TankBud

Eastern rainbowfish

Melanotaenia splendida splendida

Also known as Deep Water Creek Rainbow

FreshwaterFish

Eastern rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida splendida)
Bcsr4ever · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
50 gal
190 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Origin
Australia

Overview

Eastern rainbowfish are large, lively schoolers best kept in a group of six or more, where males flash color and spar harmlessly for attention. They cruise the middle of the tank and suit a roomy community with other peaceful fish that can hold their own. Since they reach around 15 centimeters and are strong swimmers, give them plenty of length. Feed generously on flake or pellet with frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and some greens. Plant the back and sides thickly and keep a long open channel for cruising. Aim for a tank around 190 liters or larger.

In the wild

This is the eastern form of the widespread splendida rainbowfish, living in the rivers, creeks, and lagoons of coastal Queensland in eastern Australia. It favors warm, clear water that runs neutral to slightly hard, matching a pH of about 6.5 to 8 and a temperature between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius. Recreate the habitat with a sandy substrate, driftwood, rounded stones, robust plants around the margins, and clean, moving water from strong filtration.

Good to know

Melanotaenia splendida splendida is a subspecies within the family Melanotaeniidae and reaches up to about 15 centimeters, one of the bigger rainbowfish. The species splendida is highly variable and split into several regional subspecies, of which this eastern form is one. It spawns as a continuous egg-scatterer, attaching a few eggs a day to fine plants and mops over an extended period. Rearing the small fry through their slow early weeks makes breeding hard.

Did you know

The wider splendida rainbowfish is one of the most common and widespread fish in northern and eastern Australia, yet it comes in so many local color forms that hobbyists track them by their home river. This eastern subspecies is just one slice of that variety.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Eastern rainbowfish 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 an Eastern rainbowfish need?

An Eastern rainbowfish needs at least 50 gal (190 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Eastern rainbowfish need?

An Eastern rainbowfish is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

How big does an Eastern rainbowfish get?

An adult Eastern rainbowfish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Does an Eastern rainbowfish need a group?

Yes. An Eastern rainbowfish is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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