Silver Hatchet Fish 3cm

Silver Hatchet Fish

The silver hatchet fish is incredibly under-rated, unique, easy to care for, and all-around great fish for smaller aquariums. They are not commonly found in the aquarium hobby but are true oddball fish that will look phenomenal in a community aquarium or a South American biotope. It is a species that will for sure grab the attention of anyone, aquarist or not. 

Silver hatchet fish have a characteristic body shape which is truly a signature of this fish, the deep body which quickly narrows to the tail, and the straight body is not seen in any other fish. They earn the name ‘hatchet’ fish because of this deep body that loosely resembles the head of a hatchet or axe. Similar to the metal of an axe head, this species has a bright metallic silver all through the body. This starts off as a pearly white near the face and transitions into a more gunmetal silver colour. They also have a jet-black line that cuts across the lateral line and bottom of the body. Silver hatchet fish are almost exclusively topwater fish that look like they are skimming the water at times, only growing to a maximum of 3 - 5 cm. They also have a tight schooling behavior which makes them a great nano fish for smaller aquariums or an incredibly different addition to a larger community tank. 

Silver hatchet fish are tropical fish that thrive in temperatures ranging from 24-28 degrees and live for a surprising 3-5 years for such a small fish. Breeding these fish in the home aquarium has not been recorded as of yet due to the fact that males and females cannot be differentiated. These fish may also require specific environmental traits which could be hard to replicate in the home aquarium. The glass hatchet fish is endemically found in South America. 

Tank Recommendations for your Silver Hatchet Fish
The silver hatchet fish as mentioned prior can potentially reach 5cm long however they usually max out at under 4cm. This makes them great for smaller aquariums with the minimum being 40 liters, however, a larger aquarium of around 75 liters would be better due to their very active and schooling nature. Silver hatchet fish are also prolific jumpers which means a secure lid with no large gaps is highly required.

They will also love a well-planted tank to give them security and the bright, silvery tones will really stand out against the lush green of the plants. Substrate wise there is no concern as these fish spend almost all their time at the top of the water column but they are fish that need a low PH so the aquascape materials should not raise the PH in any way. This species is most active during the day when the lights are on.  

Suitable Tank Buddies

Silver hatchet fish will get along with a wide range of smaller and peaceful community fish, they have small mouths so there is no concern of them predating on small fish however they are active fish meaning they may outcompete slower fish during feeding or any fish which is at the bottom of the aquarium. 

Usually Compatible

Various tetras such as cardinal, Rummynose, kerri, cochus blue and more. 

Sometime Compatible

Angelfish, dwarf cichlids such as rams, giant danios, rainbow fish and Corydoras which might compete for food or get outcompeted by the silver hatchet fish. Almost all small, healthy, peaceful community fish would be fine in an average aquarium setting. 

Rarely Compatible 

Shrimp, new born fry or large potential predatory species which could mistake the hatchet fish as food. 

Feeding your Silver Hatchet Fish

These hatchet fish will take to a wide range of aquarium foods given to them, this includes pellets, flakes, frozen and live foods. When kept in a school it great to see their feeding frenzy as they hammer the surface of the water. Because of this primarily surface-dwelling mentality a floating or slow sinking food is best fed to them.