Kampen's ilisha

Where they come from

Kampen's ilisha (Ilisha kampeni) is one of those clupeid fish (think small herrings/shads) that lives around coastal waters and moves through brackish estuaries. They are built for open-water cruising, not hanging around decor, and they do best when you treat them like a schooling, pelagic fish from a tide-influenced system.

Setting up their tank

Tank size is the whole game here. Ilisha spook easily, and once they start panic-dashing, they can bash their noses and scrape scales. Give them long, open swimming space and keep the layout simple.

• Tank: long footprint over tall height. Bigger than you think, and built around a group, not a single fish.
• Aquascape: mostly open water with a few soft-edged hardscape pieces on the sides for visual breaks. Skip sharp rock piles.
• Flow and oxygen: strong filtration, strong surface agitation, and clean water. These are active fish with high oxygen demand.
• Cover: tight-fitting lid. They jump when startled.
• Lighting: moderate. Too bright plus no cover can make them skittish.

For brackish, aim for stability over chasing a perfect number. A mid-brackish range tends to work well for estuary fish, but the key is picking a salinity and keeping it steady week to week. Use marine salt mix, not table salt, and measure with a refractometer if you can.

What to feed them

They are planktivore-style feeders in spirit, and in the aquarium they usually do best with small, meaty foods that move in the current. New imports can be picky, and they often ignore big pellets like they do not recognize them as food.

• Go-to foods: mysis, chopped krill, enriched brine shrimp, cyclops/copepods, small prawns/shrimp finely chopped
• Frozen prep: thaw, rinse, then feed in a high-flow area so it drifts like plankton
• If they are stubborn: live foods like adult brine shrimp or blackworms can kick-start feeding response
• Once settled: some will take small marine pellets, but introduce slowly and mix with frozen

How they behave and who they get along with

They are schooling fish, and they act like it. Kept singly they get nervous and weird, and they tend to slam the glass more. In a group, they settle down and cruise, especially if the tank has a predictable routine (same feeding spot, same light schedule).

• Best kept: in a group of their own kind, with lots of open water
• Temperament: not aggressive, but they can outcompete slow feeders
• Good tankmates: calm brackish fish that do not nip fins or harass the school (avoid anything that chases)
• Avoid: fin-nippers, hyper-territorial fish, and anything large enough to treat them as food

Breeding tips

Realistically, breeding Ilisha kampeni in home aquariums is not something I would plan around. Many clupeids migrate and spawn with seasonal cues and large-water conditions that are hard to replicate. If someone cracks it one day, my bet is it involves a big system, a large group, heavy live-food conditioning, and some kind of seasonal shift (salinity/temperature/flow).

Common problems to watch for

Most issues I have seen with fish like this come down to stress, shipping damage, and water quality. They can look "fine" right up until they stop eating, so you have to watch little changes.

• Nose and scale damage from spooking: caused by tight tanks, no lid, sudden disturbances, or aggressive tankmates
• Refusing food after import: common early on, especially if the tank is bright and bare
• Wasting/skinny fish: often from not getting enough small meals or being outcompeted at feeding time
• Gill stress (gasping, hanging at the surface): usually low oxygen, high organics, or salinity swings
• Salt-mix mistakes: using the wrong salt or not mixing/aging water can irritate gills