TankBud

Bonti sailfin silverside

Telmatherina bonti

Also known as Bonti rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Bonti sailfin silverside (Telmatherina bonti)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
7.2–8.5
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg depositor · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Telmatherinidae
Origin
Malili Lakes region, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Overview

The Bonti sailfin silverside is a lively, peaceful schooling fish for a hard-water community tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The Bonti sailfin silverside comes in more than one color at once. Within a single wild population, yellow, whitish and yellow-and-white fish mix and breed together freely. Biologists still do not know what the color differences are for.

Caring for the Bonti sailfin silverside

Keep Bonti sailfin silversides as a school of eight or more, in a tank of at least 24 gal (90 L). Give them open swimming room with some rock and plants. Fit a tight cover, since they are keen jumpers.

They need hard, warm, alkaline water and do poorly in soft, acidic conditions. Keep the water at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.2 to 8.5, in a stable, well-filtered setup.

Fine live and frozen foods keep them in color and condition. Offer daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp and small frozen items alongside a good flake.

The Bonti sailfin silverside is peaceful and active in the middle water. Males carry extended, pennant-like fins, and in a group they raise them and display almost constantly. The species is a continuous spawner that scatters small numbers of eggs among fine plants over time, and breeding is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

The Bonti sailfin silverside belongs to the sailfin silverside family, Telmatherinidae, the Sulawesi cousins of the Celebes rainbowfish.

In the wild

The Bonti sailfin silverside is native to the Malili lakes system of Sulawesi in Indonesia. These ancient, hard, alkaline lakes and their connecting streams are shared with the region's well-known shrimp and snails.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Bonti sailfin silverside is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Bonti sailfin silverside need?

A Bonti sailfin silverside needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Bonti sailfin silverside need?

A Bonti sailfin silverside is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 7.2–8.5.

What does a Bonti sailfin silverside eat?

A Bonti sailfin silverside eats fine live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp and small frozen items. Give it a good flake as well.

How big does a Bonti sailfin silverside get?

An adult Bonti sailfin silverside reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

Does a Bonti sailfin silverside need a group?

Yes. A Bonti sailfin silverside is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Bonti sailfin silverside from a female?

Males have extended, pennant-like fins, which they raise when they display.

How does a Bonti sailfin silverside breed?

The Bonti sailfin silverside is a continuous spawner, scattering small numbers of eggs among fine plants over time. Breeding it is of moderate difficulty.

Related species