All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Kamaka Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia kamaka

Also known as kamaka rainbow, kamaka rainbowfish, lake kamaka rainbowfish, blue kamaka rainbow, メラノタエニア・カマカ, pelangi kamaka, 卡马卡彩虹鱼

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A small, deep-bodied rainbowfish with a bluish to silvery body, a dark midline stripe and fins edged in yellow or white, with males developing deeper bodies and brighter colour. It stays fairly small for a rainbowfish and is active and peaceful, which makes it a good choice for planted community tanks with hard, alkaline water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 29 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more, with more females than males

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Kamakawaiar and nearby streams, Bird's Neck region, West Papua, Indonesia

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays a few adhesive eggs each day among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops over several days. Eggs hatch in about a week and the tiny fry need infusoria or liquid fry food before moving to baby brine shrimp; breeding is fairly easy.

Good to know

Known only from a very small area, so wild stocks are vulnerable and most aquarium fish are captive bred. Keep separate from other Melanotaenia species to avoid hybridisation.