Family: Melanotaeniidae
Distribution: Endemic to Lake Terbera in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Lake Terbera Rainbowfish prefer clear, mountainous streams that are abundant in aquatic vegetation.
PH: 7.0 -8.0
Temperature: 20°C -26°C (68 – 79F)
Hardness: 12 – 16dH
Description: With a bright yellow body and blue-black mid lateral stripes, the Lake Terbera Rainbowfish will be sparkle to any Rainbowfish aquarium. Fins are usually yellow or red. The Lake Terbera Rainbowfish grow up to 12cm (4.7cm).
Diet: The Lake Terbera Rainbowfish is a lover of all things meaty. Feed your fish on lives ants, insect larvae, brine shrimp and beetles, filamentous green algae and fruit and you have one happy fish!
Breeding: These fish are prolific breeders in the wild so they should be easy to breed in a suitable aquarium set up. Start the process by getting your breeding pairs into condition by feeding them large amounts of meaty live foods. Set up a separate breeding tank with lots of fine leaved plants, like java moss, or provide artificial spawning mops.
After hatching, the fry should be removed to a separate tank to avoid predation. Feed on crushed algal flake or baby brine shrimp, and keep them separate until they are ready to rejoin the community tank.
Comments: Keeping Lake Terbera Rainbowfish in a community or species aquarium is quite easy.
Remember that they like clear, clean water so regular water changes are a must. With their trademark non-aggressive natures, they will do well in a community aquarium. Keep your tank well-planted, and provide plenty of areas for open swimming. As they a larger fish, use a 240 litre, 4ft tank to ensure plenty of room for all of the tankmates. These fish are sensitive to nitrate levels and will jump, so fit a tightly secured lid to your tank.
Article/Books:
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.
Originally posted 2009-11-22 12:29:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
