Splendor rainbowfish - Melanotaenia praecox - DNZ

The Diamond Rainbowfish or Splendor Rainbowfish is sometimes called Neon Rainbowfish because of its color. Melanotaenia praecox is endemic to the Mamberamo river system on the island of New Guinea, which belongs to Papua / Indonesia, which means it can only be found there. It lives there in the jungle, in densely overgrown fast flowing jungle streams, often in rather turbid water. It belongs to the spikefish family.

The Diamond Rainbowfish iridesces metallic ice blue to light turquoise blue and has striking red fins that may show a black fringe toward the body. The pelvic fins are transparent or silvery blue, while the pectoral fins are more translucent. The males are more intensely colored than the females of the Magnificent Rainbowfish, they also grow longer and have a higher back. The fins of the females have a brighter red, which can go to orange or yellowish. The eyes are noticeably large. Male Diamond Rainbowfish grow to 6-8 inches long, females only to about 7 inches.

Melanotaenia praecox is a very peaceful group fish and gets along well with other peace-loving aquarium inhabitants. It is also very suitable for beginners in aquaristics and should never be kept alone. With its small mouth it cannot eat larger shrimp, but it is quite possible that it hunts. Since Neon Rainbowfish live rather surface-oriented, they are also good to socialize with dwarf shrimp that do not hunt intensively. With fish that have similar demands on the water values and are not aggressive, this beautiful rainbowfish can also be kept very well.

The water in the aquarium with Diamond Rainbowfish should be rich in oxygen and the organic load should be kept low. The addition of some table salt can promote the well-being of the Magnificent Rainbowfish. A current should also be present. At water temperatures of 23-27 °C, in medium hard water with a pH of 7-8 and in a tank of 200 liters or more, a group of 8-10 fish will feel very comfortable.
 
Like all rainbowfishes, the Neon Rainbowfish is a continuous spawner, i.e. the males court the females, and spawning occurs on several days in a row. Only a few eggs are laid, but more often. The fish get in spawning mood by larger water changes and a rich feeding with live food and frozen food. The breeding of the Diamond Rainbowfish is perfect in a rearing aquarium with fine plants or Java moss . The eggs attach themselves to the plants with a sticky thread. After spawning, the parent fish are returned to their original tank because they might otherwise eat the spawn. The eggs hatch after  5-12 days into relatively well-developed, large larvae that feed on Dust food or Artemia nauplii. Also in the rearing aquarium the addition of a little common salt has proved successful.

An ideally set up aquarium for Diamond Rainbowfish is densely planted on the sides and in the background, with enough free space in the middle for swimming. The Neon Rainbowfish likes it a little darkened, so floating plants in one part of the aquarium are certainly a good choice.

Magnificent Rainbowfish are omnivores that should be fed a varied diet. In addition to a good flake food or granulated food, live food and frozen food are also suitable for this purpose.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Main Feed is a soft granulate, which has a similar consistency to small crustaceans and insect larvae. The soft consistency of the granules protects the delicate fish mouth from micro injuries that can be caused by hard feed granules.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of 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.