Rainbowfish · Melanotaenia
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Melanotaenia boesemani · Ayamaru Lakes, West Papua
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
26–30 °C 79–86 °F
pH
7–8 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
10 cm 3.9 in
Swims
Mid-water and top mostly in open water
Keep together
6 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Peaceful
≈ Every value here is an estimate from typical hobby ranges. We're checking them against sources.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Chili rasbora
Rasboras & danios · 2 cm · mid-water -
Dwarf gourami
Gouramis & bettas · 7 cm · top -
Ember tetra
Tetras · 2 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Aggressive and will eat the boeseman's rainbowfish
-
Need different temperatures
Butterfly hillstream loachGoldfishHillstream loachPanda corydoras
-
Aggressive
Galaxy vampire L029Guyana leopard cactus L600Leopard cactus L114
In the hobby
In stock now
Not in stock at any store we track.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Boeseman's rainbowfish get?
About 10 cm (3.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Boeseman's rainbowfish need?
26–30 °C (79–86 °F).
What pH does a Boeseman's rainbowfish need?
pH 7–8.
Does a Boeseman's rainbowfish need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 6.
Is the Boeseman's rainbowfish aggressive?
No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.
What does a Boeseman's rainbowfish eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Boeseman's rainbowfish come from?
Ayamaru Lakes, West Papua.
What fish can live with a Boeseman's rainbowfish?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Bolivian ram, Bronze corydoras, Cardinal tetra.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 26 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 30 | Estimate |
| pH min | 7 | Estimate |
| pH max | 8 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 10 | Estimate |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Habitat | lake | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 6 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Estimate |
| Diet | Omnivore | Estimate |
| Typical price min (CAD) | 8 | Estimate |
| Typical price max (CAD) | 15 | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
