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How to look after
Melanotaenia praecox
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
(Weber & de Beaufort, 1922)

Melanotaenia praecox - Dwarf neon rainbowfish - Male dwarf neon rainbows have red fin edges. Females can also have red fin edges, though usually less intense, or orange/yellow
Male dwarf neon rainbows have red fin edges. Females can also have red fin edges, though usually less intense, or orange/yellow
more images here

(Other members of the genus Melanotaenia)

ADULT SIZE: 8 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Very hard and alkaline

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 23-27 C

FOOD: Feed Melanotaenia praecox live and dried foods. Not a fussy eater.

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Indonesia

SEXUAL DIFFERENCES: Male fish tend to be more brightly coloured in the fins, and have somewhat deeper bodies.

AQUARIUM CARE: Dwarf neon rainbowfish hail from the Mamberamo river system in northern Irian Jaya, Indonesia. This huge river has numerous micro-habitats; M. praecox is thought to prefer shallow areas with submerged plants and driftwood. In the aquarium, this is easily replicated, and floating plants also seem to make this fish more comfortable. Some open water is also important for free-swimming, and as a shoaling fish, it should be kept in a group of at least six individuals.

BREEDING: M. praecox is a typical plant spawning rainbow; eggs are attached to plants, then left to develop with no attention from the parents. Spawning mops can be used instead of plants to allow eggs to be collected and raised in a separate spawning tank. Egg development takes a little over a week, and fry relish newly hatched artemia nauplii.

Have you bred Melanotaenia praecox? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Melanotaenia praecox breeding reports

Similar species to Melanotaenia praecox

Other members of the genus Melanotaenia

Other rainbowfish species

Other species from Indonesia

Melanotaenia praecox
Dwarf neon rainbowfish

Male dwarf neon rainbows have red fin edges. Females can also have red fin edges, though usually less intense, or orange/yellow

Male dwarf neon rainbows have red fin edges. Females can also have red fin edges, though usually less intense, or orange/yellow

<I>Melanotaenia praecox</I> typically only reach an adult size of 8cm; smaller than many other rainbowfish

Melanotaenia praecox typically only reach an adult size of 8cm; smaller than many other rainbowfish


Melanotaenia praecox
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
breeding notes

BREEDING: M. praecox is a typical plant spawning rainbow; eggs are attached to plants, then left to develop with no attention from the parents. Spawning mops can be used instead of plants to allow eggs to be collected and raised in a separate spawning tank. Egg development takes a little over a week, and fry relish newly hatched artemia nauplii.

Have you bred Melanotaenia praecox? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?


This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience!

1 breeder has filled in a breeding report, a summary of which is shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here.

To add details of your experiences of Melanotaenia praecox, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.

Would Melanotaenia praecox be a good addition to a community tank?
graph1
  1. Never
  2. Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish
  3. Only with species of similar size
  4. Yes, a good community fish

How would you describe the disposition of Melanotaenia praecox?
graph2
  1. Very timid
  2. Slightly timid
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat aggresive on occasions
  5. Very aggressive

In which water conditions do you keep these fish?
graph3
  1. Very soft and acidic
  2. Moderately soft and acidic
  3. Neutral
  4. Moderately hard and alkaline
  5. Very hard and alkaline

At what average temperature?
graph4
  1. 10-15°C
  2. 16-19°C
  3. 20-23°C
  4. 24-27°C
  5. 28°C+

How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Melanotaenia praecox? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered.
graph6
  1. Almost all males
  2. Somewhat male heavy
  3. Roughly equal
  4. Somewhat female heavy
  5. Almost all females

In general, how difficult is Melanotaenia praecox to keep and breed?
graph7
  1. Very easy
  2. Easy
  3. Average
  4. Difficult
  5. Very difficult

How sucessful have you been at breeding Melanotaenia praecox?
graph8
  1. Very unsucessful
  2. Fairly unsucessful
  3. Average
  4. Fairly sucessful
  5. Very sucessful


Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences


Water conditions: Neutral Water temperature: 24-27oC
Disposition: Active, but not aggresive Community tank?: Yes, a good community fish
Spawning Method: Other (see below)Breeding problems: none
Sex ratio: Roughly equalBreeding difficulty: Very easy
Sucess: Fairly sucessfulYears Experience: 5
Other Comments: I keep them in a small outdoor pond, heavily planted with no filtraton. I do not do anything special to breed them. I know they've bred only when I see 1 cm fry swimming about.
Date this record created: 28th May 2009Breeding date: 2009
Breeder: Location: Manila, Philippines

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