Name: Threadfin Rainbow
Brand: Brooklands
SKU: TA60
Price: 15.95 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Threadfin Rainbow

Product Details

Threadfin Rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri)

NOT AVAILABLE TO SHIP - In-store Only

Overview:

The Threadfin Rainbowfish is the pinnacle of elegance in the nano-aquarium world. It is famous for its incredibly unique silhouette. While females are relatively plain, mature males develop spectacular, deeply segmented fins with long, dark, thread-like filaments that extend far past their bodies. Their slender bodies shine with a subtle iridescent palette of silver, neon blue, and soft yellow, capped off with a deeply forked tail fin.

Origins:

They are native to the tropical wetlands of Northern Australia, West Papua, and Papua New Guinea. They prefer slow-moving or stagnant waters like clear freshwater swamps, billabongs, and heavily vegetated streams where they can easily hide from larger predators.

Personality:

Threadfins are gentle, peaceful, and fascinating to observe. They are non-stop, active swimmers that spend most of their time in the upper-to-middle layers of the water column. The true magic happens when two males notice each other; they will rapidly snap their long fins up and down like miniature sails in a completely harmless, stylized dance to win the attention of nearby females.

Care Level: Intermediate (Due to extremely small throats and sensitivity to water swings)
Temperament: Extremely Peaceful and gentle
Diet: Omnivore. Crucial note: Threadfins have incredibly tiny mouths and narrow throats. Even if a food flake looks small to you, they may choke on it or spit it out. They must be fed micro-foods like crushed flakes, powdered fry foods, or live baby brine shrimp and daphnia.
Max Size: 4 – 5 cm (excluding the long fin extensions)
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Tank Size: 60 Litres minimum (to provide adequate horizontal swimming space for a school)
Temperature: 23°C – 28°C
pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (They prefer soft, stable water)
Should be kept in groups? Yes. They are shoaling fish and must be kept in a group of at least 6 to 10. Make sure to keep more females than males (a 2:1 ratio is excellent) so the males can show off their courtship dances without exhausting themselves or causing undue stress.

Pro Tip: Never house Threadfin Rainbowfish with any fin-nipping species (like Tiger Barbs or certain Tetras) or overly aggressive tank mates. Their long, trailing fin filaments are an irresistible target. Stick to other gentle nano fish like Celestial Pearl Danios, Pygmy Corydoras, or peaceful freshwater shrimp.