Silver Hatchetfish

The silver hatchetfish is the larger, silvery relative of the marbled hatchetfish. With its straight back and deep, curved chest it is shaped like a hatchet, and a thin dark line runs along its side. Thanks to its powerful chest muscles, it can leave the water when in danger and practically fly for short distances.

It is a surface-dwelling species and makes use of the top layer of the aquarium, which usually stays empty. In a covered aquarium and when fed properly, it stays healthy for a long time. Most of the fish sold in the trade are wild-caught; they need careful care in the first weeks.

It lives in the streams of the Amazon basin, Guyana and Suriname, in planted, shaded areas close to the surface. Insects that fall into the water are its main food source.

• Volume: at least 100 liters for a group of 6–10; a large surface area is important.
• Water: 24–27°C, pH 6–7.5, soft to moderately hard water.
• Lid: a tight-fitting lid is essential; leaving a few centimeters of space between the water level and the lid also helps.
• Decor: floating plants on part of the surface, open surface on the rest. Gentle flow.

It takes its food from the water surface. Floating flakes and granules, frozen or live mosquito larvae, fruit flies, brine shrimp and daphnia are suitable. It does not eat sinking food; a varied diet directly affects its condition.

A peaceful and skittish schooling fish. It does not harm other species; it becomes stressed when kept with aggressive species that compete at the surface.

Good companions: midwater tetras, corydoras, plecos, peaceful dwarf cichlids, rasboras, pencilfish.

Avoid: aggressive species that share the surface, large predators, barbs that chase constantly.

A group of at least 6, ideally 10 is recommended. In a larger group it is bolder and cruises the surface together. Fish kept in small numbers are constantly startled and hide in the corners. The sex ratio does not matter.

Breeding in the aquarium is very rare and the details are not well documented. The fish sold in the trade are largely wild-caught; for this reason, choose healthy-looking fish from responsible sources.

• White spot (ich): common in wild-caught fish after transport; quarantine and slow acclimation are recommended.
• Weight loss: fish fed with too little surface food quickly become thin; check the belly line regularly.
• Jumping: losses occur in tanks without a lid.
• Panic: lights switching on suddenly, tapping on the glass and noise panic the school; the fish may crash into the lid or the glass. Turning on the aquarium light after the room light is on and providing a calm environment reduce this risk.

Hard to tell apart from the outside; females carrying eggs look wider when viewed from above.