Melanotaenia praecox

Common Names:

Dwarf Neon Rainbow
Dwarf Rainbowfish
Neon Rainbow

Synonyms:

Rhombatractus praecox

Family:

Melanotaeniidae

Category:

Rainbowfish

Distribution:

Asia; Mamberamo River in Irian Jaya

Main Ecosystem:

River; River

Temperament:

Peaceful; Peaceful semi-schooling fish. Males can be a little fiesty with the females so to prevent particular females being harrassed a ratio of 1 male to 3 females works well. Will school with other fish.

Diet:

Ominvore; Ominvore

Care:

Will accept most commercial foods. Prefers live or frozen foods, particularly bloodworms. Loves chopped up, shelled, defrosted peas. Also eats some algae. Easy to care for. Will show best colours in a planted tank with some shady areas.

pH:

6 - 8

Temperature:

22°C - 28°C

72°F - 82°F

Hardness:

Potential Size:

Male: 5cm (2")
Female: 5cm (2")

Water Region:

Middle, Surface; Middle-Surface

Activity:

NonSpecific; Non Specific

Gender:

Both sexes are a bright neon blue colour. Males have red dorsal, anal and caudal fins while mostly females have yellow fins. Sometimes females may have deep orange to red fins. Females are more slender than the males and slightly more silvery.

Breeding:

Females produce between 20-50 eggs each day for several days. Eggs adhere to fine-leaved plants or among the roots of floating vegetation. Hatching occurs in about 7 to 8 days at temperatures between 24-28° Celsius. If breeding this fish, it is highly recomended to keep them as a species only tank. As with all rainbows, they will cross breed.

Variants:

Comments:

Great beginner fish. A beautiful addition to a community tank.

Main Colours:

Blue, Silver, Red

Markings:

No Markings

Mouth:

Normal

Tail:

Concave

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