Description:

Parkinsoni rainbow

The Parkinsoni Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia parkinsoni) is a vibrant and popular freshwater fish known for its striking coloration, particularly the males, who display brilliant orange or yellow patches on their fins and bodies.

Appearance and Size:

Coloration: They typically have a silver body that fades to a blotchy yellow dorsally. Males develop extended fins and are much brighter than females, especially during breeding. They come in both orange-finned and yellow-finned color forms.

Size: They can grow to about 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) in length.

Distinctive Features: Males are noticeably more vibrant and develop longer fins as they mature.

Habitat and Origin:

Native to: Rivers and lakes of Papua New Guinea, specifically along the southern coast of eastern Papua New Guinea between the Kemp Welsh River and Milne Bay.

Natural Environment: They inhabit rainforest streams in lowland areas and prefer heavily vegetated areas with lilies.

Care and Aquarium Requirements:

Care Level: Easy, making them suitable for both beginner and experienced aquarists.

Temperament: Peaceful community fish. They are active swimmers and prefer to be kept in groups of 6 or more to reduce stress and encourage natural schooling behaviour.

Tank Size: A minimum of 100-150 litres (30-40 gallons) is recommended for a small group, with larger tanks (55 gallons or more) being ideal for larger schools, due to their active nature. Length of the aquarium is more important than height.

Tank Setup:

Substrate: Dark substrates like gravel or sand are preferred to mimic their natural habitat.

Plants: Spacious, well-planted aquariums with medium to large plants, including plenty of floating plants, are ideal. Tall-growing plants in the background with open swimming space in the foreground are recommended.

Decorations: Driftwood and rocks can provide hiding spots and reduce stress.

Lighting: Happiest in dimly lit environments. Adjustable LED lighting or broad-leaf/floating plants for shade are beneficial.

Lid: A tight-fitting lid is crucial as they are known jumpers.

Water Parameters:

Temperature: 26-28C (79-82F) is ideal, though they can tolerate 24-30C.

pH Level: 6.5 – 7.8 (some sources say 7.6-7.8 specifically).

General Hardness (GH): Moderate to hard (150-300 ppm).

Filtration: A good filtration system with a moderate flow rate is necessary to maintain clean and clear water, as they are sensitive to poor water quality. High oxygen levels are also important.

Diet: Omnivores. They should be fed a varied diet including high-quality flake foods, small pellets, and protein-rich foods like live or frozen bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia. They also enjoy plant-based foods such as algae, spirulina, and blanched vegetables like lettuce, kale, zucchini, and peas. Feed once or twice a day, only what they can consume in a few minutes.

Lifespan: With proper care, they can live for 5-8 years or more.

Tank Mates:

Excellent community fish due to their peaceful nature.

Suitable tank mates include other rainbowfish, tetras, rasboras, dwarf cichlids, peaceful barbs, Corydoras catfish, Bristlenose catfish, Platies, and Mollies.

Avoid very small species (e.g., Galaxy Rasboras, Ruby Tetras) as they may inadvertently prey on them, and avoid aggressive or fin-nipping fish that could stress them.

Breeding:

Breeding is achievable in an aquarium.

Set up a separate breeding tank with fine-leaved plants (like Java moss) or spawning mops for egg scattering.

Maintain the temperature around 28C (82F).

After spawning, remove the adults to prevent them from eating the eggs.

Eggs typically hatch within 8-10 days.

Fry should be fed infusoria initially, transitioning to newly hatched brine shrimp as they grow.

Hybridizing rainbowfish is generally discouraged by the community due to conservation concerns for wild populations.

Scientific Name: Melanotaenia splendida splendida

Origin: Pioneer RiverQueensland

• Grows to: cm
• Temperature: 26-28C
• pH: 6.5 – 7.8
• Temperament: Peaceful

Feeding:

• Omnivore