Cape lopez lyretail
Fish Care Description
Freshwater
The Cape lopez lyretail (gold) (Aphyosemion austral) is classed as a Killifish and were quite hard to find being a specialist fish, but this particular species is now available to buy from any good aquatic shops.
These fish have a variety of lovely colored speckles on their body from bright red, yellow and metallic blue/green. The anal and dorsal fins go to a point. The tail looks similar to a fan with unusual white top and bottom edges; they make a stunning addition to any tank.
The Cape Lopez lyretail is native to West Africa where they live in the flooded rainforest pools. They can grow up to 2.5 inches with a lifespan of 2-3 years.
Housing
The tank temperature should be kept at (7.2-7.9) and the water should soft acidic with a ph of (6.8-7.5) these fish like to swim in the lower half of the tank and prefer subdued lighting and calm water. They can be mixed with other small fish of a similar nature but do not put with more aggressive fish that may nip the fins of the Cape Lopez.
They should be purchased in pairs or in groups of 3, 2 females and 1 male are ideal, but two males will fight.
Feeding
Cape Lopez is very slow to feed and is at risk of being underfed, it is important to keep an eye on them at feed time. They can be fed pellets and flakes but do prefer to eat bloodworm and brine shrimp.
