Family: Melanotaeniidae
Distribution: The Goldie River Rainbowfish has been found in a wide range of habitats, including swamps, creeks, large rivers and deep pools behind fallen trees. Specifically, Melanotaenia goldiei has been identified in the Goldie River in Southern New Guinea, and in the Laloki and Brown rivers, and their respective tributaries. They are very abundant throughout Southern New Guinea. Melanotaenia goldei have a preference for small, clear, slow moving waters littered with leaves and plant debris.
PH: 7.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 24°C – 28°C (75 – 82F)
Hardness: 8 – 16dH.
Description: Melanotaenia goldiei can reach a length of up to 12cm and can live up to 8 years. They display a radiant coppery glow on the upper half of their body and creamy white on the lower section. Dark blue and orange stripes adorn the rest of the body, giving it characteristic Rainbowfish beauty.
Diet: A daily supply of small flakes and weekly supplements of live or frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp will keep your Gold-Line Rainbowfish in top health. Typical of most Rainbowfish, they are not picky eaters.
Breeding: Gold-line Rainbowfish are relatively simple to breed. Get your breeding pairs into condition by feeding them larger quantities of live food. Set up a separate breeding tank with slightly alkaline pH and provide plentiful fine leaved plants, like java moss, or spawning mops.
The eggs will hatch after a week, and should be removed to a separate tank to avoid predation. Feed on baby brine shrimp or similar and keep them separate until they are ready to rejoin the community tank.
Comments: Provide a large amount of short stemmed plants and open swimming areas in your Gold-line Rainbowfish aquarium. This species of peaceful Rainbowfish are suitable for confident beginners and intermediate aquarists as long as their specific water requirements are adhered to. Overall a peaceful, sociable fish, they are suitable for either a Rainbowfish aquarium or a community tank.
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Recommended Compatible Species:
Rainbowfish are a great community species in terms of their temperament and apart from other Rainbowfish species they also live happily with most Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetra and Black Tetra). They are also great tank mates with Discus, CorydorasCatfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbaiand Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppyand Platy and most Gourami(such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also can live happily with most Danio(particularly the Zebra Danioand Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish make great tank mates. One thing you should take into consideration when housing rainbows with these recommended species is the water quality. Temperature and Hardness are similar but P.H. can be quite different, although it is not ideal, if you keep your water at a P.H. of 7 this should keep your community happy.
Rainbowfish are schooling fish and should be kept in groups consisting of at least six individuals, preferably no less than 10-15. Mix it up with enough females to give them a rest when the males are on the chase, but provide enough males to bring out their vibrant colours when they are in competition for female attention. Whilst this is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the fish, a large school is rewarding for the aquarist because a school of iridescent Rainbowfish is more dramatic to the eye than a few shy fish peeking out from behind dense vegetation.
