Edit Melanotaenia australis
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Name
Scientific name
Melanotaenia australis
Described by
Not recorded
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Common names
Western rainbowfish
Photograph credits
Not recorded
Summary
The western rainbowfish, Melanotaenia australis, is a rainbowfish from Australia and probably the commonest rainbowfish species there. Once…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
120mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Minimum height 30 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 22–27°C, pH 6.5–8
Hardness
5–20dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Peaceful
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Not recorded
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Not recorded
Writing
Etymology
Not written yet
Distribution
Australia.
Habitat
Found across a variety of habitats, including swamps, lagoons, lakes and rivers, although it's most commonly seen in streams and tributaries. Most of these bio…
Aquarium size
An active species, requiring an aquarium measuring at least 120 ∗ 30 ∗ 30 cm - ~108 litres.
Maintenance
This species, like most rainbows, looks most at home in a planted aquarium. Provide areas of dense vegetation, along with some open areas for swimming. Water m…
Water conditions
Temperature: 22 – 27 °C pH: 6.5-8.0 in nature. Somewhere around neutral should suit it in the aquarium. Hardness: 5-20°H
Diet
Unfussy and will accept most dried, frozen and live foods. Regular feedings of the latter will ensure the best colouration.
Behaviour and compatibility
Very peaceful but can disturb smaller or slow-moving fish with its rapid movements and relatively large size. Good tankmates include other similarly-sized rain…
Sexual dimorphism
Mature males are larger and exhibit brighter colouration than females. They also develop a much deeper body than females as they grow, and develop longer dorsa…
Reproduction
As with other members of the genus, this is not a difficult species to breed, being an egg scatterer. The fry, however, can prove somewhat tricky to raise. The…
Notes
This species was formerly classified as part of the Melanotaenia splendida complex, but more recent research into the genetics of the species has shown that no…
References
References
No references