Boesemani Rainbow Fish Care – Tank Setup, Mates, Diet and Breeding

The Boesemani Rainbow Fish is one of the most eye-catching freshwater fish species that you can keep in your tank with other peaceful tank mates. It’s often said that surrounding yourself with a colorful environment with beautiful sceneries, colors your mood and elevates your spirits, making you generally happy.

One thing that can brighten your day is the Boesemani Rainbow Fish, an appealing site to look at because of its vibrancy and interesting designs, which naturally draw anyone’s attention. This factor has made them a common feature in many aquariums.

Since this fish species is very colorful and interesting to watch, it will be a great experience if you keep them in your freshwater aquarium. In this Boesemani Rainbow Fish care guide, we have put all the pieces together to better care for them.

Overview

Scientific Name : Melanotaenia boesemani

Boesemani Rainbow Fish creates a colorful centerpiece for any aquarium because of its stunning colorations. The female species are not as colorful but have a brilliant silver color that is splendid in the midst of the plants and rocks instead of the males with a beautiful blue-purple head that fades into beautiful orange and yellow posterior. As their name suggests, the Boesemani Rainbow Fish is made of many bright colors. It also boasts characteristics such as a blackish-silver band of scales running from the gill to the tail.

The Boesemani Rainbow Fish is an active fish that loves swimming and does well in shoals. It is said to do well in a tropical climate, explaining its existence in lakes such as Lake Ayamaru in Indonesia. Even though the fish is attractive and in high demand, the prices are relatively low and affordable, making them readily available. The fish species can live up to 12 years if it’s well taken care of. The fish is omnivorous, making it quite easy to look for its food as it’s a wide variety. The Boesemani Rainbow Fish is very popular because of the large visual impact it creates in any aquarium. It’s also known as Bicolour Rainbow Fish.

Origin, Distribution, And Availability

The Boesemani Rainbowfish does well in a tropical climate. Its origin is traced back to the shallows of Lake Ayamaru and its tributaries Hain and Ayamaru. They are found in Asia, specifically in the Vogelkop Peninsula of Western New Guinea. They inhabit shallow waters and areas that are densely vegetated. Allen and Cross described the fish species in 1980.

The type of fish species is widely distributed across different parts of the world as it has become most people’s preference because of its excellent colors and peaceful demeanor. Another factor that has made it very popular is that it has a very easy-care routine that is easy to learn and practice. Apart from that, you can find Boesemani Rainbow Fish for sale at any pet shop at affordable prices. But prices are relatively higher than other Rainbow Fish species. The prices depend on the availability but generally price range between $5 to $10. All these factors have made it readily available within any interested person`s reach, especially beginners looking for an attractive fish that is easy to look after.

Boesemani Rainbow Fish Behaviour

Boesemani Rainbowfish does well in groups as it is a sociable fish that is an excellent choice for a community aquarium. Failure to keep it in shoals may cause stress and anxiety, which affects its health adversely. They often move rapidly across the aquarium displaying their playful nature. These movements can stress slow-moving or skittish fish that may tend to feel intimidated, which is why one has to look for suitable tank mates, preferably as active and of similar size.

They are a peaceful species that easily blends with other fish species and loves to live at the middle level of the aquarium. The vibrant species are reproductive since breeding isn’t difficult, but the problem arises while raising the fry. Males tend to start showing a sign they are ready to mate to entice the females while the females appear plump.

The type of fish species is known to be greedy feeders that have a habit of getting excited by the vibrancy they display when they are about to be fed. The intensity of their color and their vibrancy are factors that can be used to assess the health of the Boesemani Rainbow Fish.

Characteristics Of Boesemani Rainbow Fish

– Appearance, Colors, and Special Markings

Looking at a mature male Boesemani Rainbow Fish, it’s easy to see the reason as to why it’s called a Rainbow Fish. The fish has a beautiful blue-grey and a touch of purple in the front half of the body and a bright orange-red on the back half with yellow highlights. The two colors merge at the center with a few greens or black vertical stripes. All these colors make the fish a splendid and charming sight worth staring at all day. Unlike the males with intense colors, the females will have the same distribution of colors, but the colors will appear faded, and there will be a noticeable silver coloration. The fins are usually opaque and yellow with a white outline. Their body is deep and is shaped like a flat oval with their tailfin poking at the end.

It is important to note that these colors vary in intensity based on the health conditions of the fish and the moods. The colors tend to be less intense when the fish is ill and are intense when the fish is well taken care of by providing all the conditions necessary for its growth.  The colors are said to be intense during the night.

