Heterandria formosa (Least Killifish) Care and Breeding: One of The *Tiniest* Fish in The WORLD!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Want to see profiles on potential tankmates? Take a look at these videos! Mystery Snail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYi6qWWAisR9e9E Bristlenose Pleco: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIPXkKeghLCMbpY Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics

[@jackadair6225]

I gotta say, including the map of their native range is a nice touch lol

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! I was excited when I came across it!

[@robertmartian4644]

I live in Florida and I recently captured 2-3 dozen wild least killies they make great and very interesting pets. One thing I’ve observed is the parents don’t really eat their babies if they are well fed.

[@phunghuy3000]

If you have a group of 20 or more, they will swim in big group. you will love these fish. Very easy and hardy fish to keep.

[@TerraMagnus]

If you have 1 female, you will eventually have a group of 20 or more. Chances are, she's already pregnant.

[@KJ-qw3mc]

A friend of mine breeds these. They gave me a bunch of plants They were thinning out of their tank and there was a little stowaway fry amongst the plants. I almost poured him in a potted plant! Thanks for making the video, I've been stressed on what to feed this little dude!

[@louisgrannan641]

I keep H. formosa in outside in semi-shaded 5 gallon rain buckets to use in my orchid watering. The killifish do their job keeping the larval mosquitos eaten. By the end of summr, I have a lot of young and a 5 gal. and a 2.5 gallon tank keeps them over winter. Many cases, I change out water every week or two. I keep a lot of plants in there and the Heterandria formsas are happy until outside for next year!

[@Promislandzion]

I’m definitely getting these for my 29 gallon thanks for the information on them.

[@darrylmoore5847]

Great video as always. This fish fits right into my tiny fish obsession, and is now on my must have list.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

This is a good one for a tiny fish obsession! :-)

[@elizabethpolyak4522]

What a great species profile. You covered all the bases. Thanks for all the information. I just love the tank.👌

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks for watching!

[@CuriousFord]

6:37 I think that fish has claimed the sponge filter. lol

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You may be right. :-)

[@devika2527]

This video was helpful. Thank you! 😊

[@Yonnie2436]

I live in Louisiana and I'm just finding out about these fish 🥰 Thank you... Thank you..

[@markhunter2244]

Love the look of this tank, really nice little fish 🤓

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks! 👍

[@MBBTigger1357]

Mark Hunter I agree Mark Hunter. I presently have only larger fish(discus and angelfish) but those small fish Jason showed has me thinking about getting a smaller tank and put some neon tetras with them.🐠😀

[@sherwoodboxers]

Have caught many of these in the ditch in front of my house! They are very pretty black and gold colors. Have a bunch in a 20g long tank with some Australian rainbows, a pleco and a crawfish (also caught in the ditch). The males tend to be shy and hang in the back while the females are not afraid of anything. They are VERY hardy! I try to catch the tiny fry and separate them into a breeder box and grow them up. And yes, they go crazy for live baby brine!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@icatchtinyfish1112]

why is when I get a fish there is a video about it in a 1 month period! so good

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Well, that is cool! Haha

[@RedfishCarolina]

Got a few of these little guys in a 3 gallon. Shy but cute.

[@billhill33584]

Caught one of these in my lake out back this morning in a minnow net. Got it inside now, 29gal tank

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Nice!

[@jamesgreen9372]

Thanks for the information. I have herd of these, but knew little about them. They appear to be a good “nano” tank fish. I appreciated your tank , by the way It was also interesting to see a fish native to the USA. I am not sure if you are still looking for topics, however, some pieces on native fish might be nice. This could also get youth educated on local ecosystems. Thanks again, Jim

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I really want to set up a native tank at some point. I've had them in the past and enjoyed them!

[@jamesgreen9372]

Prime Time Aquatics , I will look forward to such an effort. Please share you thoughts as it evolves. Your insights are always appreciated, Jim

[@salvolondon]

I’ve always dreamt to have heterandria Formosa but I’ve never found it here in Italy

[@tincatinca1571]

lol... i was searching for them everywhere and finally... after 2 years of searching... they had them in one shop... so i bought 10... my dream is reality now... i jave them in aquarium with neocaridina shrimps...

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

lovely nano fish

[@ZanfishYT]

I have a group of female leasts that I have had for well over 4 months. No males and yet they always get pregnant and livebear. Lovely little fish.

