Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish

Common name(s): Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish, Turquoise Rainbowfish, Blue Rainbowfish

Scientific name: Melanotaenia lacustris

Family: Melanotaeniidae

Origin: Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea

Maximum size: Up to 4"

Average Lifespan: Up to 5 years

Minimum Tank Size: 40-50Gs

Care: I love Rainbowfish because some of them have striking colors. This fish is no exception. The Lake Kutubu or Turquoise Rainbowfish is a bright blue color and has the typical anatomy of Rainbowfish: large mouth, double dorsal fins. The color is bright blue dorsally and fades to silver near the belly. The fish is an extremely active swimmer, mostly midtank. They prefer a planted tank with open areas to swim in. They are very hardy and I believe they would be good for beginners once their tank is established. They are schoolers and prefer to be in numbers. Great as community fish and are mostly non-aggressive. They are pretty adaptable to water conditions and, as for many freshwater fish, stability is what really counts.

Feeding: They are very easy to care for and will eat almost anything. They are fond of flake and especially shelled peas. They will also eat tubifex and bloodworms. Be sure food is not too large as they reportedly have narrow throats.

Breeding and sexing: Rainbowfish are egg scatterers, usually on plants or java moss. Females usually have a less robust or narrower 'keel'. The male will reportedly court the female and becomes more intense in color during mating. They reportedly can be bred in captivity.

Note: Read the other TFF Fish Index post above on the 'Blue Rainbow'. Note that this is Melanotaenia praecox. This fish tends to be smaller and have red on the fins.