Banded rainbowfish
Melanotaenia trifasciata
moderatepeacefulmiddle swimmerMelanotaeniidae
- Adult size
- 7 cm3 in
- Group
- 6+
- Tank length
- 100 cmabout 3 ft (39 in)
- Lifespan
- 5–8 yrs
- Temperature
- 22–30 °C72–86 °F
- pH
- 5.2–7
- Hardness
- 9–19 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Location forms differ greatly in colour; keep a single form together and give a long tank with soft to moderate water.Location forms differ greatly in colour; keep a single form together and give a long tank with soft to moderate water.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Acei cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Ajamaru rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Angfa rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Arfak rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Batanta rainbowfish
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
- Corona rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Grime rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Irian Jaya rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Japen rainbowfish
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
Sources
| temperature | 22–30 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 5.2–7 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
| gh | 9–19 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| origin | Northern Territory and Cape York, Australia | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Location forms differ greatly in colour; keep a single form together and give a | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| beginner friendly | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| color palette | #3A5A8A, #E0B040, #D94A3A | 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 | 100 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | rainbow | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |