Skip to content
Menu

Species profile

Lake Tebera Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi

Common names: Lake Tebera Rainbowfish

Recognized speciesRainbowfish

Adult size

Up to 9 cm

Up to 9 cm

Countries of origin

  • See all stock from Papua New Guinea

Good fit for your tank?

Good fit for

  • A peaceful community tank with similar-sized fish
  • A keeper with room for a proper group of 10 or more

Think carefully if

  • You only want to keep one or two, because this fish needs a group of 6 or more
  • You keep shrimp you want to protect

One of the best rainbowfish when mature, with a gold-yellow body and a dark stripe. Keep a group of at least 6 in 81 litres or more.

Appearance and Identification

One of the best rainbowfish when mature, with a gold-yellow body and a dark stripe. It comes from Lake Tebera in Papua New Guinea, and it prefers cooler water than most.

Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.

Mature females are usually rounder in the belly, and males are usually slimmer and often brighter.

Tank Requirements

Suggested filter
About 320–410 litres an hour
Suggested heater
About 75–125 W for this tank
Minimum tank volume
81 litres
Minimum tank length
90 cm
Minimum group size
6
Recommended group size
10
Activity level
Active
Flow preference
Low to moderate
Planting preference
Moderately planted
Lid recommended
Yes
Jumping risk
Moderate

A long tank with open swimming water, plants around the edges and steady filtration suits this fish. A darker substrate and some floating plants usually bring out its colour.

Behaviour and Tankmates

Active and social, and most settled when kept with its own kind.

Keep a group of at least 6, and more if you can. Larger groups are calmer and show better colour and behaviour.

Not territorial, although males may spar and display.

Suits a community of similar-sized, peaceful fish that like the same water. Avoid large predators, which will treat it as food. It is likely to eat shrimp.

Check tankmates for this species

Water Parameters

Temperature
20–26 °C
pH
7–8
GH
10–15
Stability importance
Important

Keep the pH steady, because this fish is sensitive to swings.

Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.

Feeding

Diet types
Omnivore
Feeding frequency
Daily
Preferred foods
  • Small flake or micro pelletsA good staple. Feed small amounts that are eaten within a couple of minutes.
  • Frozen or live daphnia and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week for colour and condition.
  • Small bloodwormA rich treat rather than a daily food.

A rainbowfish from a highland lake that takes flake, pellets and frozen foods, with some vegetable matter for colour.

Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.

Breeding

Breeding type
Egg Scatterer
Breeding difficulty
Difficult
Parental care
None
Baby foods
  • InfusoriaNeeded for the first days, because most fry are very small.
  • Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce as soon as the fry can take it.

An egg scatterer with no parental care. Adults eat eggs and fry, so use a separate tank with fine plants, moss or mesh on the bottom, and remove the adults after spawning. The fry need very small foods at first.

Habitat and Origin

Geographic origin
Oceania, Papua New Guinea
Natural habitat
Freshwater Stream, Lake
Aquarium contexts
Planted Aquarium
Audience level
Intermediate

Classification

Profile type
Recognized species
Genus
Melanotaenia
Family
Melanotaeniidae
Species group
Fish, Rainbowfish

Have you kept this species?

You can write a note about what worked for you, or send a photograph. We check everything before it appears here.

Share a note or photo

JPG, PNG, or WebP, up to 5 MB.