TankBud

Kamaka rainbowfish

Melanotaenia kamaka

Also known as Lake Kamaka rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Kamaka rainbowfish (Melanotaenia kamaka)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–86°F
25–30°C
pH
6.8–8.0
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg depositor · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Origin
Lake Kamaka, Triton Lakes, West Papua, Indonesia

Overview

The Kamaka rainbowfish is a mid-sized, peaceful schooler that fits tanks the big species outgrow. It is a good beginner's rainbowfish.

Did you know

The Kamaka rainbowfish's entire natural range is one small, remote lake. Most of the fish alive today, though, were bred in home aquariums and have never seen it.

Caring for the Kamaka rainbowfish

A group of six or more Kamaka rainbowfish is comfortable in 29 gal (110 L). Give them a soft substrate, some plants and open water to swim through. A settled group rewards you with constant midwater motion and dawn color.

Keep them warm, at 77 to 86°F (25 to 30°C), in neutral to alkaline water with a pH of 6.8 to 8.0. Feed the standard rainbowfish mix of flake and small granules, with frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm.

Kamaka rainbowfish are gentle and undemanding, and good with other calm community fish of a similar size. They are moderately hard to breed, laying adhesive eggs on plants or mops across several days.

Good to know

Melanotaenia kamaka was described by Allen and Renyaan in 1996, one of three rainbowfishes from the Triton Lakes. It belongs to the family Melanotaeniidae and is compact for its genus. Displaying males show steel-blue flanks and amber fins. It also goes by Lake Kamaka rainbowfish.

In the wild

The Kamaka rainbowfish is found only in Lake Kamaka, one of the remote Triton Lakes near the coast of West Papua. It is a clear lake with a muddy bottom and patchy plants, ringed by forested limestone hills.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Kamaka 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 a Kamaka rainbowfish need?

A Kamaka rainbowfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Kamaka rainbowfish need?

A Kamaka rainbowfish is comfortable at 77–86°F (25–30°C) with a pH of 6.8–8.0.

What does a Kamaka rainbowfish eat?

A Kamaka rainbowfish eats the standard rainbowfish mix of flake and small granules. Add frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm.

How big does a Kamaka rainbowfish get?

An adult Kamaka rainbowfish reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

Does a Kamaka rainbowfish need a group?

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

How does a Kamaka rainbowfish breed?

Kamaka rainbowfish lay adhesive eggs on plants or mops across several days. Breeding them is of medium difficulty.

Related species