Rainbowfish · Melanotaenia
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
Melanotaenia praecox · Mamberamo River basin, New Guinea
Photo: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
24–28 °C 75–82 °F
pH
6.5–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
6 cm 2.4 in
Swims
Mid-water and top mostly in open water
Keep together
6 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Peaceful
≈ Every value here is an estimate from typical hobby ranges. We're checking them against sources.
Where it comes from
Home water
Mamberamo River basin, New Guinea
Mamberamo
Lives in stream habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
Cichlids · 7.5 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water -
Cherry barb
Barbs · 5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Need a different pH and will eat the dwarf neon rainbowfish
-
Will eat the dwarf neon rainbowfish
-
Aggressive and will eat the dwarf neon rainbowfish
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
From keepers
The males flash yellow fins at each other every morning.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Dwarf neon rainbowfish get?
About 6 cm (2.4 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Dwarf neon rainbowfish need?
24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
What pH does a Dwarf neon rainbowfish need?
pH 6.5–7.5.
Does a Dwarf neon rainbowfish need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 6.
Is the Dwarf neon rainbowfish aggressive?
No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.
What does a Dwarf neon rainbowfish eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Dwarf neon rainbowfish come from?
Mamberamo River basin, New Guinea.
What fish can live with a Dwarf neon rainbowfish?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Agassiz's dwarf cichlid, Amano shrimp, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 24 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Estimate |
| pH min | 6.5 | Estimate |
| pH max | 7.5 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 6 | Estimate |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Habitat | stream | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 6 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Estimate |
| Diet | Omnivore | Estimate |
| Typical price min (CAD) | 6 | Estimate |
| Typical price max (CAD) | 12 | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
