Lake Wanam rainbowfish
Glossolepis wanamensis
Also known as Emerald Rainbowfish
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 77–86°F
- 25–30°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.0
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 25 gal
- 95 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Melanotaeniidae
- Origin
- New Guinea
Overview
Lake Wanam rainbowfish are active, peaceful schoolers best kept in a group of six or more, where mature males develop the deep emerald-green sheen that gives them their other name. They swim through the middle of the tank and mix well with other calm fish that share their taste for warm, hard water. Good color needs age, space, and steady feeding, so give young fish time and a varied diet of flake or pellet with frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. Plant the edges and keep open water in the center. Aim for a tank around 95 liters or larger.
In the wild
This species is found only in Lake Wanam, a small lake near Lae in Papua New Guinea. The water is warm, clear, and hard with an alkaline lean, matching a pH of about 7 to 8 and a temperature between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. Recreate it with fine substrate, wood and stone, hardy plants along the sides, and clean, well-oxygenated water kept reliably warm.
Good to know
Glossolepis wanamensis belongs to Melanotaeniidae and grows to around 10 centimeters, with males far greener and deeper bodied than the silvery females. It sits in the genus Glossolepis alongside the well-known red rainbowfish rather than in Melanotaenia. Like other rainbowfish it is an egg-scatterer that spawns over an extended period, attaching small eggs to fine plants and mops by short threads and giving no parental care once they are laid.
Did you know
The Lake Wanam rainbowfish lives in just one small lake and is considered critically endangered in the wild, hit hard by introduced fish. Aquarium populations now play a real part in keeping the species going.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Lake Wanam 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.
Porthole catfish
Dianema longibarbis
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Blue-eyed livebearer
Priapella intermedia
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Keyhole cichlid
Cleithracara maronii
Freshwater4.3 in (11 cm) · 25 gal (95 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)
Pretty cory
Brochis pulchra
Freshwater2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Spotted hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus maculatus
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Wapoga rainbowfish
Melanotaenia rubrivittata
Freshwater2.2 in (5.6 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Lake Wanam rainbowfish need?
A Lake Wanam rainbowfish needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Lake Wanam rainbowfish need?
A Lake Wanam rainbowfish is comfortable at 77–86°F (25–30°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.
How big does a Lake Wanam rainbowfish get?
An adult Lake Wanam rainbowfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
Does a Lake Wanam rainbowfish need a group?
Yes. A Lake Wanam rainbowfish is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
Related species
3.6 in (9.2 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)Millennium rainbowfish
Glossolepis pseudoincisa
3.6 in (9.2 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)
5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)Dority's rainbowfish
Glossolepis dorityi
5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.5 in (14 cm)34 gal (130 L)72–77°F (22–25°C)Red rainbowfish
Glossolepis incisus
5.5 in (14 cm) · 34 gal (130 L)
5.5 in (14 cm)55 gal (208 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)Sepik rainbowfish
Glossolepis multisquamata
5.5 in (14 cm) · 55 gal (208 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)32 gal (120 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Black-banded rainbowfish
Melanotaenia nigrans
3.9 in (10 cm) · 32 gal (120 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)42 gal (160 L)64–86°F (18–30°C)Desert rainbowfish
Melanotaenia splendida tatei
3.9 in (10 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)