Data Sheet Diamond Rainbow Fish:

German name:
Diamond Rainbowfish / Splendor Rainbowfish

Origin:
New Guinea: Mamberano River in Irian Jaya

Size:
6 cm

Aquarium

Length:
100 cm

Contents:
From 120 liters

Lighting:
Shady

Furnishings:
Many delicate plants

water values

Temperature:
24-26ºC

PH value:
6-7

KH:10 –
°dKH

GH number:
10 °dGH

Behave

Number:
6

Area:
center

propagation:
egglayer

Lining:
omnivore

Behave:

Difficulty level:
Advanced

Sources

Keeping conditions for diamond rainbowfish

Melanotaenia praecox Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Raimond Spekking

Diamond rainbowfish, Melanotaenia praecox, are also called neon rainbowfish. They are about 6 to 7 centimeters tall. Because they are very temperamental, they need a lot of space despite their small size. They are very enthusiastic swimmers who like to move through the entire aquarium in swarms or swim against the current.

However, they do not always swim through the aquarium in a swarm. It always depends on the mood and age of the animals.

Space is needed especially during courtship. In aquariums from 100 to 120 centimeters in length, the animals can really move through the tank. 60 cm long tanks are too small.

In the literature it is recommended to keep 2/3 of the aquarium free of plants as a swimming area. If a tank is densely planted, the animals swim between the plants. However, a small free area with low foreground plants should be available for swimming races.

Although diamond rainbow fish are sometimes very lively and also show wonderful school behavior, they do not bother other animals. Amano shrimp are z. B. active despite the diamond rainbow fish and cannot be disturbed.

The body shape is similar to the body shape of Melantontia trifasciata. The animals are colored silvery blue. Males are tinged with violet and more intensely colored. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are reddish in males and yellowish in females. Different location variants have e.g. B. paler fins, bright red fins, etc.

M. praecox (posture) Photo: Philippe Coulon

The metallic glowing color of the animals looks most beautiful when the light falls from the side, e.g. B. at dawn or with dimmable lighting when there is some light from the side. At this time they show their courtship games. During the day they often stand decoratively in groups under plants.

Diamond rainbowfish sometimes tug at plants, especially in the morning, to eat algae or leftover food that has settled in the plants. The plants themselves are not eaten.

Melanotaenia praecox should be kept at temperatures of 24 to 26°C. The animals do not come from areas with harder water like most rainbow fish. However, water hardness is not as important for rainbow fish as it is for other fish species. Adding salt to the water is not appropriate.

The animals are about 3 years old.

They need very clean and unpolluted water because they are susceptible to tuberculosis and tumors. The water should contain as little nitrite and nitrate as possible.

There are different experiences with animals from the aquarium trade. There are reports of animals from trade dying miserably from tumors after 3 months to 18 months. According to other reports, there were no problems with animals from the trade. Even youngsters that are brought up with them seem to stay healthy if they are well cared for.

Food for diamond rainbow fish

Diamond rainbow fish require animal and vegetable food. Almost any food is eaten. The choice of food should be as large and varied as possible.

Suitable feed:

Notes on Breeding

Melanotaenia praecox Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: Public domain Author: Leo-nie-weh-oh

Water with a carbonate hardness of around 1 and a pH between 6.0 and 6.5 is suitable for breeding. Breeding is also successful in harder water.

During courtship, Diamond Rainbowfish display a bright stripe running down the top of the head from the snout to the dorsal fin.

Diamond rainbowfish should be placed alone in a species tank or breeding tank for breeding. Suitable are e.g. B. 50 centimeter pelvis. The parents come into the tank for three to five days to spawn. Many fine-leaved plants that grow to the surface should be placed in the aquarium.

The spawning quantity can be increased somewhat if a large water change is carried out before spawning and the animals are fed good frozen food or, even better, live food a few days beforehand. Fresh water and the associated drop in temperature presumably stimulates the willingness to spawn.

The spawning process is productive and can last several days, so that the parents are still spawning when the first young have hatched. As a rule, juvenile fish can be found on the water surface every few days. The young fish are extremely small. The young can therefore hardly survive in the community tank.
On the other hand, the spawn can be transported to other tanks simply by moving plants, so that young diamond rainbow fish suddenly appear there.

M. praecox Photo: Philippe Coulon

A spawning mop can also be used as spawning substrate, which is hung about 10 centimeters below the water surface. If possible in a place where there is some sunlight in the morning. The mop can z. B. made of green Perlon fibers from Sera and attached with a rubber suction cup. Java moss can also be used.

All other plants that are suitable as spawning substrate are shortened somewhat. Especially floating plants with long roots.

If the fish are fed well early in the morning, the spawning mop can be removed from the tank at midday and the spawn can be picked out. By the evening, the spawning grains may have been eaten by the parents.

There are different experiences whether the parents eat the spawn and the larvae. It is said that they eat the young if they are not used to the young fish growing up in their tank from the start. According to the literature, they eat the young after a single transfer. The older siblings should also be happy to eat the spawn and the newly hatched larvae.

When the little ones hatch, the parents usually move to a corner near the ground. The parents can then be placed back in the community tank.

M. praecox Photo: Philippe Coulon

Depending on the temperature, the young hatch after 3 to 14 days. The young hatch after 3 to 5 days at 26°C, after 12 days at 25°C and after 12 to 14 days at 24°C.

Cyclopsnauplii, rotifers, coffee creamer or a little hard-boiled egg yolk can be given as first food for the young.

Breeding in a spawning net or spawning box does not make sense. The young do not thrive there as well as in the aquarium.

The young animals can be placed in the community tank with their parents at a size of about 1 centimeter.

The young are fully grown after about 6 months.

Diamond Rainbow Fish:

Diamond Rainbow Fish Fight:

Diamond Rainbowfish Courtship:

4-day-old Diamond Rainbow Fish:

6-day-old Diamond Rainbow Fish:

7 week old Diamond Rainbowfish:

Young diamond rainbow fish: