Identity and search names
- Common name
- Norman’s lampeye
- Scientific name
- Poropanchax normani
- Other names
- Norman’s lampeye, Norman lampeye, Aplocheilichthys normani, Micropanchax normani, Poropanchax normani
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Killifish
- Origin
- West Africa from the Lake Chad and Nigerian systems westward to Guinea, including quiet vegetated tributaries and floodplain waters
- Review outcome
- PASSED
Environment and housing
- Environment
- Freshwater
- Care level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Adult size
- Usually 3–4 cm total length
- Expected lifespan
- About 3–5 years
- Minimum housing
- At least 75 L with a secure lid for a group of eight or more
- Temperature
- 21–26 °C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Hardness or minerals
- Soft to moderately hard
- Salinity
- Freshwater
- Lighting
- Subdued to moderate with floating cover
- Social structure
- Keep at least eight, preferably ten or more, with a balanced sex ratio
- Placement or swimming zone
- Upper and middle water
- Temperament
- Peaceful, active and easily intimidated by large or aggressive tankmates
- Compatibility
- Use small peaceful fish that share similar water and feeding needs; avoid fin nippers and large predators
- Habitat structure
- Mature, well-covered aquarium with open swimming lanes, fine plants or spawning mops, gentle flow and a tightly fitted lid
Feeding and nutrition
- Diet
- Small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, zooplankton and fine high-quality prepared foods
- Feeding frequency
- Feed small varied portions once or twice daily and confirm shy fish are not excluded
Breeding and reproduction
- Breeding or reproduction
- Adults deposit adhesive eggs among fine plants or mops over several days. Move eggs or mops to a separate rearing container because adults may eat eggs and fry
- Parental care
- No parental care
System demands
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
Detailed husbandry
- Identity scope
- This profile applies to Poropanchax normani. Older combinations such as Aplocheilichthys normani and Micropanchax normani remain useful search names, but similarly named lampeyes must not be mixed without identification.
- Adult size and space
- Usually 3–4 cm total length. At least 75 L with a secure lid for a group of eight or more. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep at least eight, preferably ten or more, with a balanced sex ratio
- Placement or swimming zone
- Primary zone: Upper and middle water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding and refuge.
- Feeding ecology
- Small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, zooplankton and fine high-quality prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- Feed small varied portions once or twice daily and confirm shy fish are not excluded
- Water stability
- Maintain 21–26 °C; pH 6.0–7.5; hardness/minerals: Soft to moderately hard. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact number.
- Adult projected load
- Plan capacity for Keep at least eight, preferably ten or more, with a balanced sex ratio at the documented adult size (Usually 3–4 cm total length) in At least 75 L with a secure lid for a group of eight or more. Include feeding intensity, territorial behaviour and breeding growth rather than counting sale-size juveniles.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
- Habitat structure
- Mature, well-covered aquarium with open swimming lanes, fine plants or spawning mops, gentle flow and a tightly fitted lid
- Compatibility plan
- Use small peaceful fish that share similar water and feeding needs; avoid fin nippers and large predators
- Breeding plan
- Adults deposit adhesive eggs among fine plants or mops over several days. Move eggs or mops to a separate rearing container because adults may eat eggs and fry Parental care: No parental care.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated equipment. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm feeding and normal respiration, and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Small size does not justify a tiny uncycled aquarium. It is a group fish and a capable jumper, and fry are easily lost to adults or filtration.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- Small size does not justify a tiny uncycled aquarium. It is a group fish and a capable jumper, and fry are easily lost to adults or filtration.
- Overridable warnings
- Small size does not justify a tiny uncycled aquarium. It is a group fish and a capable jumper, and fry are easily lost to adults or filtration. Any override must still preserve adult space, social welfare, stable chemistry, oxygen and filter capacity.
Welfare and risk
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Small size does not justify a tiny uncycled aquarium. It is a group fish and a capable jumper, and fry are easily lost to adults or filtration.
- Main warning
- Small size does not justify a tiny uncycled aquarium. It is a group fish and a capable jumper, and fry are easily lost to adults or filtration.
- Biosecurity
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Sources
Source note
Current identity or scope, husbandry, system-demand, welfare and Australian biosecurity evidence checked; active retired-source links removed; all AquaNexus wording is original.
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Poropanchax normani — Current accepted-name, synonym, family and habitat check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Poropanchax normani — Accepted-name, synonym and taxonomic-placement cross-check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Poropanchax normani — Current accepted name, West African range and freshwater identity cross-check
- IUCN Red List search — Poropanchax normani — Conservation-status and wild-provenance cross-check
- PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
- DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Current Australian live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning