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i was in my LFS today and saw a really nice looking fish called a panchax that i had never heard of before. as usualy the lady at in the shop was very unhelpful and somewhat rude so i got little out of her... thank goodnes for this place!

does anyone know anything about keeping a panchax? (i hope im spelling it right!)

Actually, there are a LOT of species of panchax... Panchax are killifish. I believe they are really quite simple to keep; if I'm not mistaken, their care level is kinda like guppies (except they lay eggs).

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

ya i thought they looked like a type of killifish. but the lady at the shop just gave me this look like saying "you idiot" when i mentioned that!

it was just labled panchax so sorry i duno what type it is. from what i can recal it was silverish/white with yellow and red on the bottom half of the body and tail.

if the are as easy to keep as guppies im so suprised they are not more popular because they are so pretty!

the panchax are gorgeous fish, but be careful because there is an indian fish that is often sold as a "golden panchax" - (aplocheilus lineatus). same family as the killies (aplocheilidae), but can grow to 4 inches and will terrorise peaceful fish.

justin

The ones i've seen recently are being sold as Golden Panchax or Blue Panchax.

Where did you see them?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

at aquamart castle towers, if u go there u know the back wall were they keep the discus fish? its there somewhere. they only had one left and it was just labled panchax. the lady wasnt very helpful either with much info ]:|

thanks for the warning jase101! how do i tell the difference between the indian and the golden panchax?

I had the golden panchax before..it is not really an aggressive fish but however they will eat smaller fish such as guppies and small tetras. Do not under estimate the size of it's mouth, mine onr ate a neon which is about half of it's size..it surprised me as well.

And,,,they are excellent jumpers...prepare to get water in your face when u feed them.

They are definitely predators... Not to be mixed with small fish!

They are not picky eaters though. I feed the ones at my LFS live feeder guppies, but they also eat flakes and steal the corys' algae wafers.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

cool thanks guys!

so they can be kept in a community tank just not with small fish?

what fish do u guys keep ur with? for such a pretty fish i cant believe they arnt more popular!

Now there's a word I haven't heard in ages. Panchax.

The venerable Innes book has a fair amount to say about them. Not least because there are several species. Then of course there are the related Aplocheilus species, which are similar in appearance, but some of them are more 'community compatible'. Once again, do the research and check each species individually.

I'll have a ferret around in my copy of Innes and see if I can come up with something of use.

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

thanks Calilasseia, hope your able to find something coz iv had a hard time finding good info in these fish!

Hello again - as promised, here are the results of my book delving!

Panchax - A Baedecker Tour

Panchax. This is a name that evokes memories of exotic-looking Indian killifishes to the older generation, but which probably puzzles anyone under the age of 30. Before going on to cover the three species mentioned in the venerable Innes book, a note about name changes is apposite.

Originally, these fishes were placed in the Genus Panchax, whose etymology derives from a native word in their home lands. However, they have since been moved en masse to the Genus Aplocheilus, which, to confuse matters further, used to be the home of the Medakas or Rice Fishes before they were all moved en masse to the Genus Oryzias. Confused? Don't worry, it'll eventually sort itself out in your mind if you read this paragraph enough times

These are mainly Indian fishes, but at least one species extends into Malaysia. They are all surface-dwellers, and once seen, they become indelibly imprinted upon the mind as fishes of distinction. As befits surface-dwelling Killies, they should be given at the very least intermittent feedings of live mosquito larvae, which is one of their principal foods in the wild. This is especially important if one wishes to persuade them to breed, and these fishes are egg-droppers that spawn in floating plants - Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum, would probably be an ideal choice of spawning plant for these fishes.

For maintenance purposes, the key issues to remember are: [1] smaller ones are generally peaceful, but larger ones will eat fishes small enough to fit into their mouths, which means that the larger ones are under no circumstances compatible with the likes of Neon Tetras, although the smaller species should coexist happily with a reasonable range of 'community' aquarium fishes of the conventional sort, provided that these are not boisterous enough to upset the Panchax; [2] they are ALL rocket-propelled jumpers that MUST be kept securely covered, otherwise they will engage in aerobatic excursions that make you wonder how a fish that size can jump that far. They are almost as bad as the Blue Gularis (an infamous 'jumping' Killie) in this respect, and while floating plants may help to mitigate their jumping activities somewhat, they can NOT be trusted if the cover is left off for any length of time. Even a small 1-inch Panchax blockii can jump over six feet when it feels like it, so KEEP THEM COVERED!!!

As regards companions, Innes observes that with these fishes, there is no mean picking or petty snapping at fins. With these fishes, the question is "to swallow or not to swallow", and if their companions are small enough to fit into their mouths, swallow they will.