[@snoopdogg734]

Great video again. ..that snail is huge!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That one growing fast!

[@AnthonysFishyFriends]

I am tubbing mind this season can't wait to see how many I come out with

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You may have hundreds in there by the end!

[@kingcrimson651]

any luck?

[@augiehong3927]

High quality video as always. This is a new fish for me, but I do keep a Jordanella Floridae (another Floridian killifish aka American Flagfish) which is great hair algae eater. Keep up the great work!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I have four of them as well! :-)

[@kbhnanofish2042]

what do you think about the Norman blue lampeye killifish? it is small also..

[@kellyebrown3758]

I know this is an older video, but I just learned about these adorable little fish and now I must have some for my 10 gallon tank. How many would you say could go in a cycled and well-matured 10 gallon without overloading it? They'll be the only fish and there will be 1 nerite snail in the tank with them.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You could start with a couple males and 4-5 females? Hopefully they breed and you wind up with more!

[@cindys.4409]

Thank you for another great video. Suggestion: Can you make a video on switching substrate on an established tank? I have a (blue) gravel planted tank and was wanting to switch to an aqua soil planted tank, but I'm afraid it will change my water parameters and harm my fish/shrimp. I need your help! I'm in the western suburbs of Chicago. Thx!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Great question! It may depend on how large the tank is an how much substrate you use? It might not have a huge impact on your water if your water is coming from Lake Michigan.

[@cindys.4409]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics 9 Gallon Fluval Flex, and Lake Michigan water. Do you like Eco Complete or suggest something else?

[@Brantov]

Interesting your aquariums and fish. Very nice. I wish you all best my friend.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@Irishhamsterman]

Hi Jason, great video. How many least killifish would you end up with after a year in say a 5 gallon. Thank you :)

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Possibly more than a 5 gallon could handle. Haha. We started with maybe nine or so in a 2.3 long. Probably got up to 25 over the last 7-8 months? We have since split them off into two more 5 gallon tanks. Really like them!

[@Irishhamsterman]

Ok cool. So not ridiculous like guppies! Thank you guys. Love the channel!!!

[@MBBTigger1357]

Hi Jason. I subscribed. Never seen the small fish that you presented in your video. I do have a question regarding Discus. Do you carry them? I live probably about 4 hours or so from your shop.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I don't have them but if you are in Northern IL you could try Aquatic Clarity? Another place to try would be Chicago Discus? Both have really nice discus. Thanks for being here!

[@DiBy-0]

Are there color variations in these like there are in guppies?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

There is a gold variety that looks cool!

[@unusualaquariumecosystems5805]

Hi, what's the yellow snail called at 4:12? Thanks.

[@unusualaquariumecosystems5805]

@FreeRoamFantasy thanks, interesting.

[@CuriousFord]

I always thought of guppies being the Least Killifish ;-) I may try these out in my new 20 Gal Long. Currently cycling the tank. Up here in the great white north no stores are selling live anything. Only private sellers are selling and its very slim pickings. Stores here are saying they wont have live fish again till 2021.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

This is a great fish to try!

[@chickennoodles1030]

I have a 20 gallon I thinking about putting these in

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Nice!

[@Ekster77]

Nice video! I have a questiom about the low flow. I often read you need to have good flow in you aquarium. How do you solve that when the fish you keep like low flow? Are there things you should be looking out for in such a case? All the best, Gerda

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good question! Water flow is all relative to the fish you are keeping. Fish with long fins and those that are less torpedo-shaped (angels, severums, discus) often appreciate less flow.

[@Ekster77]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you🙃👍.

[@RedfishCarolina]

These are native to my area. They do live in some moderately fast flowing rivers, they just stay up in the weeds along the edges. They can handle most any aquarium, they'd be fine with a big HOB filter other than being in danger from the intake tube.

[@MrRandallDish]

It surprises me that it’s not a common fish to find at the store. For it being a native fish and extremely hardy, these should be everywhere!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Me too!

[@silverseen8300]

Could these be housed with a fire belly frog?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They’d probably get eaten?

[@domingofernandez9018]

What are snails good for besides good to look at?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Algae control!

[@cole3967]

Cube tank? 🤔

[@BradClarke]

Which Northfin flake are you feeding? I'm having a difficult time sourcing my usual flakes here in Canada (Cobalt Mysis Spirulina or Aqueon Tropical) and will likely be picking up a bucket of Northfin Community Flake to try and pray the fussy fish will eat it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I feed them all! Haha. I have Community, Cichlid, Krill and Kelp flakes. The Community and cichlid are very similar in their nutrient breakdown and both are a great general feeding option.

