Freshwater
Pygmy rainbowfish
Melanotaenia pygmaea
Melanotaeniidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 5.5 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- At least 6 together
- Smallest aquarium
- 36 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Sign up and suggest it in the app.
Behavior
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Swims
- Missing
Know what is missing? Sign up and suggest it in the app.
Water values
Smallest tank
36 liters33 × 33 × 33 cm · For 6 fish
Worked out from its length, as we don’t yet know what size tank it should have. Do you? Sign up and tell us in the app.
Try other measures in the appFound only here
Lives wild in Australia.
More about the species
About the species
Occurs in fast flowing streams interrupted by frequent cascades or rapids. Usually inhabits the deeper pools, often at the base of waterfalls with very clear water and a primarily solid rock bottom with little or no vegetative cover. Inhabits pools and rivulets on sandstone terraces. Seen in schools containing up to 50 or more individuals. Both sexes can become sexually mature at 2.3 cm SL A popular aquarium species that thrives in captivity.
Source: FishBase
Other names
In other languages
- Kääpiösateenkaarikala
Articles
All articles
How many fish can I keep?4 min read
Why "one cm of fish per liter" falls short, and what adult size, schools, territory and swimming zones mean for how many fish a tank can hold.
How to set up an aquarium from Australia and New Guinea4 min read
The home of rainbowfish: water, substrate, plants and light for rainbowfish, blue-eyes and peacock gudgeons, with a long aquarium and open water in the middle.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.