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Encyclopedia / Rainbowfish / Celebes rainbowfish
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Variations

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Celebes rainbowfish

Marosatherina ladigesi · Telmatherina ladigesi, Ladigesi, Sailfin silverside, Celebes sailfin

Peaceful but active; keep a group of 6 or more with other peaceful fish.

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8 cmBody length, without tail ✓
22–28 °CTemperature ✓
7–8pH ✓
68 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Celebes rainbowfish is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Celebes rainbowfish only grows to 8 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Celebes rainbowfish only grows to 8 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

304 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful but active; keep a group of 6 or more with other peaceful fish. It jumps, so a lid helps.

Food

Flakes, frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworms, and small live foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are more colourful and grow long extensions on the second dorsal and anal fins; females are duller with short fins.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer (spawning mops) · Easy

Easy egg scatterer: a pair spawns daily for several weeks in fine-leaved plants or mops, attaching eggs by a thread; adults eat eggs, so remove them. A small temperature drop can trigger spawning. Fry are tricky at first and need infusoria.

Pairing

A group of 6 or more.

Setup

A 60 L planted tank with spawning mops and floating plants.

What starts it

Warm water and plenty of live food.

Eggs

Batches of eggs every day for several weeks; eggs hatch in 5-10 days depending on temperature.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Keeping too few fish so spawning does not start
  • Eggs eaten by adults
  • Cold or dirty water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth Sulawesi, Indonesia
Rivers and lakesStreams of the Maros karst region
HabitatClear, flowing streams in limestone hill country
Native rangeAbout 60 km across
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The story of the celebes rainbowfish

A sailfin silverside from the Maros karst of South Sulawesi (formerly Celebes). Males have long yellow extensions to the second dorsal and anal fins. Overfishing for the trade left it listed as Vulnerable, but aquarium fish are now mass-produced on farms in the Far East and Eastern Europe.

Ernst Ahl described this Sulawesi silverside in 1936 and named it after Werner Ladiges. It became a classic aquarium fish thanks to the male's long yellow fin streamers. Most fish in the trade are captive-bred.

First described by Ernst Ahl in 1936. Named for Named after German ichthyologist Werner Ladiges.

  • It is a relative of rainbowfishes from the family Telmatherinidae.
  • Its relatives in Sulawesi's Malili lakes form a famous species flock.
  • Males grow trailing yellow-black dorsal and anal fins.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources