Above: A fish in the shape of a hatchet? In the picture is a premium quality Platinum Hatchetfish, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.
Comments: These are fabulous fish with a beautiful metallic sheen.
Origin: The ancestors of these Hatchetfish came from the Amazon Rainforest, but now they live in aquariums all over the world.
Maximum Size: In aquariums, these Hatchetfish can grow to be about 2.75" long.
Behaviors: Hatchetfish are usually not aggressive fish.
Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include, community fish and catfish such as a Pleco.
Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.
Temperature: Hatchetfish live best from about 75 to 80-degrees F. with 78 being perhaps ideal.
Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.
Feeding: Floating foods like Flakes and Freeze Dried Blood Worms.
Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.
Water Conditions: Hatchetfish seem to be tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.
Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.
Most water in the US seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.
Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8. We ship them in this water.
Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.
Aquarium Size: Hatchetfish can do well in a 20-gallon tank, but of course bigger is better.
Decor: Hatchetfish do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.
Click here for more about aquarium gravel.
Live plants are beautiful and improve the water quality. This species loves floating plants.
Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. The Penguin 200B Filter will do well for a 20-30 gallon tank.
Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.
The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.
Life Span: Hatchetfish can live for 5-years. Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they may live even longer.
Gender: It is very difficult to determine the sex of these fish, but when mature you can sometimes see that the female is more plump when viewing the female from above.
Breeding: These fish have not been successfully bred in captivity.
Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.
Popularity: These fish are very rather popular fish in the aquarium hobby.
Names: The scientific name for Hatchetfish is Gasteropelecus sternicla.
Variations: There are a few different species of Hatchetfish in the aquarium hobby.
Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Hatchetfish, including a picture gallery.
We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.
All of our fish are Premium Quality Fish from the best suppliers in the world. Our fish have better health, more energy and brighter colors, as you can see in our pictures on this website.
We have 380-aquariums with lots-and-lots of popular aquarium fish plus lots-and-lots of rare fish!
We consider ourselves to be the link between the world's best sources of fish and the world's best customers. We love our work, and we are very responsible about caring for our fish and then shipping them carefully.
We also offer lots and lots of information about keeping and caring for pet fish, all from the knowledge of the Bailey Brothers, who have a combined total of 100+ years of experience as breeders, wholesalers, and retailers of pet fish!
Our fish and our customers are treated with the best of care, and we work energetically everyday to make sure every customer enjoys their new fishy friends.
When you purchase pet fish from us, you know you're receiving premium quality fish and premium quality service.
"Received my fish last night and was so pleased! They all arrived alive and appeared to be healthy.
"Once in the tank, they became very active and are now thriving in their new home.
"Beautiful fish, I asked for color and aquariumfish delivered. Processing and shipping was extremely quick."
Nevin and DrTom, the Bailey Brothers
This website is owned and operated by the Bailey Brothers, DrTom and Nevin, who've been together in the fish business for more than 50-years.
The Product Manager has been with the company for more than 35-years.
So we feel very confident that this is the fishiest crew anywhere.