Easy
Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris)
24–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 200L
£8.99
Peaceful, active Australian rainbowfish with a dark lateral stripe and red-orange fins. Best kept in planted groups with open swimming room; 22-28C, pH 6.5-8.0.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Melanotaenia australis
Western Rainbowfish are a shoaling species — they need 6+ to feel safe and show their full colour.
Peaceful, active Australian rainbowfish with a dark lateral stripe and red-orange fins. Best kept in planted groups with open swimming room; 22-28C, pH 6.5-8.0.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
The Western Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia australis) is a peaceful, active rainbowfish from north-western Australia. It is one of those fish that makes a community aquarium feel alive: the group keeps moving through the middle and upper water, the flanks catch the light, and mature males can show silver, blue, gold, orange and red tones with a strong dark lateral stripe. It is hardy once settled, but it is still a social, fast-swimming species, so it should be planned as a shoal rather than a single display fish.
This Shopify product covers four current size options: 4-5 cm under SKU 5048, >5.5 cm under SKU 5049, another 4-5 cm supplier line under SKU 5074, and 5.5-7 cm under SKU 5076. The listing keeps the existing planted-aquarium images and adds the exact Petra source photo, so customers can compare the true supplied fish profile with the richer lifestyle images before ordering. First-time customers can use WELCOME10, and eligible live fish orders are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Melanotaenia australis is a variable species, which is part of its appeal. The fish normally shows one or two dark mid-lateral stripes, with fine red to orange striping along the scale rows and red-orange colour through the fins on well-conditioned males. Females are usually plainer and slimmer, while mature males become deeper-bodied and more colourful. Juveniles and newly moved fish can look softer at first, so judge the species by a settled group rather than by one stressed individual in transport colour.
The exact source photo for this listing shows the key ID points clearly: a silver body, a bold dark side stripe, a yellow-gold wash through the scales and warm orange-red fins. The AI aquarium images are useful for layout inspiration, but the source photo is the most honest reference for shape and markings.
The Western Rainbowfish is widespread across north-western Australia. FishBase records it through the Pilbara region between the Ashburton and DeGrey Rivers, across the Kimberley, and into the north-western Timor Sea drainage of the Northern Territory as far as the Adelaide River near Darwin. In nature it uses rivers, creeks, pools, swamps, lagoons, lakes and reservoirs, often around aquatic vegetation, log debris, roots or sheltered margins. That explains the aquarium balance it prefers: cover nearby, but not a crowded tank.
Use a mature aquarium of at least 100 litres for a small group, with extra length preferred if you want a larger shoal. Plant the back and sides, add driftwood or smooth stones for structure, then leave the middle open. A darker substrate and good lighting can make the silver body and orange fins stand out, but water quality matters more than decoration. Filtration should be reliable, with gentle to moderate flow and good oxygenation. A secure lid is sensible because rainbowfish are quick, confident swimmers and may jump if startled.
A practical home aquarium range is 22-28°C, pH 6.5-8.0 and moderate hardness. The species is adaptable compared with many delicate soft-water fish, but it still dislikes dirty or unstable water. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, avoid sudden swings, and use regular partial water changes to keep nitrate under control. If your local tap water is moderately hard and alkaline, do not chase soft-water numbers; stability is usually the better result for this species.
Western Rainbowfish are omnivores. In the wild they feed on algae, aquatic and terrestrial insects, microcrustaceans, snails and other small invertebrates. In the aquarium, use a quality flake or small pellet as the staple, then rotate frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops, mosquito larvae or small bloodworm. A little plant-based food is useful too. Several small feeds are better than one heavy feed, especially while new fish are settling in and building condition.
This is a peaceful community fish, but peaceful does not mean inactive. It is constantly moving and looks best with tank mates that are calm, robust and comfortable in similar water. Good choices include other rainbowfish, larger rasboras, danios, peaceful barbs, Corydoras, many peaceful loaches, medium tetras and non-aggressive gouramis. Avoid fin-nippers, large predatory cichlids, very tiny fry or shrimp, and slow long-finned fish that may be stressed by the rainbowfish's pace.
Keep a group of at least six wherever possible. A mixed group lets males display without one fish becoming the constant target, and the shoal will settle faster when it has company. Males may flare, chase briefly and colour up during display, but this should be energetic rather than damaging. If the group hides, loses colour or hangs near the surface, check water quality, oxygenation, tank mates and group size before assuming the species is difficult.
Like other rainbowfish, Western Rainbowfish scatter eggs among fine plants, roots or spawning mops. Spawning may happen over many days, with small numbers of adhesive eggs deposited at a time. Adults can eat eggs and fry, so breeders usually move eggs to a separate rearing container. Fry are small and need very fine first foods before moving onto newly hatched brine shrimp. Even if you are not breeding them, good conditioning foods and a planted layout often bring out natural display behaviour.
Choose the size option that best suits your existing group. Larger specimens can show more colour sooner, while smaller fish settle well when added to a properly sized shoal. We pack live fish for specialist UK courier delivery, and the product page shows availability by variant so you can see which size is currently ready to order. Use WELCOME10 for a first order discount where eligible, and read the Live Arrival Guarantee before checkout so delivery timing and receiving instructions are clear.
This page has been rewritten to remove forced keyword phrases and make the content more useful for fishkeepers. The species name, natural range, adult size, care range, group behaviour, delivery promise and source photo are now presented in a more natural way. That is better for customers, better for Google snippets, and better for AI systems that need clear, factual product information rather than repeated search phrases.
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