Norman's lampeye

Quick facts

Adult size

4 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 3 years

Tank zone

top

Temperament

peaceful

Difficulty

intermediate

Schooling

recommended 8+ (critical minimum 6, thrives at 15+)

Typically wild-caught

yes - acclimate slowly

Water parameters

Temperature

22–26°C

pH

6.0 to 7.5

Hardness

3 to 12 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

40 L

Minimum length

45 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

dim preferred

Substrate

any

Open swimming room

needed

Lid

required - jumper

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the top.

Micro pellets, crushed flake, frozen baby brine shrimp, frozen daphnia, frozen cyclops, and live micro-foods. The mouth is small; crush food appropriately. They feed in the upper water column. In community tanks with faster feeders, they may need targeted feeding. Feed twice daily in small amounts. Live food produces the best condition and coloring.

Compatibility

• Tiny, peaceful killifish that occupies the upper water column. The glowing blue-white eye is the visual hook; in a dimly lit tank, a school of lampeyes with their eyes catching the light is distinctive.
• Nano species. At 3–3.5 cm, they belong with other small, calm fish: ember tetras, chili rasboras, pygmy corys, and shrimp. Larger or boisterous species stress them.
• Groups of 8+ for proper schooling. In small numbers they scatter and hide. In larger groups they hover in the open and the eye-glow effect is amplified.
• Not a typical killifish in behavior; they're schooling fish that shoal in the upper midwater, not territorial cave-dwellers or surface-lurking predators.

Habitat

Native to small streams and swamps across West Africa, from Cameroon through Nigeria and into the Congo basin. Found in slow-moving, shallow water with overhanging vegetation. The species (Poropanchax normani) is the most commonly available lampeye killifish in the trade. The body is translucent olive to silver, unremarkable on its own. The selling point is the eyes: the upper half of each iris reflects a brilliant blue-white light that appears to glow, especially under dim or angled lighting. In a school of 15+ fish in a dark tank, the effect is like a constellation of tiny lights hovering in the water. Males are slightly more colorful in the fins; females are rounder. Adult size is 3–3.5 cm. The species is commercially bred, primarily in Southeast Asia. It's a non-annual killifish with a lifespan of 2-3 years. Not always in stock at general stores but available through online retailers and specialty fish shops.

Breeding

Egg depositor that attaches eggs among fine-leaved plants and moss over a period of days. A conditioned pair produces a few eggs daily. Eggs are small, clear, and adhesive, attached to java moss, floating plant roots, or spawning mops. Adults eat eggs if they find them, so dense plant cover increases survival. Eggs hatch in 10-14 days at 24–26°C. Fry are tiny and need infusoria or paramecium for the first few days before moving to baby brine shrimp. In a well-planted species tank, fry appear periodically without intervention. Dedicated breeding in a separate tank with frequent egg collection improves yield. Not difficult to breed once conditions are stable.

Common problems

Sensitivity to water quality. Lampeyes are less tolerant of ammonia and nitrite spikes than many common community fish. Keep the tank mature and stable before adding them. Ich appears in stressed new arrivals; treat with gentle temperature elevation. The eye-glow effect doesn't photograph well and isn't visible in brightly lit store tanks, which means the fish looks unimpressive at purchase. The visual payoff only comes in a properly set up home tank with dim lighting. Short lifespan (2-3 years) means colony maintenance requires ongoing breeding.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 0.8 (tiny killifish; negligible waste).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size