photos © Sean Evans
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| Common name: | Red-Striped Rainbow |
| Scientific name: | Melanotaenia splendida rubrostriata |
| Synonyms: | (none) |
| Size: | 5" (12.5cm), females slightly smaller. |
| Origin: | Papua New Guinea to Irian Jaya and Aru Islands, Indonesia. |
| Tank setup: | Peaceful planted tank with gentle water movement. |
| Compatibility: | Community fish. |
| Temperature: | 22-28oC (72-82oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Not critical: fairly soft to medium hard, pH around neutral (6.2-7.6). |
| Feeding: | An omnivore which eats mainly insects and aquatic larvae and crustaceans in the wild. Will take most aquarium
foods, which should include some live or frozen foods. |
| Sexing: | Males show more colour, and are larger and deeper bodied. |
| Breeding: | Like other rainbows, this species will spawn over fine plants. Eggs hatch in approximately a week. |
| Comments: |
This is one of several subspecies of Melanotaenia splendida. During spawning, red stripes on the body become more intense.
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