Breeding poses some interesting problems. Females lay eggs singly after being driven vigorously by the males into plant thickets, and in the space of a day, a female will lay perhaps 20 eggs. This will continue for up to a week. The parents leave the eggs alone, but MUST be removed once spawning is complete, because they WILL eat the fry! Furthermore, the fry need to be sorted by size quickly, as there is sometimes a week's difference in age between siblings, and the larger ones will eat the smaller ones! While the smaller Panchax fry need infusoria for a few days, they quickly move on to baby Brine Shrimp and sifted Daphnia, and from that point grow quickly. The eggs usually take 2 weeks to hatch after being laid, and a female can produce up to 400 eggs in a single spawning if she is large and well-conditioned. Innes notes that these fishes are sometimes stimulated into breeding by imposing a 24-hour temperature cycle, falling to 70°F at night, then rising to 77°F in the day, which probably mimics the conditions in their natural habitat rather well. However, such temperature changes should not be brought about by the addition of new water, and when water changes are required, the incoming water should be pre-aged for these fishes.

Apart from the special notes above, Panchaxes are hardy, robust, relatively long-lived and seldom succumb to disease. If fed with live foods, they prosper enormously, and become sparkling little jewels that make even seasoned aquarists gasp in astonishment. But as is the case with all fishes, they prosper best if one does one's research first, and creates appropriate conditions for them!

Now, three species are listed in the venerable Innes book. These are:

Aplocheilus blockii (old name Panchax blockii). The smallest at around 4.5 cm long. Decorated with rows of red pigment dots accompanied by spangly green iridescent scales. Females drab in comparison to males, and with much less ornate finnage, making separating the genders easy. Temperature range 70°F to 84°F, usually breeding around 77°F. The one most likely to be compatible with other more conventional community fishes, and least likely to try and swallow tankmates, but any Guppy fry in the vicinity will be devoured in short order.

Aplocheilus panchax (old name Panchax panchax). At 7 cm, this one is likely to be somewhat more problematic with small companions. Alongside fishes of equal size, however, unlikely to be a cause for concern. Another of those fishes that is "once seen, always recognised", not least because of the spade-shaped tail fin which, in the male, is double-bordered with a black outer band and a gold to reddish-orange inner band. Body colour very variable - so much so, that once upon a time, they were imported as three different species under the names "Yellow Panchax", "Red Panchax" and "Blue Panchax". However, none of these variations are true colour morphs, and offspring from parents of one colour scheme can grow up to be literally anything within the species' colour spectrum. Again, temperature range 70°F to 84°F, breeding at around 77°F preferentially.

Aplocheilus lineatus (old name Panchax lineatus). At 10 cm, this one is best kept on its own, or with other decent size fishes such as Congo Tetras. A resplendent fish, whose scales are like individual mirrors of burnished gold, over which are assorted colourful markings. Males have rows of strongly delineated red dots, interspersed with faint vertical bars of a darker hue, females have fainter spots but stronger bars and a spot at the base of the dorsal fin. Male finnage ornate, and in fine specimens, rivalling that of Aphyosemion lyretails. Generally regarded as the hardiest and the easiest to breed of all the Panchaxes, but also the most likely to snack upon small fishes - adults will dispose of a half-grown female Guppy with ease. Oh, and if it jumps, you'll know about it, because a big adult specimen can fly over 12 feet through the air if it is so minded.

If you want to keep these fishes, and have actually found a supplier, then keeping them should pose relatively few problems, as the males tend not to exhibit the same kind of scrappy territoriality seen in the likes of Nothobranchius or Cynolebias species, but even so, they should have space to mitigate any scrappiness that does exhibit itself. Keep them in soft, slightly acidic water (especially for breeding) - some aquarists have had great success keeping them in peat-filtered water - and provide floating plants such as Riccia or Ceratopteris thalictroides (Indian Fern, which is found in their native waters) in order to lessen their aerobatic tendencies. KEEP THEM COVERED as they are, as I cannot emphasise enough, rocket-propelled jumpers that are apt to do so the moment your back is turned during aquarium maintenance, for example, and illuminate the Panchax aquarium with warm pink-type Gro-lux tubes for best results, under which Cryptocorynes are growing. Bogwood desirable but not essential.

I cannot leave this post unfinished without mentioning a related fish in the group, which is unmistakable once seen because its scales stick out at an angle from its body, a feature especially ounced in the male, and is thus a fish that could literally be identified by a blind man. In any other fish this would be a terminal symptom of dropsy, but is an entirely natural state of affairs with this species! Pachypanchax playfairii reaches 9 cm in length, and is a bad-tempered, belligerent and nasty fish which should either be kept in a species aquarium, or housed with other tough, aggressive companions. Again, a rocket-propelled jumper, with the added disadvantage of being an inveterate fin-nipper if unwisely housed with the likes of Bettas, which will be shredded to pieces in no time. Eats its own eggs and young, making breeding something of a challenge, and the young fry need to be sorted by size at the earliest practical opportunity, otherwise rampant cannibalism will reduce the numbers alarmingly. A tough, hardy, long-lived but sometimes vicious species, and if more than one male is present in an aquarium, be prepared to intervene just in case internecine warfare breaks out. One of the few freshwater aquarium fishes to be found in the Seychelles Islands, Pachypanchax playfairii even looks bad tempered, although not in quite the same starkly manifest way as, say, Hoplias lacerdae Wolf Fishes. Definitely one for the specialist.

And with that little Baedecker Tour of the world of the Panchax, happy fishkeeping!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002