Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Rainbowfish > Sepik Rainbowfish

Sepik Rainbowfish

Family: Melanotaeniidae

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Glossolepis multisquamata Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   One look at the mature male’s coloration, and the appeal of the Sepik Rainbowfish speaks for itself!

   The Sepik Rainbowfish is yet another sparkling gem from the waterways of Australia. The mature males develop a very distinctive and flashy coloration. Though it varies from fish to fish, it will be highlighted with stripes of reflective orange, green, or blue. The males will entertain themselves by displaying their brightest coloration to females and rival males.

   This species possesses all the qualities which make this family desirable. Their disposition is peaceful but with energy, making the Sepik Rainbowfish a perfect inhabitant for a larger tank. A group of juveniles will quickly mature into a beautiful centerpiece school of active and colorful specimens. Frequent water changes are a small price to pay for this very rewarding species.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

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Distribution:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish was described by Weber and Beaufort in 1922. This fish comes from Paupa New Guinea where it not only inhabits lakes, small river inlets, and swampy lagoons; but is the only rainbowfish to be found in the large vegetated floodplains.

Status:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish is not on the IUCN Redlist as of 2007.

Description:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish has the typical rainbowfish shape, long but deep, with an arched back and narrow head. At around 2.5 inches in length, these fish will begin to develop their beautiful characteristic colors. The exact color pattern varies from fish to fish, and there are several geographical variants. This fish is usually cream or silver for the base color, and is highlighted with stripes of reflective orange, green, or blue. Females are usually a duller brownish coloration, with more subtle color patterns or none at all.

Size - Weight:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish is fully grown at 4.5 inches (11.5 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish is an omnivore with high nutritional requirements. A high quality diet will encourage brighter coloration, so provide a good mix of live and processed foods. Buy processed food in small amounts frequently as nutrition in these products quickly deteriorates past usefulness by this species. Sepik Rainbowfish enjoy and benefit nutritionally from the occasional treat of live prey like bloodworms, tubifex worms, water fleas, brineshrimp and the like.
   As with many fish, Rainbowfish will do best and are most effectively displayed in tanks which simulate their natural habitat. These fish are fairly adaptable but a planted tank with swimming space suits them best. Try, if possible, to plan for one or two hours of sunlight hitting the tank. This should be at a 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 30 inches long and ideally 30 or more gallons. As adults they will need a larger tank, with 50 to 60 gallons being reasonable. 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:
   Sepik Rainbowfish are active swimmers which favor the middle and upper part of the tank.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temperature: 70 - 79° F (21 - 28° C)
   Hardness: 8 - 25 dGH
   Ph: 6.5 - 8.5

Social Behaviors:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish is a schooling fish which can usually socialize acceptably with other similarly sized fish. Mix them with other playful but good natured fish for best results. The geographical tank is one of the most effective and certainly aesthetically pleasing ways to showcase your rainbowfish. The aquarist may take this as far as he/she desires, whether choosing to decorate the tank to echo the rainbowfish habitat, or merely stocking it with geographically appropriate species. The rainbowfish might chase each other around a little, but this is rarely a concern unless a fish is injured, has nowhere to hide, or is constantly harassed (usually a result of one of the first two).
   As schooling fish, 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 color displays 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:
   Sexing is difficult with young fish, but mature males will be more colorful. They have the arched back described above and will often be the more territorial sex.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   A breeding tank should be set up with a sponge filer and either many fine leaved plants or a spawning mop. A pair of healthy adult rainbowfish should be introduced. 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 female has produced eggs, the males will display an amazing show of intense colors and direct the female to the spawning site, spawn, and then rest. The spawning mop or plants should be removed and replaced after the spawning or the eggs will be eaten. The fish will repeat this daily for a few days, with steadily decreasing numbers of eggs produced. The parents should be removed when egg numbers fall or if the females show signs of fatigue.
   The fry will hatch after about a week and should be fed infusoria or a liquid fry food until they are able to eat small live foods. The fry are something of a challenge to raise until they are about two months old. The fry grow slowly and require clean water during the entire process.
   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. See an overview of how to breed Rainbowfish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Sepik Rainbowfish is one of the rarer species of rainbowfish. It is usually sold for about $6.00 - $15.00 USD each.

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Author: "Yvonne"

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