– Boesemani Rainbow Fish Size

A mature Boesemani Rainbowfish size is said to grow up to the length of 4.5 inches. Females Boesemani Rainbowfish size grows up to the length of 4 inches. According to observations made, the fish starts developing its characteristic colors at a length of around 2.5 inches.

The fish is well-sized and therefore requires a larger tank to keep it.

– Boesemani Rainbow Fish Lifespan

A well-taken care fish can live up to 8 years as its lifespan ranges between 5-8 years. There are instances when the fish has outlived the expectations and lived for longer than eight years. This could have been largely contributed to by a proper maintenance routine that eliminates any chances of the health of the fish deteriorating. On the other hand, there are cases where the fish dies even before reaching four years.  The unexpected death is mostly caused by poor maintenance habits that could have led to health issues, ultimately causing its death.

Boesemani Rainbow Fish Aquarium Care

– Tank Conditions And Care

The fish species need very few requirements to ensure their comfortable stay, making it easy to set up a tank and maintain it. Provided that there is enough space in the tank because the fish are known to be active swimmers, and there is a secure cover to ensure the safety of the fish while they jump as they are also jumpers, the happiness of the fish is guaranteed.

Water in the tank should be clean at all times. The water quality should be tested at regular intervals to ensure that the water parameters are always in the required ranges. Proper filtration and aeration are basic requirements for every tank.

Because of the social nature of the Boesemani Rainbowfish, it’s important to keep them in school, depending on the tank size.

– Boesemani Rainbowfish Tank Size

Since the fish is quite sizeable, one requires a relatively large tank to fit as a shoal made of preferably six fish. The tank should be at least a 30 gallon-sized tank, but one can increase the size concerning the number of fish housed in the tank.

The tank should be spacious because the Bousemani Rainbowfish are swimmers and jumpers that require adequate space for these activities. If one limits the space, there is congestion in the tank, which causes stress and anxiety, which could adversely affect their health.

– Tank Setup

To emphasize the beauty of the fish, it`s vital to invest time in setting up the tank since it’s a key factor that complements the splendor of the Bousemani Rainbowfish.

To ensure that the fish are comfortable and are at their best, one has to mimic their natural habitat to get acquainted with the new environment easily. One of the factors to consider is ensuring the presence of hard alkaline water. Just as in their natural habitat, the tank should be heavily planted with different varieties of vegetation. The vegetation provides the fish with hiding places. However, adequate space should be left for the fish to swim in.

The tank needs to have moderate lighting that isn`t strong. The temperature in the tank should be maintained at a range of 21 – 26 degrees celsius.

The Boesemani Rainbowfish is a schooling fish that needs to be kept in groups. The groups should at least consist of 6 members.

– Suitable Plants

It s advisable to provide Boesemani Rainbowfish with many decorations and places to hide. Tall plants or other factors to ornate the tank should be considered. One can use artificial plants as well as live plants. Whatever option one chooses, one should try and provide various colors and leaf shapes to make the tank look appealing. The fish also use the plants as good spawning sites. The plants should be of different varieties to make the fish have a natural habitat feel.

Some of the plants to consider include the Java Fern, Red Tiger Lotus, Ludwiga Ovales, and Rotala Macrandra. The choice of plants should be able to withstand the alkaline conditions of water in the tank. Other decorations such as Bogwood and rocks could be of use but shouldn’t be overdone so that adequate space is left.

– Water Conditions And Parameters

Boesemani Rainbowfish can tolerate a wide range of water conditions, although it was raised in an alkaline water environment. The fish species do well in a place with a temperature range of 21-26 degrees celsius, and the water should have a PH of 7.0 -8.0 alkalinity.

If the tank is placed in a room with low temperatures, a heater must warm the water and maintain the recommended water temperature. A filter should be used to ensure that no foreign materials affect the fish. The water should be changed regularly as water cleanliness is a basic necessity for the fish.

Water in the tank should be tested regularly to ensure a balance in the water parameters and ensure that they are all in check. One should also make sure that the tank is properly aerated.

When all conditions necessary are provided, there is an assurance of long life for the fish and perfectly good health guarantees.

Diet And Feeding For Boesemani Rainbowfish

Boesemani Rainbow Fish is an omnivorous species meaning that it has various food choices one would choose from, which makes it easier for one to get their food. They are surface feeders that feed on the top layer of the water surface. Therefore, it’s important to feed them regularly in small portions to avoid wastage as the food that sinks to the bottom of the tank becomes waste and compromises the health of the fish in the tank.

The best food to feed them is the one that comprises both vegetable and meat sources such the tropical flakes, spirulina flakes, or even betta treats. Boesemani Rainbowfish relish live foods such as bloodworms, water fleas, and tubifex worms. Feeding them with both live and commercial foods is necessary for optimal health. The food chosen should be rotated so that the fish acquire a variety of nutrients. It’s advisable to give them frozen food as dessert then feed them with the other type of food.

