Melanotaenia boesemani, commonly called rainbow fish or Boeseman's rainbow, is a species belonging to the family Melanotaennidae, native to Indonesia, specifically from the lakes that run through the island of Java.
Currently it is possible to find this small fish all over the world, but only in captivity. The popularity of the rainbow is due to the vividness of the colors that run through its body, since it highlights a mixture of blues, golds, reds, yellows and greens, a true spectacle for the eyes. If you are one of the many people who have several of these specimens at home, our site presents you with this simple guide on the reproduction of rainbow fish
Differences between the sexes
Before reading the recommendations and everything you need to know about rainbowfish mating, you need to knowhow to distinguish which of the specimens you have at home are male and which are female.
Although in both genders the colors are typical of the rainbow, in the body of the male they are much more vivid and bright. The females present, apart from the characteristic combination of colors, some darker stripes whose intensity depends on their mood.
Also, on average males measure 9 centimeters, but females only 7, that is, they are smaller. The fins of the largest are longer and pointed, while those of the female end in a roundness.
Prepare the environmental conditions
As it happens with other species of fish, the rainbow needs to experience certain environmental conditions in order to activate its reproductive instinct It is possible that you have the rainbow in a community aquarium, either with several of these or even with other species. However, at the time of reproduction it is better to move the pairs to another aquarium exclusively for breeding, both to optimize conditions and to prevent the eggs and fry from being eaten by other fish.
A 100 liter aquarium is recommended for breeding, where the water hardnessdoes not exceed 10odGH, with a pH of 7.5. This is extremely important, since the harder the eggs would burst, and the cover of the few that would not do so would become too hard, preventing the fish from hatching, so it would die inevitably.
The presence of aquatic plants is very important, as the eggs adhere to them through filaments similar to suckers. It prefers long and bushy aquarium plants, if you can find Java moss all the better. If you can't find such vegetation, purchase synthetic breeding fiber at any pet supply store.
Mating Ritual
Once the aquarium is prepared, it is time to select the parents. Since you already know how to identify males from females, always choose those fish that look fatter, more active and more colorful. Move to the breeding tank one male for every two females; perform this task in the afternoon, so that mating begins with the first rays of the sun.
In the morning light the male will start swimming insistently around the female, chasing her throughout the tank, at the same time that makes its colors vibrate even more to attract the attention of the possible partner. If the female accepts the proposal, she will swim very close to her new partner, especially around the area where the aquatic plants are found.
Very quickly the male will arch over the female and she will drop the eggs, which he will fertilize immediately With this the process will be finished. It is possible that for five days the ritual will be repeated several times, after which period you must return the parents to the community tank to prevent them from devouring the eggs or attacking the fry.
Egg hatching
As we have already explained to you, the eggs stick to aquatic plants, as well as to the walls of the tank. It is important to keep the water clean to prevent fungal growth, even though rainbow eggs tolerate these bacteria well.
You will encounter a maximum of 200 eggs, which begin to hatch between day 7 and el 12 As soon as they are born they feed on their own yolk sac, but then you must offer them very small food, such as brine shrimp. They will grow rapidly, reaching 4 centimeters in 4 four months.
Something you should keep in mind is that the coloration of the rainbow fish raised in captivity is not the same as that of the one that was born in the wild, so the tones will be less intense, predominantly silver with a sparkles in iridescent tones. Once they reach adulthood, you must offer them the basic care of the rainbow fish so that they enjoy good he alth.
