Salmon red rainbowfish - Glossolepis incisus

The Salmon Red Rainbowfish is sometimes simply called Red Rainbowfish and belongs to the species Glossolepis incisus. This beautifully colored ornamental fish comes from Lake Sentani and its tributaries on Papua / Indonesia. There it lives in larger schools between dense water plant groups. The high-backed Salmon Red Rainbowfish is probably the largest rainbowfish species from Irian Jaya. The fish grow up to 15 cm in length.

In the Salmon Red Rainbowfish, dominant males are beautifully colored salmon red, especially at higher temperatures above 26°C, with the color becoming lighter and silvery toward the head. Subdominant males tend to turn brownish red, while females are olive yellow. Some males also show thin longitudinal red stripes on a metallic blue background. Juveniles are gray-green before reaching sexual maturity. Sex differentiation is very easy based on this distinct coloration.

Glossolepis incisus is a very large growing rainbowfish, which should live in a school of at least 6 conspecifics. Aquariums from 600 liters are sufficient for him. A loose  planting with stem plants and perching plants on aquarium roots is suitable. Plenty of free swimming space between the plants is important. As a very peaceful group fish, the Salmon Red Rainbowfish also gets along well with other not too small, but peace-loving aquarium inhabitants such as catfish or other ornamental fish. Red Rainbowfish are well suited for beginners to aquaristics with an appropriately sized aquarium. Shrimp and dwarf crayfish tend to be considered live foods, but keeping them with larger but peaceful crayfish can work well.

Salmon Red Rainbowfish need oxygen-rich water in the aquarium , which should be medium-hard to hard, and water temperatures of 22-28°C as well as a pH-value of 7-8.
 
For breeding the aquarium water should be heated up to a minimum of 26°C. The Salmon Red Rainbowfish spawns in pairs, with the dominant male being the most likely to do so. The fish are best conditioned with rich live food and frozen food. Then the rainbowfish will court and spawn on several days in a row. For the breeding of the Salmon Red Rainbowfish a rearing aquarium is helpful. It is planted with fine-textured plants or even java moss, and this is also where the aquarium fish spawn. Their eggs are equipped with a sticky short thread with which they cling to the plants. After spawning, the parent fish should be taken back out of the breeding aquarium to prevent them from messing with the spawn. The eggs develop in  5-12 days to large larvae, which you can feed well with rearing food like the NatureHolic Youngfeed or Artemia nauplii.

Salmon Red Rainbowfish are uncomplicated omnivores that can be acclimated very well to a high quality flake or granular food. They are very happy about occasional supplementary gifts of live food and frozen food.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic professional main feed is a professional main feed for all aquarium fish. Main feed we supply in the form of soft granules, which thanks to its grain size of half a millimeter can be easily absorbed by small to medium-sized fish. The soft consistency resembles the texture of insect larvae in nature and protects the fish mouth from micro-injuries.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free from algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.