Dwarf neon rainbowfish care
Melanotaenia praecox · Mamberamo River basin, West Papua
Dwarf neon rainbowfish are metallic blue with red fins on males (yellow-orange on females).
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 81 °F (24 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep dwarf neon rainbowfish
Dwarf neon rainbowfish are metallic blue with red fins on males (yellow-orange on females). A group of six or more needs a 29 gallon or larger tank with open space to swim and plants at the sides.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Dwarf neon rainbowfish tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Betta
3 in · 5+ gal · 76–82 °F
German blue ram
3 in · 20+ gal · 78–85 °F
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
3 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Emerald corydoras
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Celebes rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 68–82 °F
Peacock gudgeon
3 in · 15+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: dwarf neon rainbowfish need 75 to 81 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: dwarf neon rainbowfish need 75 to 81 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: dwarf neon rainbowfish need 75 to 81 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as dwarf neon rainbowfish.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as dwarf neon rainbowfish.
What a dwarf neon rainbowfish tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon dwarf neon rainbowfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon dwarf neon rainbowfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Dwarf neon rainbowfish need 75 to 81 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding dwarf neon rainbowfish.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 81 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common dwarf neon rainbowfish problems
- They outcompete slow feeders; feed so food reaches everyone.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Melanotaenia praecox. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish Leo-nie-weh-oh; cropped by Der Regenbogenfisch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Emerald corydoras NonstickRon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celebes rainbowfish Brent Tibbatts, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Boesemani rainbowfish H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red rainbowfish Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Turquoise rainbowfish Thomnight, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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