Boesemani Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani) Preorder (10-15 days delivery)

The Boesemani Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani) is a highly popular, energetic freshwater fish known for its stunning dual-color body. Natively from the Ayamaru Lakes of West Papua, Indonesia, they are currently endangered in the wild. Thankfully, those found in the aquarium hobby are successfully captive-bred.

Juveniles often look dull and silver in, but they develop brilliant colors as they mature.

Appearance & Behavior

Bicolor Look:

Adult males feature an iridescent blue-purple front half and a fiery orange-yellow back half.

Females: More subdued, showing a silvery or greenish appearance with less intense colors.Size: Males reach up to 4 inches (10 cm), while females remain slightly smaller at around 3 inches (8 cm).

Activity: Highly active, fast-moving schoolers that spend their day exploring the middle and upper tank layers.

Diet & Care

Boesemani Rainbowfish are unpicky omnivores. They display their best colors when fed a varied, high-quality diet:

Base Diet: High-quality flakes and color-enhancing pellets.

Protein: Live or frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia.

Vegetation: Finely chopped blanched spinach or crushed peas.They are exceptionally hardy but thrive best with weekly 30–40% water changes to keep nitrate levels low.

Social Structure & Tank Mates

Always keep them in a school of at least 6 individuals. Maintain a ratio of more females than males to reduce male aggression and stimulate their best colors.

Great Tank Mates: Other rainbowfish, peaceful medium-sized tetras (like Congos), danios, barbs, gouramis, corydoras, and loaches.

Avoid: Very small fish (like Neon Tetras) which might get bullied, or small dwarf shrimp (like Cherry shrimp) which will be eaten as prey.

Larger shrimp like Amano or Bamboo shrimp are safe.