Dwarf rainbowfish
Melanotaenia maccullochi
easypeacefulmiddle swimmerMelanotaeniidae
- Adult size
- 5 cm2 in
- Group
- 6+
- Tank length
- 75 cm30 in
- Lifespan
- 5–8 yrs
- Temperature
- 22–25 °C72–77 °F
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Hardness
- 5–15 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Small and very adaptable; one of the easiest rainbows for a 75-90 cm planted community tank.Small and very adaptable; one of the easiest rainbows for a 75-35 in planted community tank.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Acei cichlid
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 temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Multies
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Parkinson's rainbowfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature 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
- African knifefish
African knifefish may eat Dwarf rainbowfishAfrican knifefish may eat Dwarf rainbowfish
Sources
| temperature | 22–25 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 5.5–7.5 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| gh | 5–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| origin | North-eastern Queensland and southern Papua New Guinea | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Small and very adaptable; one of the easiest rainbows for a 75-90 cm planted com | 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 | #C8D0D0, #D94A3A, #3A3A3A | 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 | 75 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | rainbow | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |