Freshwater
Little rainbowfish
Melanotaenia wilsoni
Melanotaeniidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 3.3 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- At least 6 together
- Smallest aquarium
- 21 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
More about the species
Description
Habitat is shallow (Pandanus lined spring fed creeks over sandy soils with strong lateral connectivity to densely vegetated peat swamp and side-channel areas. Swamp and channel habitats can be seasonal or retract to refuge holes. Water transparency ranges from clear (streams) to heavily stained, indicative of water quality parameters in the dry season including pH 6.0–6.5 (noted also as 5.0: Armstrong 1995), temperature 23–24°C, water conductivity 15–30 ìScm-1 and general hardness and carbonate hardness Melanotaenia nigrans and Mogurnda mogurnda and other swamp dwelling fish including Pseudomugil gertrudae, Oxyeleotris nullipora, Porochilus obbesi, Denariusa bandata, and Ophisternon gutturale. Little else is known on the biology of this species other than records of spawning and behaviour in captivity, where it is observed as extremely shy, which is viewed as an adaption to shallow habitat.
Other names
No other names.
Articles
All articles
How many fish can I keep?4 min read
Why "one cm of fish per liter" falls short, and what adult size, schools, territory and swimming zones mean for how many fish a tank can hold.
How to set up an aquarium from Australia and New Guinea4 min read
The home of rainbowfish: water, substrate, plants and light for rainbowfish, blue-eyes and peacock gudgeons, with a long aquarium and open water in the middle.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.