Boeseman's Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia boesemani

Half orange, half purple, all motion — one of the most vivid freshwater fish, and happiest racing around a long planted tank.

4 in5–8 years

Habitat

Enclosure

30 gal long · school of 6+

Temperature

75–82°F

Humidity / Water

Fully aquatic · pH 7.0–8.0

Heating & lighting

They need a long, wide tank — active swimmers. Strong filtration, 75-82°F, and weekly water changes keep the purple and orange saturated.

Diet

Feed these

Quality pellets and flakes
Frozen brine shrimp
Spirulina flakes
Bloodworms

Never feed

Betta and slow long-finned fish — rainbows are fast nippers
Aggressive cichlids
Finicky feeders — rainbows out-eat them

Feed 2x daily with color-enhancing pellets. Males split the body orange/purple like a sunset. Genuinely active all day — a tank that never gets boring.

Cohabitation

Can live with

Boesemani Rainbowfish — school Congo Tetra Synodontis catfish

Never house with

Betta Fancy Guppy — out-competed Small shrimp — rainbows eat them

Males of any rainbow species get colorful together without fighting — a school of 6+ is a moving paint palette.