What tank size does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?

A Celebes Rainbowfish needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 80 cm (31.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?

Celebes Rainbowfish does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 7–8.5 and a general hardness of 8–25 °dGH.

What group size does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?

Celebes Rainbowfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Celebes Rainbowfish suitable for beginners?

Celebes Rainbowfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Celebes Rainbowfish

Marosatherina ladigesi

Telmatherinidae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

📷 Brent Tibbatts · CC BY 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Celebes Rainbowfish — Marosatherina ladigesi — 📷 Brent Tibbatts · CC BY 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The Celebes rainbowfish is a slender, shimmering shoaling fish endemic to clear streams and estuaries around Bantimurung in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Mature males develop translucent silver-blue bodies with extended yellow-and-black dorsal and anal fins that they flare in constant display. Peaceful but delicate, it demands clean, hard, alkaline water and stable conditions to truly thrive.

Care

Keep a group of 8 or more (ideally two to three females per male) in a mature, well-filtered tank of at least 80 cm with hard, alkaline water and gentle steady flow. It is sensitive to poor water quality and sudden changes, so acclimate slowly and keep up regular water changes. Fit a lid, as it is a surface-oriented jumper.

Diet

Micro-predator and omnivore that hunts tiny invertebrates and zooplankton; offer small dry foods plus regular frozen and live micro-foods for peak colour and finnage.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (14)

Boesemani Rainbowfish Bumblebee Goby Dwarf Pea Puffer Endler's Livebearer Figure-8 Puffer Forktail Rainbowfish Guppy Malaysian Trumpet Snail Rabbit Snail Red Rainbowfish Sailfin Molly Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp T-Bar Cichlid Wrestling Halfbeak

Possible with care (199)

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Avoid (58)

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Colour and patternStrong · from about 6 months, and only on a settled fish
In rainbowfish, killifish and several barbs the male carries the colour — deeper and more saturated, intensifying further when he displays.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?: A Celebes Rainbowfish needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 80 cm (31.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?: Celebes Rainbowfish does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 7–8.5 and a general hardness of 8–25 °dGH.
What group size does a Celebes Rainbowfish need?: Celebes Rainbowfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Celebes Rainbowfish suitable for beginners?: Celebes Rainbowfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature22–28°C

Optimal temp.25–28°C

pH7–8.5

Hardness (GH)8–25°d

Carbonate (KH)3–14°d

Adult size8 cm

Min. volume≥ 90 L

Min. tank length≥ 80 cm

Group size≥ 8

Swimming zoneMid

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowModerate

Lifespan~4 yrs

Try in the calculator