Red rainbowfish care guide

Plan a tank with red rainbowfishSee all tank mates

Red rainbowfish quick facts

• Known jumper: keep a tight-fitting lid.

Tank setup

A group of six needs at least 40 gallons (151 L) in a tank 4 ft (120 cm) long, and 55 gallons (208 L) or more is better. Plant thickly along the back and sides, add some driftwood, and leave a long open swimming area. Use a tight lid, as this species can jump.

How many red rainbowfish in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits red rainbowfish is a 55 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep it at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 7.0–8.0 and 10–20 dGH. It does badly in soft, acidic water. The lower half of this range tends to bring out red color in more of the males.

Best tank mates for red rainbowfish

These popular species share red rainbowfish' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 94 good matches.

• Betta fish

  6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Dwarf gourami

  7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Angelfish

  15 cm (5.9 in) · 24–29°C (75–84°F)

• Tiger barb

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

Avoid keeping red rainbowfish with

• Cherry shrimp: Red rainbowfish eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Red rainbowfish 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Red rainbowfish 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful red rainbowfish.
• Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful red rainbowfish.
• Dojo loach: They need different temperatures: Red rainbowfish 24–28°C (75–82°F), dojo loach 18–23°C (64–73°F).

Feeding

It is an omnivore that leans a little more toward meaty food than many rainbowfish. Feed a quality flake or pellet daily and add frozen or live bloodworms, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae often. The red fades on a poor diet, so keep it varied.

Behavior

It is peaceful but big and quick, so it can unsettle small or slow fish. Good tank mates are other large rainbowfish, barbs, danios, larger tetras, corydoras and peaceful loaches. Males display and chase, especially when spawning, but rarely cause injury. Adults will eat small shrimp.

Breeding

Only males turn red and grow the high back; females and young fish are olive to brownish. Pairs scatter eggs over fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop, a few each day, and a small rise in temperature can trigger spawning. Eggs hatch in about 7–8 days. Fry need infusoria, then baby brine shrimp, and are sensitive to dirty water, so do small, frequent water changes.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Young fish are plain silver-brown. Males turn red and grow the high back only as they mature.
• Keep several females in the group; males color up best when they have females to display to.
• Feed frozen or live food several times a week so the red does not fade.
• Wild red rainbowfish are endangered, but captive-bred fish are easy to find.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• fishkeepingworld.com
• en.wikipedia.org