Should I buy it?
Golden Wonder Killifish
Aplocheilus lineatus
Typical trade / ID note: Aplocheilus lineatus (golden colour line)
Also known as: golden wonder killi, striped panchax, Golden wonder killi, Striped panchax, Indian 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.
A surface micropredator with a misleading killifish label. Species-only or mid-size community, never with nano tetras or shrimp. Cover the tank.
Best for
Species-only or large-fish community tanks 80L or more with a secure lid. An intermediate-keeper surface predator.
Avoid if
You keep nano fish, shrimp, or any surface-dwelling species small enough to fit in a 10 cm mouth.
Top things that go wrong
- Mouth gap vs tiny tank mates. Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Common mistakeForgetting the lid. Golden wonder killifish jump powerfully and can leap several centimetres clear of an open or loosely covered tank.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Confirmed jumper. An uncovered tank loses the fish within days.
- 2.Bought as a calm-looking nano predator for a planted community. Neon tetras and guppies disappear over the first month.
- 3.Open-top scaped tank. The killifish jumps within the first week, sometimes the first night.
- 4.Not a community fish despite the killifish tag. A golden wonder in a 60L with neons will eat the neons over a few weeks. The workable plan is a 80L species tank or a community of larger mid-water fish that stay below 7 cm.
About this species
Golden wonder killis are surface-dwelling micropredators from India and Sri Lanka. Adults reach 10 cm with a pike-like body shape and metallic gold flanks. They sit just below the waterline and lunge at anything that fits in the mouth, including small tetras and shrimp.
- American Flagfish60L min · same fish family
- Marbled Hatchetfish60L min · same fish family
- Pea Puffer40L min · same fish family
- Clown Killifish20L min · same fish family
- African freshwater butterflyfish150L min · same group, similar adult size
- Ropefish / reed fish200L min · same fish family
- Senegal bichir300L min · same fish family
- Black ghost knifefish500L min · same fish family
- Agassiz’s dwarf cichlidalso intermediate semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- American Flagfishalso intermediate semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- Apistogramma Borelliialso intermediate semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- Apistogramma Macmasterialso intermediate semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- Apistogramma Trifasciataalso intermediate semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- Cockatoo / crested Apistogrammaalso intermediate semi-aggressive, 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 ease38
- Peacefulness20
- Community fit0
- 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.
Match temperature and pH overlap with every tank mate, then verify adult size and group rules on pair pages — Fishori is biased toward boring, survivable plans.
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 Golden Wonder 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: Golden Wonder Killifish + Corydoras Catfish
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.
Golden Wonder Killifish is semi-aggressive: stable in a calm tank, pushy with weaker fish when stressed or crowded. Treats any fish small enough to fit in its mouth as food. Mouth size at adult length matters, not the prey's listed adult size.
Stress / aggression triggers on file
- small tank mates
- feeding times
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper, but individuals can still test fins under stress or in a crowded tank.
Predation: Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
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: good — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Moderate pacing — not hyperactive, not motionless.
- 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.
- Chasing one individual repeatedly, torn fins on tank mates, or food theft every feed.
- 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
medium
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: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Solo or as a single pair in 80L+. A second male without enough length usually ends with one fish hiding under the filter intake permanently.
Breeding behaviour depends on the species. Research before you buy a mixed-sex group of this fish.
- A flush-fitting lid with no gaps. Even glass feeding holes need a coverslip.
- Tank mates that are too big to fit in the killifish's mouth. Mid-7 cm rasboras and 5 cm corydoras work; nano tetras and shrimp do not.
- Live or frozen food source. Pellets work but live feeds (bloodworms, brine) bring out colour.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 80L published minimum for adults.
- Heater can hold 22–28°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
- No tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth gap for this species.
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 80L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 320L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 22–28°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Golden Wonder Killifish does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 22–28°C and pH 6–8:
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. Aplocheilus lineatus
Primary: species page covering Indian/Sri Lankan range, predatory behaviour, jumping risk, and surface-dwelling habit.
- Aquarium Co-Op. Golden Wonder Killifish Care
Secondary: retailer care page on stocking (top-dweller-only setups, jumping lid requirement, live feed).
Evidence notes
- Wild Aplocheilus lineatus is olive and grey. The 'golden wonder' is a selectively bred colour line that exaggerates the yellow-gold flanks. Care is identical between forms.
- Golden wonders are confirmed jumpers. A tight-fitting lid with no escape gaps is non-negotiable, even on tanks where most fish stay deep.
- 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.