All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Red Rainbowfish

Glossolepis incisa

Also known as salmon red rainbowfish, red rainbow, salmon rainbowfish, glossolepis incisus, red irian rainbowfish, sentani red rainbowfish, ปลาเรนโบว์แดง, ikan pelangi merah, レッドレインボー, ikan pelangi Sentani, 红苹果美人, 红美人

Mature males develop a tall, deep body and turn a rich salmon to blood red, while females stay olive to golden with a silvery sheen. It is kept for its strong colour, lively shoaling and hardy nature in large planted community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more, ideally more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Sentani, Papua (Indonesian New Guinea)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays adhesive eggs among fine plants or spawning mops over several days. Breeding is fairly easy, and the tiny fry need infusoria or liquid food at first before moving on to baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

Classed as Endangered in the wild because Lake Sentani is threatened by pollution and introduced species, so captive-bred stock is preferred. It is an active swimmer that needs a long tank, and young fish look plain silver until they mature.