What tank size does a Marble Hatchetfish need?

A Marble Hatchetfish needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 75 cm (29.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Marble Hatchetfish need?

Marble Hatchetfish does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 4.5–7 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.

What group size does a Marble Hatchetfish need?

Marble Hatchetfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Marble Hatchetfish suitable for beginners?

Marble Hatchetfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Marble Hatchetfish

Carnegiella strigata

Gasteropelecidae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

📷 Sven Kullander (SOK) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Marble Hatchetfish — Carnegiella strigata — 📷 Sven Kullander (SOK) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The marble hatchetfish is a tiny, deep-keeled surface dweller from the blackwater streams and flooded forests of the Amazon basin. Named for the mottled marbling along its flanks, it hangs motionless just beneath the surface film and can launch itself out of the water in a gliding leap to escape danger or catch insects, so it is only truly at home in a tightly covered, dimly lit shoal tank.

Care

Keep a shoal of 6+ (ideally 10 or more) in soft, acidic, gently filtered blackwater with floating plants and subdued light. A tight, gap-free lid is essential because startled fish glide clear of the water.

Diet

Insectivorous surface feeder that snaps up small invertebrates from the water film; provide floating dry foods plus regular live or frozen mosquito larvae, Daphnia and Artemia.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (36)

Possible with care (117)

African Butterfly Cichlid Agassiz's Cory Altum Angelfish Amano Shrimp Bamboo Shrimp Banjo Catfish Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Skirt Tetra Blackline Rasbora Bladder Snail Blood Parrot Cichlid Bloodfin Tetra Blue Acara Blue Tiger Shrimp Blue Velvet Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Bolivian Ram Borneo Sucker Brichard's Teleogramma Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Butterfly Hillstream Loach Celestial Pearl Danio Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Cherry Barb Cherry Shrimp Chinese Algae Eater Chocolate Cichlid Chocolate Gourami Clown Killifish Clown Pleco Cochu's Blue Tetra Convict Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Denison Barb Discus Doctor Fish Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Dwarf Orange Crayfish Dwarf Pea Puffer Elephantnose Fish Ellioti Cichlid Emerald Cory Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Firemouth Cichlid Flame Tetra Forktail Rainbowfish Freshwater Clam German Blue Ram Ghost Shrimp Glass Catfish Glowlight Danio Gold Barb Golden Dwarf Cichlid Green Discus Heckel Discus Honey Gourami Japanese Trapdoor Snail Julii Cory Kissing Gourami Kribensis Leopard Danio Little Corydoras Medaka Ricefish Moonlight Gourami Neon Tetra Odessa Barb Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paradise Fish Paraguay Eartheater Pearl Danio Pearl Gourami Peppered Corydoras Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Pygmy Corydoras Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Red Whiptail Catfish Red-Tail Shark Redhead Cichlid Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Rubber Lip Pleco Salt and Pepper Cory Scarlet Badis Scissortail Rasbora Severum Siamese Algae Eater Silver Tip Tetra Sparkling Gourami Sterbai Corydoras Sveni Eartheater T-Bar Cichlid Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Three-spot Gourami Tiger Barb Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Upside-down Catfish Vampire Shrimp Venezuelan Cory White Cloud Mountain Minnow Wrestling Halfbeak X-ray Tetra Yoyo Loach Zebra Danio Zebra Pleco

Avoid (118)

Acei Cichlid Adonis Pleco African Butterflyfish Angelfish Assassin Snail Auratus Cichlid Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Blue Dolphin Cichlid Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Brevis Shell Dweller Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bumblebee Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Calvus Cichlid Celebes Rainbowfish Clown Loach Cobalt Blue Zebra Colombian Ramshorn Snail Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Demon Eartheater Dogtooth Cichlid Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Petricola Catfish Electric Blue Ahli Electric Yellow Lab Elongate Mbuna Endler's Livebearer Endlicheri Bichir Even-spotted Synodontis Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Figure-8 Puffer Five-bar Cichlid Frontosa Goby Cichlid Golden Julie Golden Wonder Killifish Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Guppy Hongi Cichlid Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Jewel Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Kenyi Cichlid Koi Least Killifish Lemon Cichlid Livingstoni Maingano Cichlid Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Malaysian Trumpet Snail Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Molly Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Mystery Snail Nerite Snail Ocellatus Shell Dweller Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Peacock Bass Peacock Cichlid Pictus Catfish Pike Cichlid Platy Powder Blue Cichlid Rabbit Snail Ramshorn Snail Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Empress Red Rainbowfish Red Terror Red Zebra Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Rusty Cichlid Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Molly Sailfin Pleco Salvini Cichlid Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Saulosi Cichlid Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Silver Moony Similis Shell Dweller Spotted Hoplo Star Sapphire Striped Raphael Catfish Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Swordtail Taiwan Reef Cichlid Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Threadfin Petrochromis Tropheus Turquoise Rainbowfish Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid Zebra Mbuna

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Belly depthA hint only · only on well-fed adults, and only as a comparison
For most tetras, barbs and rasboras this is all there is: a conditioned female is deeper through the belly than a male of the same length.

All the methods, with diagrams

Also in these lists

Shrimp-safe fish Peaceful community fish Fish for a 112 litre tank

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Marble Hatchetfish need?: A Marble Hatchetfish needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 75 cm (29.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Marble Hatchetfish need?: Marble Hatchetfish does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 4.5–7 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.
What group size does a Marble Hatchetfish need?: Marble Hatchetfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Marble Hatchetfish suitable for beginners?: Marble Hatchetfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature22–28°C

Optimal temp.24–27°C

pH4.5–7

Hardness (GH)1–12°d

Carbonate (KH)0–8°d

Adult size3.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 75 L

Min. tank length≥ 75 cm

Group size≥ 6

Swimming zoneTop

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~3 yrs

Try in the calculator