Melanotaenia parva

Common Names:

Lake Kuomai rainbowfish
Sunset dwarf rainbowfish

Synonyms:

Family:

Melanotaeniidae

Category:

Rainbowfish

Distribution:

Australia; known only from Lake Kurumoi, Vogelkop Peninsula, Irian Jaya, Indonesia

Main Ecosystem:

Lake; Lake

Temperament:

Peaceful; Peaceful

Diet:

Ominvore; In the wild, feeds mostly on insects. But will take most any foods offered.

Care:

Same as for most Rainbowfishes. This fish prefers heavy plants in the aquarium, as in its wild habitat, it frequents areas of high vegitation. Clean, clear water, with low current is preferable. As this is a lake rainbow, and not a river or stream rainbow.

pH:

6.5 - 7.5

Temperature:

24°C - 26°C

75°F - 79°F

Hardness:

12 dH - 16 dH

Potential Size:

Water Region:

Middle, Surface; Middle-Surface

Activity:

Diurnal; Diurnal

Gender:

Males are bluish to mauve in color, with a black midlateral band. Some are silverish with speckles. They all have red fins. The females are more drap in coloration. The males also have the distinctive longer first dorsal ray that over laps the second dorsal, while the females first dorsal does not, or just slightly touches the second dorsal.

Breeding:

Easily bred using live plants or spawning mops. Remove the mops after spawning, as the parents have been known to eat their eggs. Place in a low current tank, as the fry cannot handle much current of any kind. Feed the new born fry on the smallest of foods, like infusoria, APR, and vineger ells. The small fry cannot take even finely crushed flake, and baby brine shrimp are too large even, and they may even try to eat the fry. After about 2-4 weeks the fry are large enough to take oth

Variants:

Comments:

A very beautiful rainbow, that is of a smaller size. Very easily kept. Not very demanding.

Main Colours:

Blue, Red, Green

Markings:

No Markings

Mouth:

Normal

Tail:

Concave

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