Marbled hatchetfish care guide

Plan a tank with marbled hatchetfishSee all tank mates

Marbled hatchetfish quick facts

• Known jumper: keep a tight-fitting lid.

Tank setup

A group of eight needs at least a 20-gallon long tank (76 L, 75 cm / 30 in). Surface area matters more than depth. Use a lid with no gaps and block cord holes with sponge. Floating plants give cover, but keep some open surface for feeding.

How many marbled hatchetfish in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits marbled hatchetfish is a 20 gallon long. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep them at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 5.0–7.0 and soft water of 2–10 dGH. They are sensitive to nitrate and sudden changes, so only add them to a mature, well-filtered tank with gentle to moderate flow. Change a little water often rather than a lot at once.

Best tank mates for marbled hatchetfish

These popular species share marbled hatchetfish' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 76 good matches.

• Cherry shrimp

  3 cm (1.2 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

• African dwarf frog

  3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

Avoid keeping marbled hatchetfish with

• Angelfish: Angelfish can eat marbled hatchetfish: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Marbled hatchetfish 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Marbled hatchetfish 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Oscar: Oscar can eat marbled hatchetfish: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Bala shark: Bala shark can eat marbled hatchetfish: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful marbled hatchetfish.

Feeding

In nature they pick insects and tiny crustaceans off the surface. Feed floating foods such as quality flakes and freeze-dried or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. Fruit flies and other tiny insects are a great extra. They rarely chase food that has sunk.

Behavior

Peaceful, timid fish that spend almost all their time just under the surface. Larger groups are calmer and bolder. Keep them with small, gentle fish such as small tetras, pencilfish, corydoras and dwarf cichlids, and avoid boisterous surface feeders that steal their food.

Breeding

Rarely bred in home tanks, and most fish sold are wild-caught. Reported spawnings used very soft, peat-filtered water and conditioning on small insects like fruit flies and mosquito larvae. Eggs are laid near the surface among floating plants, and the adults eat them, so move the adults out after spawning.

Tips from experienced keepers

• A tight lid is essential. They can leap out when startled, especially in a new tank.
• Quarantine new fish for a few weeks. Most are wild-caught and arrive stressed.
• Use floating food and feed at the surface so they get their share.
• Floating plants and dim light make them feel safe and less jumpy.
• Fill the middle and bottom with calm fish so the surface stays theirs.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• fishkeeper.co.uk