Care
These tiny panchax are known from coastal swamps and shallow, slow-moving waters of forest creeks and rivulets. These diminutive killifish are gregarious and are found in loose shoals living amongst the dense marginal vegetation. The home aquarium should be biologically mature with high standards of water quality maintained at all times. Clown killies are delicate fish and require very soft, acidic water with plenty of cover in the form of driftwood and plants. Peat filtration would be very beneficial in helping to create the ideal conditions, and this can be further enhanced with the addition of dried Indian almond leaves (Terminalia catappa) or alder cones. Water movement must be kept as gentle as possible, and dark substrate and decor choices will help to bring out the vibrant colour of these tiny fish. Lighting should be fairly dim, although brighter lighting can be employed if there is plenty of surface cover in the form of floating plants such as Azolla, Ceratopteris, or Pistia species. Always maintain this peaceful top-dweller in good sized groups. Many aquarists like to keep them in a dedicated species-only set-up that is tailored specifically to their needs, but they can be kept alongside other tiny peaceable species such as African Jellybean Tetras (Ladigesia roloffi), Ember Tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae), pencilfish, Pygmy Corydoras, Boraras spp., and some of the smaller anabantoids. These fish can be particularly sensitive to fluctuating or deteriorating water conditions and are regarded as somewhat difficult to keep. We therefore recommended this species for experienced aquarists only. Ensure that the aquarium has tight fitting coverslides as these fish are expert jumpers. May also be seen on sale as Rocket panchax, Banded panchax, and Rocket killifish, with several subtle colour variations available depending on original collection location - the most colourful strain originating from Monrovia, Liberia.
Feeding
Prefers small, meaty frozen foods such as cyclops, baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii), Daphnia, and mini-bloodworm. Some specimens will also take crushed flake and micropellets. Try to offer a variety of foods, with frozen fare included several times per week.
Breeding
Rocket Panchax are relatively easy to breed, and in densely planted aquaria, small numbers of fry are likely appear from time to time. However, if you wish to raise a larger number of young, a separate breeding aquarium should be set up for this purpose. A small tank filled with water from the main tank, filtered by a simple air-driven sponge filter, and fitted with a small sized heater to keep the temperature stable, along with several large clumps of Java Moss or spawning mops is all that is required. Acclimatise well-conditioned fish (either a pair, or one male with 2 or 3 females) to the breeding aquarium, and spawning should occur quite readily and without too much intervention (sometimes a small water change is required to get them started). The miniscule eggs will be scattered over the spawning medium, and incubation typically takes around 9-14 days depending on the water temperature. Some aquarists like to move the adults back to the main aquarium after a good number of eggs have been deposited, yet others leave them in situ because they rarely predate on their own eggs or fry. However, larger fry may predate on much smaller fry, so larger youngsters should be acclimatised to the main aquarium as soon as they are big enough. Newly-hatched fry will require feeding with cultured infusoria and tiny rotifers, moving on to slightly bigger foodstuffs such as vinegar eels and baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) as they grow. Vinegar eels are especially useful as a growing-on food as they tend to stay towards the top of the water, which is the area the fry will primarily feed from, so there is less wastage and less danger of fouling the water. If the clumps of plants that are used in the breeding aquarium are mature specimens, the fry will likely browse on the microorganisms present as an additional source of food. It is essential that high standards of water quality are maintained throughout. Many breeders like to add a good amount of live Daphnia to the spawning tank. The adult Daphnia will consume bacteria and other microscopic life in the water column until they themselves are eaten. The Daphnia do not harm the eggs or even newly hatched fry.
