Ivantsoff's Blue Eye Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Ivantsoff's Blue Eye is a petite and graceful member of the blue-eye family, prized for its brilliant blue-ringed eyes and delicate, shimmering body. Males develop especially attractive colour, with warm yellow to orange tones and striking dark markings in the fins that become more pronounced when they display.

These active fish spend much of their time in the middle and upper levels of the aquarium. They are peaceful but lively, moving constantly as a group and performing brief displays in which males spread their fins and compete for the attention of females without usually causing serious harm.

In the wild, the species comes from remote freshwater habitats in northern Western Australia. Its natural waters are typically clear, well oxygenated and relatively shallow, with aquatic growth, overhanging vegetation and structural cover along the margins.

The species was named in honour of Australian ichthyologist Walter Ivantsoff. Like other Pseudomugil species, it combines a small adult size with engaging behaviour, making it an appealing choice for aquarists who enjoy watching a busy shoal rather than keeping a single feature fish.

Ivantsoff's Blue Eye is native to the Kimberley region of Western Australia in northern Australia. It occurs in clear, shallow freshwater streams and pools associated with the Drysdale River system and nearby drainage areas.

A group should have at least a 60-litre aquarium, with a footprint of approximately 60 × 30 cm or larger; extra length is valuable because these are active midwater swimmers. Use gentle filtration with good oxygenation, open swimming space and a secure lid, as blue-eyes can jump. A dark or neutral fine-grained substrate, dense planting around the sides and rear, floating plants, and some root or branch cover create a natural-looking layout while leaving the centre open. Moderate water movement and subdued, well-diffused lighting help the fish feel secure and display their colours.

Males reach about 4 cm (1.6 in) in total length, while females are usually smaller at around 3.5 cm (1.4 in).

Offer a varied diet of appropriately sized foods, including quality crushed flakes, fine micro-pellets, baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops and other small frozen or live foods. Their small mouths suit frequent modest meals, and live or frozen foods are particularly useful for bringing out strong colour and conditioning adults for spawning.

Ivantsoff's Blue Eyes are peaceful community fish and can be kept with other calm, similarly sized species such as small tetras, rasboras, peaceful corydoras, otocinclus and other gentle Australian rainbowfish or blue-eyes. Avoid large predatory fish, boisterous species and fin-nippers, which may intimidate them or damage the males' extended fins. They are best kept in a group of their own rather than alone.

Ivantsoff's Blue Eyes are egg-scattering fish that readily spawn among fine-leaved plants, spawning mops or other fibrous cover. Condition a group with a varied diet, then inspect the spawning material regularly and move eggs to a separate container to protect them from being eaten. The eggs generally hatch after around 10 to 14 days, depending on temperature, and the tiny fry need suitably small foods such as infusoria or commercial liquid fry food before progressing to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Males are larger and more colourful, with elongated dorsal and anal fins, brighter yellow-orange body tones and stronger dark markings in the fins. Females are generally smaller, rounder-bodied and more subdued in colour, with shorter, less elaborate fins.