New Guinea rainbowfish
Melanotaenia affinis
easypeacefulmiddle swimmerMelanotaeniidae
- Adult size
- 9 cm4 in
- Group
- 6+
- Tank length
- 54 cm21 in
- Lifespan
- 5–8 yrs
- Temperature
- 21–27 °C70–81 °F
- pH
- 6.1–7.2
- Hardness
- 3–16 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Active schooling rainbow that needs a long tank to swim and shows best colour in a mixed-sex group.Active schooling rainbow that needs a long tank to swim and shows best colour in a mixed-sex group.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Acei cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Blue rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Brevis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Caudopunctatus
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Irian Jaya rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Multies
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Parkinson's rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Pindani
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Rusty cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Saulosi cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Similis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Afra cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
Sources
| temperature | 21–27 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 6.1–7.2 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| gh | 3–16 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| origin | Northern New Guinea | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Active schooling rainbow that needs a long tank to swim and shows best colour in | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| beginner friendly | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| care level | easy | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| color palette | #B8C24A, #3E6A8A | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| activity | active | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| swim zone | middle | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| temperament | peaceful | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| fin nipper | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| long finned | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| territorial | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling min | 6 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| diet | omnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| lifespan years | 5–8 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| growth to adult months | 12 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| length weight | {"a":0.012,"b":3} | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| planted safe | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | rainbow | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |