Red rainbowfish care
Glossolepis incisus · Lake Sentani and its streams, Papua, Indonesia
Red rainbowfish males turn a deep tomato red as they mature, while females stay olive-gold.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 5.9 in (most reach about 4.7 in)
- pH
- 7 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 8 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 8 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep red rainbowfish
Red rainbowfish males turn a deep tomato red as they mature, while females stay olive-gold. Keep six or more, with more females than males, in a 55 gallon or larger tank at 72 to 79 °F with open swimming room and a lid.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Red 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.
Bristlenose pleco
6 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F
Siamese algae eater
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Firemouth cichlid
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F
Yoyo loach
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–82 °F
Rainbow shark
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–80 °F
Red-tail shark
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: red rainbowfish need 72 to 79 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as red rainbowfish.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as red rainbowfish.
Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempseys are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as red rainbowfish.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as red rainbowfish.
What a red rainbowfish tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon red rainbowfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon red rainbowfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 150
Red rainbowfish need 72 to 79 °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 red 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 72 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank · Heaters for a 55 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 red rainbowfish problems
- Males show full color only when mature and among females.
- They jump; keep the tank covered.
- They are threatened in the wild; buy fish bred in captivity.
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: Glossolepis incisus. 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.
- Red rainbowfish Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Yoyo loach Orishas92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow shark MerlinSenger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail shark Astellar87, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Dempsey Sviemeister (English Wikipedia), 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
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish Leo-nie-weh-oh; cropped by Der Regenbogenfisch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Turquoise rainbowfish Thomnight, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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