Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
Melanotaenia lacustris
- Adult size
- 10 cm4 in
- Group
- 6+
- Tank length
- 120 cmabout 4 ft (47 in)
- Lifespan
- 5–8 yrs
- Temperature
- 24–30 °C75–86 °F
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 5–15 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Prefers hard, alkaline water and slightly cooler temperatures; give a long tank as adults are strong swimmers.Prefers hard, alkaline water and slightly cooler temperatures; give a long tank as adults are strong swimmers.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishAlligator gar may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Antenna ray
Antenna ray may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishAntenna ray may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishArapaima may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Asian arowana
Asian arowana may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishAsian arowana may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Australian pearl arowana
Australian pearl arowana may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishAustralian pearl arowana may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Barred bichir
Barred bichir may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishBarred bichir may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Bullseye snakehead
Bullseye snakehead may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishBullseye snakehead may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Butterfly peacock bass
Butterfly peacock bass may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishButterfly peacock bass may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Clown knifefish
Clown knifefish may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishClown knifefish may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
Common goldfishNo shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Common river stingray
Common river stingray may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfishCommon river stingray may eat Lake Kutubu rainbowfish
Sources
| temperature | 24–30 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 6–8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
| gh | 5–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
| origin | Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Prefers hard, alkaline water and slightly cooler temperatures; give a long tank | 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 | #3FA8B8, #E8E8E0, #2A5A8A | 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 |
| min tank length | 120 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | rainbow | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |