Clown Killifish
Epiplatys annulatus
Min Tank Size
20L
Adult Size
3.5 cm
Lifespan
3 years
About
Few freshwater fish pack as much visual drama into such a small frame. Clown killifish come from slow-moving blackwater streams and pools across West Africa, particularly in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. They stay under 4 cm as adults, but what they lack in size they make up for in pattern. The body is banded in alternating dark brown and pale cream stripes, and the tail fans out in a rocket shape, split into vivid bands of red, blue, and yellow. It's genuinely striking for a fish you can hold between two fingers.
They're soft, acidic water fish through and through. pH anywhere from 4.0 to around 7.0 suits them, but they do best toward the lower end of that range, especially for breeding. General hardness should stay soft, under 8 dGH ideally. Temperature between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius keeps them healthy. Dense floating plant cover is important, both because they feel exposed without it and because they hunt from the surface layer almost exclusively.
Diet is straightforward for a carnivore: small live or frozen foods work best. Micro worms, fruit flies, baby brine shrimp, and daphnia are all accepted readily. Dry foods may be taken eventually but shouldn't be the primary staple.
For temperament, they're about as peaceful as a fish gets, with one small caveat around males occasionally posturing at each other near the surface. Community-wise they need nano-only setups, since most standard community fish are simply too large or too boisterous to share space comfortably with them.
If you want to see how other hobbyists have set up their clown killifish tanks, check the real builds section for inspiration.
Water Parameters
Temperature
°CpH
GH
dGHKH
dKHSwimming Level
Flow Preference
Keeping multiple Clown Killifish together
Clown Killifish is mildly territorial. Small groups can work in spacious tanks with broken sightlines, but expect occasional squabbles.
Compatibility
Clown killifish need a dedicated nano setup or a carefully curated community of equally tiny species. Good tankmates include chili rasboras, ember tetras, exclamation point rasboras, pygmy corydoras, and small otocinclus. Dwarf shrimp like neocaridina are borderline, adults are probably safe but shrimplets will be eaten. Snails coexist fine. Anything over about 4 to 5 cm is too large and will either outcompete them for food or simply eat them. Avoid fast, boisterous midwater schoolers that will crowd them out of their preferred surface zone. A species-only setup is often the safest and most visually rewarding option.
Commonly kept with
Species this one is most often paired withCommonly tried but avoid
Often paired, but shouldn't beCare Notes
The most common mistake is housing them with fish that are too large. Even small tetras like neons can stress or outcompete them. The second big issue is water quality and parameters. These are soft, acidic water fish and they don't do well long-term in hard alkaline tap water without conditioning. Dried leaf litter and peat filtration help replicate their natural environment. Feeding is another sticking point because their tiny mouths rule out most standard flake foods. Live and frozen micro foods aren't optional here, they're the core of the diet. A tight lid is essential without exception, they jump.
Behavior & Aggression
Aggression between clown killifish is almost entirely limited to males competing at the surface. They'll flare and display at each other rather than inflict serious damage, but in smaller tanks a dominant male can stress subordinate males relentlessly. Keeping a ratio of at least two females per male, and providing floating plants to break line of sight, reduces this significantly. Toward other species they show virtually no aggression. No fin nipping, no chasing. The mild territoriality is really a male-to-male surface patrol behavior more than anything else.
Things to Know
- Exceptional jumpers, requires a tight fitting lid.
- Males compete for surface territory, keep more females than males
- Too small for tanks with most common community fish, will be outcompeted or eaten
- Fry are extremely tiny and need infusoria or similar micro foods
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