Boesemani Rainbowfish Diseases

It’s very easy to realize when a Bousemani Rainbowfish is ill since the change is noted in their color intensity. The color becomes pale, or there is an overall dullness in the color of their body. Lack of movement can also be an alarming sign since the particular fish species are vibrant and jumpy all through. Other changes can be spotted in their mouth where there could be fungus spots.

They suffer from fin rot, which has symptoms like frayed fins, usually with reddened bases. Another common disease is ich, where the fish has white spots on their bodies and fins. When infected by this illness, they rub their bodies against hard surfaces or rocks.

In most cases, these illnesses are caused by poor hygiene levels in the tank. If the water is unclean, there are high chances of the fish getting infected. To avoid these, it’s crucial to ensure that the water is clean at all times and the parameters are tested regularly as prevention is better than cure.

Some of the diseases, such as ich, are treated by quarantining and applying a remedy that`s an over-the-counter medicine.

How Can You Tell If A Boesemani Rainbow Fish Is Male or Female?

The differences between a male and female Boesemani Rainbow Fish are easy to identify as they include their size and the colors on their body.

The male species are larger as they can grow up to a length of 4.5 inches, while females can only grow up to 4 inches. The males are more colorful with colors such as the bluish-purple head, which fades into a gorgeous orange-yellow posterior compared to the females, which generally have stunning silver-like coloration.

How Do Boesemani Rainbowfish Breed?

It’s not hard for the Boesemani Rainbowfish to breed. Perfect conditions are vital for ensuring successful reproduction. If the fish don’t seem to be spawning, one can slightly raise the temperatures since this will trigger the process. When egg scatters are ready to mate, some changes are observed. Males appear to show off to the females to entice them, while the females appear plump.  A male finds females and shows off the mating stripe on his forehead, then fertilizes the female’s eggs. As this is happening, they move over to planted places where the plants are laid on eggs. Once the eggs are laid, it takes 7-12 hours for the eggs to be hatched. The eggs are taken away from anything that would feed on them. The fry should be fed on infusoria or a liquid fry food until they can feed on live plants.

Unlike other Rainbowfish species, the Boesemani Rainbow Fish crossbreeds with other species. Some offsprings have desirable characteristics while others have undesirable characteristics such as loss of color.

Boesemani Rainbow Fish Tank Mates

Because the Boesemani Rainbowfish are peaceful and easygoing, they can be kept with several different species. For best results, it’s advisable to keep them with other playful but good-natured fish, preferably of the same size, since smaller fish species would be intimidated.

Boesemani Rainbowfish are a schooling species, so there should be a slightly off-balance in the ratio of male to female species where the number of females should be slightly higher. Hence, to maintain the peace and avoid minor disputes when it’s time for spawning.

Some of the fish to consider as Boesemani Rainbowfish tank mates are barbs, catfish, danios, and guppies.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How Many Can Boesemani Rainbowfish Be Kept In A 55 Gallons Tank?

Because of its large size, only 11 Boesemani Rainbowfish can fit in a 55 gallons tank. This is to ensure that adequate space is left for them to swim freely.

• Are Boesemani Rainboefish Fin Nippers ?

The fish species have a reputation of being peaceful and easily blend with other species and are therefore not considered fin nippers. One may notice a few changes, but that shouldn’t be a concern as they are also said to be jumpy and vibrant most of the time.

• Are Boesemani Rainbowfish Hardy?

The type of fish is relatively hardy and prefers weakly alkaline water with a PH range of 6- 8. In this PH, they tend to be more comfortable as it similar to one of the waters in their natural habitat.

• Are Boesemani Rainbowfish Schooling Fish?

The Boesemani Rainbowfish are schooling fish that do exceptionally well in a community-based aquarium with various other species. The ratio of male to female species should be reasonable to keep the peace in the tank.

• Where Do You Find Boesemani Rainbowfish for Sale?

Boesemani Rainbowfish has become popular with many people in the recent past. This has made them a priority for many pet shopkeepers as to why they are readily available at any pet store at relatively low prices.

Final Thoughts

Boesemani Rainbow Fish is excellent fish for beginners since they are hardy, flexible fish that are easy to look after. Not forgetting the splendor and vibrancy they bring to any aquarium.

Their gorgeous, magnificent blend of colors makes them an alluring site to look at that draws everyone’s attention which is why they should be top on the preference list for any aquarist. As it is, one can only agree that keeping it comes with a lot of advantages.

With this Boesemani Rainbow Fish care guide, we hope you got sound knowledge to take care of these fish species at best.