TankBud

Celebes rainbow

Marosatherina ladigesi

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Celebes rainbow (Marosatherina ladigesi)
Shigella dysenteriae at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
25 gal
95 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Egg depositor · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Telmatherinidae
Origin
Sulawesi

Overview

The Celebes rainbow is a delicate, slender schooling fish for a peaceful community tank. It is more demanding than the average community fish and suits experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Celebes rainbow's genus name, Marosatherina, points to Maros, the region of Sulawesi where it is found, paired with a word for silverside. Its species name honors the German aquarium scientist Werner Ladiges.

Caring for the Celebes rainbow

Keep Celebes rainbows in a group of eight or more, in a tank of at least 25 gal (95 L). Fine sand, smooth rock, some plants and a gentle current from strong, clean filtration suit them. They swim in the middle of the tank.

Keep the water hard, clean and well oxygenated, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. A slightly brackish setup suits them, and they can be sensitive to poor conditions. Feed small foods such as fine flake, frozen cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Celebes rainbows are peaceful but easily bullied, so choose equally gentle tank mates and avoid boisterous or fin-nipping company. Males show longer dorsal and anal fin extensions than females, and in a group they spread their fins and display to one another.

They scatter eggs among fine plants over an extended spawning period, attaching them by fine threads. The fry are small and slow-growing, which makes breeding hard.

Good to know

Despite the rainbow in its name, the Celebes rainbow is not a true rainbowfish. It belongs to Telmatherinidae, the sailfin silversides, a family centered on Sulawesi. That family is only distantly related to the Melanotaeniidae of Australia and New Guinea.

In the wild

The Celebes rainbow is endemic to southern Sulawesi in Indonesia. It lives in clear, flowing streams and spring-fed pools around the Maros karst. Some of these sit close to the coast, with a touch of salt. The water there is warm, hard and alkaline.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Celebes rainbow 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 Celebes rainbow need?

A Celebes rainbow needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Celebes rainbow need?

A Celebes rainbow is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a Celebes rainbow eat?

A Celebes rainbow eats small foods such as fine flake, frozen cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a Celebes rainbow get?

An adult Celebes rainbow reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Does a Celebes rainbow need a group?

Yes. A Celebes rainbow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Celebes rainbow from a female?

Males have longer dorsal and anal fin extensions than females.

How does a Celebes rainbow breed?

Celebes rainbows scatter eggs among fine plants over a long spawning period and attach them by fine threads. The fry are small and slow-growing, so breeding is hard.

Related species