[@MotörheadMickey]

Hey Jason, how about their lifespan? My Killis (the rockets) are just starting to check out after over a year which is what I'd expected. And also, super important as you say not to put teeny fish in a massive tank. Especially heavily planted. It's like waiting to see Hayley's comet 😁

[@MotörheadMickey]

@FreeRoamFantasy Yeah that's what I meant. If someone is buying them, they need to know these are not long term investments. Then again, babies...

[@kenjiro2676]

@@MotörheadMickey you do want to curb inbreeding, so you do have to buy and swap fish frequently. Otherwise don’t bother, inbreeding fish raises poor breeding ethics, which is a form of cruelty as their health degenerates. Gotta have a plan when fish reproduce.

[@dhbaben]

What brand of sponge filter are you using here?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That is the Aquatop Mini!

[@chefrarestones1960]

Just excellent!!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@-shmoopie-]

so tiny and adorable 😍

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They have really grown on me!

[@i.robles5785]

Where did u get the 2.3 long?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I found it at a petstore in Cleveland a few years ago. :-)

[@adaoust2127]

What is the brand of the sponge filter?

[@BradClarke]

Aquatop Caf-10

[@carlosvelazquezp2585]

Its perfect

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@hansandersson1155]

Nice and informative video but I do not understand why it's called killifish. It's a livebearer and here in Europe we call it dwarf toothcarp. Very nice fish that I kept many times but they do best in their own tank with a lot of fine plants. If You have javamoss and Limnophila there soon will be a lot of fry.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I'm not sure where it got that name either? :-)

[@hansandersson1155]

Maybe it's time to start call it "Least livebearer" instead. A lot of the scientific names are changing all the time so why not change a common one now:) let's start now!

[@hansandersson1155]

Another issue is that You americans call the Ancistrus for Pleco. It's absolutely forbidden in Europe because Pleco's are some other species. It was before an example of one species that was named Plecostomus punctatus but it was renamed Hypostomus plecostomus because that was the first name it was given of Carl von Linné 1758.

[@hyfinkelstein1216]

The term, "least killifish", comes from Dutch meaning the smallest fish in the pond.

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

So if a fish an 1”1/4 can fit in a tank that small I couldn’t pull off a single female pea puffer by herself? Or Could you maybe send me in a direction on how to build a shelf on a wall to hold a 5 gallon safely? I just can’t find room for a 5 gallon. :(

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

In this particular tank it would probably be fine given the tank is 18" long. 5 gallon might be a little heavy for a wall shelf?

[@annamizerakova4329]

Can I keep only male Heterandria formosa?

[@Roman-wh8zm]

Hi!

[@adeelshaikh2129]

Nice one

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks for watching

[@taylortisaac]

Hey! Anyone here know if they will crossbreed with endlers/guppies? I want to add some to my tank, but I don’t want them to cross with my endlers. Forums from 2009 and earlier seem to agree that they cannot cross. But just want to know for sure.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I don't think they will.

[@Xt4209]

Where are y’all based out of ?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Chicago area

[@jzizzles7799]

these are guppies?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

No, they are from the same family, but a distinct genus.

[@Orwellian-Purple-Grapes-1984]

I tried neocardina shrimp with these fish. At first it seemed to go well, but slowly the shrimp disappeared. These tiny fish apparently will gang up on a shrimp in groups and then eat them.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

We have them together in a few tanks without any issues?

[@reidseimetz1264]

Can you put 80 fish in a 200 gallon tank

[@MotörheadMickey]

Go for it! Hammerhead sharks will be perfect! 😁

[@kitrynski9285]

This aquarium is completely unsuitable for the needs of Heterandria Formosa! The planting is very sparse and coarse. However, an aquarium for these fish needs very dense planting with fine leaves, at least in places, plus preferably floating plants. 😮

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

And yet they were in that tank breeding for a long time.

[@astro-ki2jq]

Can you pleas use Cm anf Kg in your videos 😃text

[@terronloh8738]

👍

[@brandonlasvegas]

😎🐟🏆

[@elmartell5724]

I wanna like your video, but it's at 666 likes and I don't wanna ruin that 😞

[@ricodegallo3060]

👍