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Encyclopedia / Rainbowfish / Red rainbowfish
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Red rainbowfish

Glossolepis incisa · Glossolepis incisus, Salmon rainbow, Red rainbow

Peaceful.

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13 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–29 °CTemperature ✓
7–8pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Red rainbowfish is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (24–29 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–29 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Oscar is aggressive and will bully peaceful red rainbowfish.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
  • 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

272 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 ✓10–20 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful.

Food

Flakes, pellets.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males turn bright salmon-red and develop a much higher, rounded back; females are yellowish olive with gold-sheened scales and clear fins. Young are olive-green until males colour up at about 4-5 cm.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

Egg scatterer: a pair spawns over several weeks among plants or mops, laying a few eggs each day.

Pairing

Group of 6+ with more females.

Setup

A 100 L tank with mops.

What starts it

Frequent feeding and water changes.

Eggs

A few eggs each day over several weeks; eggs hatch in 7-8 days.

Raising the fry

Infusoria, brine shrimp; males show red later.

Common mistakes
  • Not enough space
  • Poor water
  • Eating eggs
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Sentani – West Papua, Indonesia
Rivers and lakesLake Sentani
HabitatShallow, weedy lake edges
Native rangeAbout 30 km across
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The story of the red rainbowfish

Found only in Lake Sentani in Indonesian New Guinea, where it was first collected on the 1899-1900 Siboga Expedition and described by Max Weber in 1907. Males turn deep salmon-red. Live fish reached Europe after a 1973 collecting trip. It is listed as Endangered, threatened by development and introduced fish such as tilapia.

Dutch zoologist Max Weber described this rainbowfish in 1907 from Lake Sentani in New Guinea. Young fish are silvery, but adult males develop a deep red colour and a tall, arched back. It is found nowhere else in the wild, so captive-bred stock is important.

First described by Max Weber in 1907.

  • It is found only in Lake Sentani.
  • Adult males turn deep red with a tall back.
  • Females stay olive-silver.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources