TankBud

Sembra rainbowfish

Melanotaenia sembrae

Also known as Sembra Creek rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Sembra rainbowfish (Melanotaenia sembrae)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
6.8–8.0
Adult size
4.6 in
11.7 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg depositor · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Origin
Bird's Head Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia

Overview

The Sembra rainbowfish is a vigorous Bird's Head rainbowfish for a roomy midwater community. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The Sembra rainbowfish was one of eight rainbowfishes described together in a single 2015 study of the Bird's Head Peninsula. The peninsula's maze of isolated karst creeks has produced a remarkable number of closely related species.

Caring for the Sembra rainbowfish

Keep Sembra rainbowfish in a school of six or more, in a tank of 42 gal (160 L) or larger. Give them swimming length, a sandy bottom, plants around the edges and open midwater.

Keep the water clean and well moving, with a steady flow. It should be neutral to alkaline and moderately hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 8.0. Feed them well on a base of flake and granules, plus frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp and some green food.

Sembra rainbowfish are peaceful and do best with other robust, calm fish of similar size. Breeding them is of medium difficulty, in the standard rainbowfish pattern of scattering eggs onto plants or mops daily. The species comes from a single drainage, so breeding what you keep helps keep it in the hobby.

Good to know

Melanotaenia sembrae belongs to the family Melanotaeniidae, and Kadarusman, Carman and Pouyaud described it in 2015. Displaying males wash blue over brassy flanks. It is also known as the Sembra Creek rainbowfish.

In the wild

The Sembra rainbowfish comes from the Sembra River near Teminabuan, on the Bird's Head Peninsula of West Papua. The river's clear water is fed by limestone karst and carries dissolved minerals.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Sembra 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 Sembra rainbowfish need?

A Sembra rainbowfish needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Sembra rainbowfish need?

A Sembra rainbowfish is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 6.8–8.0.

What does a Sembra rainbowfish eat?

A Sembra rainbowfish eats a base of flake and granules, plus frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp. Give it some green food too, and feed it well.

How big does a Sembra rainbowfish get?

An adult Sembra rainbowfish reaches about 4.6 in (11.7 cm).

Does a Sembra rainbowfish need a group?

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

How does a Sembra rainbowfish breed?

Sembra rainbowfish scatter eggs onto plants or mops daily. Breeding them is of medium difficulty, and breeding what you keep helps keep this single-drainage species in the hobby.

Related species