Dwarf Rainbowfish

Distribution:
   The Dwarf Rainbowfish was described by Weber and Beaufort in1922. They are found in the small, lush jungle streams in Irian Jaya and Paupa New Guinea.

Status:
   There is currently insufficient data as to their status, but the Dwarf Rainbowfish were last listed in 1994 as a rare species.

Description:
   The Dwarf Rainbowfish has most of the characteristics of the rainbowfish family, except in miniature. They have the long body that deepens with age, and older males usually develop the pinched in faces (look at head size compared to body size when the fish is in profile any you will see a noticeable indentation). They also have the big eyes and twin dorsal fins of their cousins.
  A few unique characteristics include the brightly colored fins, red on males, yellow on females. The body color is basically pinkish gray but the scales will light up bright blue by reflecting lighting hitting them from the front. The range of blue tones is surprising, from lavender to teal, depending on the light.

Size - Weight:
   Dwarf Rainbowfish will generally reach about 2 inches (6 cm).

Care and feeding:
   Dwarf Rainbowfish are classical omnivores, quite equally adapted to eating animal and plant matter. They should be fed a high quality flake or pelleted food. Buy this in small amounts frequently as nutrition in these products quickly deteriorates. Another large chunk of their diet should be live foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and tubifex worms. They also enjoy plant matter, so if you don't have any live plants for them to nibble on, consider giving them blanched lettuce leaves or a plant based food from time to time.
   A rainbowfish tank can be quite spectacular with the proper technique. Although these adaptable fish would certainly be happy in most conditions, the color is best displayed with a little planning. A dark substrate and backing on the tank contrasts with the colors and makes them more secure. Floating plants are a great addition to any tank, and the colors are seen well in the shadows. At least a third or half the tank should be open water, positioned in the middle to encourage the fish to swim there and give them a chance to show off their colors. Try, if possible, to plan for one or two hours of sunlight hitting the tank. This should be time when you can view the tank as the illumination will make the fish even more stunning.
   Rainbowfish are not exceptionally difficult to care for provided their water is kept clean. At least 25 - 50% of the tank water should be replaced weekly, especially if the tank is densely stocked. Because they are very active swimmers it is also advisable to keep these Rainbowfish in a tank at least 20 inches long and ideally 20 or more gallons. Additionally, the tank should be securely covered as these fish are skilled jumpers and will probably do so if given the opportunity.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   Dwarf Rainbowfish spend most of their time in the middle and upper levels of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temperature: 72 - 79° F (24 - 28° C)
   Hardness: 5 - 30 dGH
   Ph: 6.5 - 8.0

Social Behaviors:
   This rainbowfish is basically adaptable to life in the community aquarium. They will get along best with other peaceful fish of a similar size. Remember that if you put them in a tank with big hungry fish the Dwarf Rainbowfish won’t last long.
   Dwarf Rainbowfish are schooling fish and the ratio of males to females is very important to keep a reasonable peace among them. Although you can always keep single sex schools, you will see significantly better coloration if both genders are in the tank. Properly stocking rainbowfish is a little tricky so we include the following recommendation for stocking. Choose which type of school you want to keep and how many fish.

Sexual Differences:
   The male’s fins will have a red outline and the female’s fins will have a yellow or orange outline. These outlines will grow more distinct as the fish ages. Females are also more silver.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   A breeding tank should be set up with soft acidic water, a sponge filer, and most importantly either many fine leaved plants or a spawning mop. A group of Dwarf Rainbowfish, in a two female to three male ratio should be introduced into the breeding tank. They should be conditioned with live foods and plant based foods. Remember, you are trying to emulate the bounty of the flood season so feed more and higher quality food than you normally would.
   After the females have produced eggs, the males will display and direct the female to the spawning site, spawn, and then rest. They will repeat this daily for a few days, with steadily decreasing numbers of eggs produced. The parents should be removed when eggs numbers fall or if the females show signs of fatigue. The fry will hatch after a few days and should be fed infusoria or a liquid fry food until they are able to eat microworms or baby brine shrimp. The fry are something of a challenge to raise until they are about two months old.
   A problem to be aware of is crossbreeding. Rainbowfish in the wild will not breed with fish of another species, even when presented the opportunity to do so. But for some reason, rainbowfish of the Melanotaeniidae family in the aquarium will interbreed, often with undesirable results. Somehow the fry of mismatched parents lose most of their coloration. Since many of these species are rare, it is desirable to keep the bloodlines distinct, or risk losing the beautiful coloration that nature has taken thousands of years to develop.

Buy Dwarf (Praecox) Rainbowfish From LiveAquaria.com

See an overview of how to breed Rainbowfish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
  The Dwarf Rainbowfish, also known as the Praecox Rainbowfish, Neon Rainbowfish, Dwarf Blue Rainbowfish, Diamond Rainbowfish, and Peacock Rainbowfish, is usually available for about $3.00 -$10.00 USD each.