Norman's lampeye killifish care

Norman's lampeyes are tiny, peaceful schooling fish with a bright blue-white glow above each eye. A group swimming near the surface of a planted tank looks like a cloud of little lights. They're easy to keep, and one of the easier killifish to breed.

I've bred Norman's lampeyes in my own tanks.

Norman's lampeye facts

• Scientific name: Poropanchax normani
• Size: about 1.5 inches
• Tank: 10 gallons or more for a group
• Temperature: 72–79°F
• Water: soft to medium, with a pH of about 6 to 7.5
• Group: at least 6, and more is better
• Lifespan: about 2 to 3 years

Setting up the tank

• A tight lid. Like most killifish, lampeyes jump.
• Floating plants and gentle flow. They live near the surface and like calm water with some cover. See easy aquarium plants.
• A dark substrate makes the blue eyes stand out.
• A sponge filter or a gentle hang-on-back. See the best aquarium filters.

Feeding

Lampeyes feed at the surface. Give small flakes or micro pellets once or twice a day, and frozen or live baby brine shrimp or daphnia a few times a week. Food that sinks past them is usually ignored, so feed small amounts. See how often to feed fish.

Tankmates

• Good: other small peaceful fish such as ember tetras, neon tetras, pygmy corydoras, honey gouramis, cherry shrimp and snails.
• Avoid: anything big enough to eat them, and fast, pushy surface fish that take all the food.

Males and females

Males have larger, more colorful fins edged in white or yellow, and show off to each other. Females are plainer with rounder fins. A group with more females than males keeps things calm.

Breeding Norman's lampeyes

Lampeyes scatter a few eggs every day into fine plants, moss or a spawning mop. The adults will eat eggs and fry, so to raise more:

1. Give them a spawning site, like java moss or a yarn mop near the surface.
2. Move the eggs every few days to a small container of tank water with a drop of an anti-fungal, or move the mop to a separate fry tank.
3. Wait about 2 weeks. The eggs hatch slowly.
4. Feed the fry tiny foods like infusoria or vinegar eels at first, then baby brine shrimp after a few days.

In a heavily planted tank with no other fish, a few fry often survive without any help.

Related: 10 gallon stocking ideas · Easy aquarium plants · Honey gourami care · Breeding aquarium fish