. Cherry shrimp and other dwarf species coexist with peaceful small fish, though baby shrimp are food for almost any fish that gets to them.
Six or more for the colour and the rocket-swim display. A pair sulks and stays grey.
Egg scatterers and schoolers still spawn in stable tanks. Have a plan for the fry, or accept that the parents and tank mates will eat them in a community setup.
- Soft acidic water (pH 5.5 to 7.0, soft). RO with tannin additives or a planted blackwater scape works.
- Tight lid. They jump less than golden wonders but still find gaps.
- Micro-feed source: micro-pellets, frozen baby brine shrimp, or live microworms.
- A group of six or more so the colour and shoaling behaviour emerge.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 20L published minimum for adults.
- You can stock at least 6 individuals (group welfare).
- Heater can hold 22–28°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
Explore and stocking hubs
Same library as the rest of Fishori: tank-mate index for this species, category peers, guides, and litre-based stocking lists where min tank on file is within the hub volume.
Plan with tools
Pair-level rules and multi-fish stocking use the same conservative engine — add this fish in the tank builder only after mates pass pair checks.
Filtration & heating
A 20L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 80L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 22–28°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Clown Killifish does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 22–28°C and pH 5.5–7:
Profile status: partially verified · Evidence tier: medium · 2 linked source(s). Fishori does not fabricate citations.
Fishori uses conservative planning rules based on these sources.
Confidence is explained in the summary at the top of this page (same tier as here), not repeated below.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Epiplatys annulatus
Primary: species page covering West African blackwater origin, soft water needs, and the rocket-like swim pattern.
- Practical Fishkeeping. Clown Killifish Profile
Secondary: editor write-up on tank-bred lines, feeding strategy (micro-pellets, BBS), and shrimp-tank compatibility.
Evidence notes
- Clown killis are one of the few surface-dwelling killifish that stay small enough to be genuinely shrimp-safe. Adult cherry shrimp share tanks with breeding colonies without issue, and only the smallest shrimplets are at any risk.
- Wild blackwater origin means tank-bred specimens still do better with peat or alder-cone tannins added to the water. Plain tap water keeps them alive but kills the colour.
- Fishori profiles work from typical aquarium trade sizes and hobby care norms. Specialist site checks and literature review for this species are not yet recorded here, so the ranges on this page are planning numbers rather than guarantees.