Spotted blue-eye
The spotted blue-eye is a jewel-like nano fish from soft, tannin-stained swamps, lily lagoons, and slow streams of northern Australia and New Guinea. Barely 3.5 cm, males display large spotted, fan-like fins that they flare in constant sparring displays that never turn harmful. It is peaceful and best kept as a shoal of at least eight, where males color up and compete; it suits a planted blackwater nano tank with subdued light and fine-leaved plants. Provide soft, acidic water (pH 5.0 to 7.0, very low hardness), warm at 24 to 28 C, gently filtered and pristine, ideally with botanicals or peat filtration. Feed small live and frozen foods, cyclops, micro-worms, baby brine shrimp, and fine flakes. Continuous egg-scatterers among mosses and mops. Sensitive to poor water and short-lived.
Water parameters
| Temperature | 24 – 28 °C |
|---|---|
| pH | 5 – 7 |
| Carbonate hardness (KH) | 0 – 4 °dKH |
| General hardness (GH) | 1 – 8 °dGH |
Tank & stocking
| Minimum tank volume | 40 L |
|---|---|
| Volume budget per individual | 3 L — adds up with tank-mates |
| Minimum group size | 8 individuals (shoaling) |
“Minimum tank volume” is a reasonable floor, not an absolute limit. The per-individual budget is used by the Aqua app to estimate how heavily a tank is stocked.
Frequently asked questions
What size aquarium does Spotted blue-eye need?
Provide at least 40 litres for a small group to keep Spotted blue-eye in good conditions.
What water parameters does Spotted blue-eye need?
A temperature of 24–28 °C, pH 5–7.
Is Spotted blue-eye peaceful or aggressive?
Its temperament is peaceful.
What does Spotted blue-eye eat?
Its diet: omnivore.
How many Spotted blue-eye should be kept together?
It is a social species: keep a group of at least 8.
How big does Spotted blue-eye get?
Around 3.5 cm as an adult.
Is Spotted blue-eye suitable for beginners?
Care level: intermediate.
Planning a tank with Spotted blue-eye?
AquaTender turns these parameters into live advice: it checks whether your tank is big enough, how heavily it's stocked, and whether your fish are compatible — then tracks water tests, photos and maintenance for you.
Fish from the same biotope
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