Duboulayi's rainbowfish

Melanotaenia duboulayi

Also known as crimson-spotted rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Duboulayi's rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi) — Jesse de Vries · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.0
Adult size: 4.7 in (12 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (115 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Australia
Family: Melanotaeniidae

Overview

Duboulayi's rainbowfish are hardy, active schoolers that do well in a group of six or more, with extra males adding to the color displays. They swim through the middle of the tank and stay peaceful with other sturdy community fish. This is one of the more temperature-tolerant rainbowfish and copes with cooler rooms, so it does not always need a heater in a mild home. Feed a varied diet of flake or pellet plus frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp for the strongest color. Plant the sides and back and leave clear swimming room. Aim for a tank around 115 liters or larger.

In the wild

The crimson-spotted rainbowfish comes from coastal drainages of eastern Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales, where it lives in streams, ponds, and slow rivers with plants and cover. These subtropical waters swing with the seasons, so it accepts a wide temperature band from about 18 to 28 degrees Celsius and neutral to slightly hard water around pH 7 to 8. Recreate it with a fine bed, wood, rock, hardy plants, and clean water with gentle flow.

Good to know

Melanotaenia duboulayi is a member of Melanotaeniidae and grows to around 12 centimeters. Mature males are deeper bodied and show rows of red spots that give the fish its other common name, the crimson-spotted rainbowfish. It is a continuous egg-scatterer, releasing a few eggs each day onto fine plants and mops across a long season, with the sticky eggs hanging by short threads. Getting steady spawns and rearing the small fry takes work, so breeding is rated hard.

Did you know

Duboulayi's rainbowfish was among the first Australian rainbowfish to reach aquarium keepers, and it is one of the hardiest, shrugging off cool water that would stress tropical rainbows. In a mild home it can live happily in an unheated tank.