Mummichog
Fundulus heteroclitus
Brackish North America
Legendary for its extreme physiological toughness, the mummichog tolerates wild swings in salinity and low dissolved oxygen. In home aquaria, this active killifish forms tight shoals and displays charming, muted green-banded colouration. Maintain it in unheated brackish conditions with an escape-proof cover to prevent jumping.
Also called: Killifish.
Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 6 fish added.
What it needs
| Item | Value | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Adult length | 12 cm | Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round. |
| Smallest tank | 150 L, at least 90 cm long estimated | The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group. |
| Extra water per added fish | 15 L estimated | What each further fish adds once the minimum is met. |
| Waste load | Class 2 of 5 estimated | How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check. |
| Temperature | 12 to 24 C | Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges. |
| pH | 7 to 8.5 | Compared with tankmates in the Water check. |
| Hardness | GH 10 to 25, KH 6 to 15 | Degrees of general and carbonate hardness. |
| Flow | Low | Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current. |
| Light | Moderate | Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet. |
| Group size | At least 6, ideally 10 | Kept alone or in small numbers it hides, fades or turns on tankmates. |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Not territorial. |
| Swims in | All levels | Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily. |
| Lifespan | About 4 years | A fish is a long commitment. |
| Experience | Suits a first tank | A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes. |
| Jumps | Yes | Keep the tank covered. |
Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.
Diet and tank layout
Mummichog is an omnivore that swims in all levels of the tank. It is safe with plants. Give it some cover.
Tankmates
Works with
No close matches in the data. Check the pair tool.
Depends
- Yucatan Sailfin Molly
- Indian Glassy Fish
- Silver Moony
- Spotted Scat
- African Moony
- Banded Archerfish
- Columbian Shark
- Orange Chromide
- Bumblebee Goby
- Four-Eyed Fish
- Knight Goby
- Barred Mudskipper
- Green Chromide
- Sheepshead Minnow
- Silver Scat
- Banded Killifish
- Banded Lampeye
- Belly Pipefish
- Blueback Blue-Eye
- Green Panchax
- Javanese Ricefish
- Queen of Siam Goby
- Shortfin Molly
- Shuttles Mudskipper
Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.