TankBud

Painted rainbowfish

Melanotaenia picta

Also known as Aru rainbowfish, Picta rainbow

FreshwaterFish

Painted rainbowfish (Melanotaenia picta)
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
4.2 in
10.7 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Origin
Kobroor Island, Aru Islands, Indonesia

Overview

The painted rainbowfish is an island rainbowfish for a hard-water community tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The painted rainbowfish's home islands sit on the drowned land bridge between Australia and New Guinea. It is a survivor of rivers that once ran across dry Sahul.

Caring for the painted rainbowfish

Keep six or more painted rainbowfish with a mix of sexes, in a tank of 29 gal (110 L) or larger. Give them open swimming length, with planting at the sides.

Warm, hard, alkaline water suits them best, at 77 to 86°F (25 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 8.0. Keep it clean and moving. Feed flake, granules and small frozen foods.

Painted rainbowfish are peaceful and safe with other community fish. Males display at dawn and color hardest when there is competition.

Breeding them is of medium difficulty and worth doing deliberately, since exports are small and infrequent. They are egg scatterers that attach their eggs to fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. A maintained breeding line matters more for this fish than for a widely distributed species.

Good to know

Melanotaenia picta belongs to the rainbowfish family Melanotaeniidae. It is an island endemic with a very small natural range, which is why aquarium populations matter. It is also known as the Aru rainbowfish or the picta rainbow.

In the wild

The painted rainbowfish is restricted to Kobroor Island, in the Aru Islands of Indonesia. It lives there in warm, hard, alkaline streams.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The painted 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 painted rainbowfish need?

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

What temperature and pH does a painted rainbowfish need?

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

What does a painted rainbowfish eat?

A painted rainbowfish eats flake, granules and small frozen foods.

How big does a painted rainbowfish get?

An adult painted rainbowfish reaches about 4.2 in (10.7 cm).

Does a painted rainbowfish need a group?

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

How does a painted rainbowfish breed?

Painted rainbowfish scatter their eggs and attach them to fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. Breeding them is of medium difficulty and worth doing, since exports are small and infrequent.

Related species