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Basics and information
 Known variously as the Clown killifish, Rocket killi, and Clown or Rocket panchax, this diminutive top-dwelling killifish is one of a select group of fishes; it’s been called the most beautiful freshwater fish. The glowing Nothobranchius rachovii and the bright, clear mbuna are more common duelers for this title, but the Clown Killi certainly has its own magic. The certical bee-striping in cream and brown of the body are quite distinctive among killifish; that alone would make this a pretty, striking fish. But the body is set off by a tail that looks as though it belongs on another fish, a spade tail with stripes most commonly in shades of bright red and blue, and two half-circles that fill in the spade shape. The fish in some ways is reminiscent of the marine Pajama Cardinal, with its mis-matched patterning; both fish make one lean in and search for Dr. Frankenstein’s tiny stitches.
The different strains and locations have surprisingly different colors in the anal and dorsal fins. Yellow is a common color these days; strains that were more popular in the past often bore red or blue. The well-known Monrovia strain has significant red in its unpaired fins.
Another feature, somewhat more difficult to photograph than the “rocket” tail, is the trailing ventrals. These lovely, reflective fins, nearly the length of the fish’s body, add a grace and traditional beauty to a fish that appears at times unreal.
Like most killies, they inhabit still, murky waters naturally. Littered with fallen leaves and bracken, the ponds and pools drift into acidity and translucence, hiding the fish from each other and encouraging the proliferation of very distinctive patterning so females can spot males through the aquatic fog.
They can be found in Guinea, Niger, and points between. Although there’s at least 600 miles between the two countries and a good bit more space than that if they’re included from outside border to outside border, the fish are said to be quite rare in the wild. However, they are being collected in different locations these days than the common sites of the past; the Liberian annulatus that were common 20 years ago are now found alongside a growing number of Guinean strains.
What you see is what you get
This is an extremely well-behaved fish; even during spawning the females could not be safer if they were in another tank. The primary activity of this fish is hovering a few inches below the surface, hoping a dim-witted insect will fall in and provide a fun meal. The males spend additional time patrolling the tank in search of new females, displaying at each other harmlessly (providing lovely photo opportunities), and hovering somewhere else in the tank. These fish are not for lovers of zebra danios – they will not race about like maniacs. Calm and gentle are the keywords with annulatus.
Care and keeping
A pair of these fish could easily be maintained in a one gallon tank if it were stuffed with java moss and hornwort. However, as a sociable group spawner, one is much safer with a five or ten gallon tank and at least six fish.
The species is both variable and hardy in terms of temperature, and unlikely to contract ich, as many species will, from a low temperature. However, the best range is between 74 and 76, and a tad higher for fry.
These fish are not terribly demanding but they do ask for clean, soft, acidic water. In a heavily-planted species tank a filter is not required, but water changes certainly are. Keep nitrates low and of course ammonia and nitrites at zero.
Much better colors will be present in acidic tanks with soft water; that said, the aquarium strains in particular are quite adaptable.
Live food, while greatly enjoyed, is not required. Even wild-caught fish will readily adapt to flakes and pellets, although they are unlikely to chase sinking food. Annulatus are designed for top-dwelling and have appetites to match; they will happily accept any live food that can be convinced to stay near the surface for at least a few seconds. Wingless fruit flies are a bit big for them, but grindal worms make a good treat and frozen foods, which tend to float a bit, are excellent. The fry raise themselves on scraps and infusoria, but that can always be supplemented with newly hatched brine shrimp, vinegar eels, microworms, and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs.
Sexing and breeding
Males are larger and significantly more colorful at semi-adulthood and beyond. Before the development of color, sexing is more or less impossible except by comparing the sizes of fry at the same age; but since eggs are laid in small numbers a few times a day, there are rarely enough age-mates to compare!
The species is a group spawner but can also be bred in pairs. There are two main methods for spawning this fish.
A pair or group can be placed in a spawning tank filled with java moss or spawning mops. The former is suggested, as the fry will feed on the moss’s inherent infusoria. Allow the parents a few hours in which to spawn and remove them. Raise the fry in the spawning tank until they are large enough to not be taken as food when you move them into the parents’ tank.
The permanent breeding setup is for the person who really, really loves this species and expects to have the same tank with the same fish for a very long time. This is a tank of at least ten gallons (a twenty long is a better choice) in which a group of parents live alone with as many plants as will fit and grow. For the brown-thumbed, java moss is a perfectly acceptable plant choice and even spawning mops will suffice. The parents, who rarely cannibalize their young, are left in the tank permanently, although they can of course be removed to try out the first spawning method, with which the yield is considerably higher. In a permanent tank, the number of fry is nothing to write home about, but they require no additional work on your part. Feed the parents well, keep the tank clean and the plants healthy, and a year down the line your six fish will have inexplicably become thirty, fifty, a hundred, maintaining indefinitely what may be the most beautiful tank in your house.
Extra info
Annulatus will not attain their full colors without strong light at least a few hours a day – luckily they are so often placed in high-light plant tanks that people rarely know they’re providing the conditions required for stunning color. Sunlight is not required, though it certainly works – and, of course, these fish without full color quite rival many other species’ loveliest displays, so if the judicious addition of high light is not an option, don’t worry – you may never notice the difference!
In theory this is a good choice for a community of small, peaceful tankmates – pencil fish, the very diminutive tetras and rasboras, dwarf cories. However the beauty and short lifespan of this fish, coupled with (it bears repeating) its small and dwindling number in the wild, suggest that an owner would do well to spawn this fish. For that, a species tank is best; not an egg-eater by any means, this is an excellent choice for a “permanent breeding setup” stuffed with java moss or whatever plants catch the owner’s fancy, and generally left alone. Shrimp and other fish will happily devour eggs, so leave them out, and let this beauty shine and slowly fill up the tank for years to come.
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Scientific name: Pseudepiplatys annulatus
Common names: Rocket Killi, Clown Killi, Clown or Rocket Panchax
Synonyms: Epiplatys annulatus, Aplocheilus annulatus, Haplochilus annulatus, Panchax annulatus
Origin: Swamps, Africa (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia)
Niche: Topdwelling, esp. among floating plants
Optimal pH: 6.5-7.5
Optimal GH: 3-6 degrees
Optimal temperature: 75-78F (23-26C)
Adult length: 1.5"(4cm)
Diet: Carnivore, micropredator
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