Turquoise Rainbow - Lacustris 5cm

Turquoise Rainbow
 

Rainbow fish come in a wide assortment of colours depending on the location they come from. Being such a naturally striking fish that is full of activity and is great in a community setting allures many aquarists into often setting up a rainbow fish-specific aquarium. The turquoise rainbow fish is often a top-of-the-list species when it comes to rainbow fish because of its stunning and vibrant sea blue colour. This sort of bright blue is often only seen in aquarium fish that have been heavily selective bred but the turquoise rainbow is a natural star. The turquoise rainbow fish are incredibly common and are incredibly easy fish to care for. These beautiful fish are naturally found in Papua New Guinea which is a hotspot for vibrantly coloured rainbow fish species. 

Reaching around 12 cm these turquoise rainbow fish can get fairly large when compared to most community aquarium fish. As juveniles, the turquoise rainbows can actually look sort of bland as they are mainly grey. This often turns away aquarists however when fully mature the turquoise rainbow fish will rival even the most popular aquarium fish like a discus. They have a bright sea blue colour that spans from head to tail. There are various shades of blue which adds a nice gradient along with the near-black lateral line that cuts through the fish. When kept against plants or a dark background these fish are instantly eye-catching and look phenomenal in a school. 

Turquoise rainbows can be bred in the home aquarium quite commonly as once they reach maturity, females lay eggs on an almost daily basis. Males tend to be bright whereas females are a bit more washed out with a light blue. Aquarists often make spawning mops out of acrylic yarn and place these into the aquarium, the females will swim through the yard and lay a few eggs which the male will then fertilize. 

Tank Recommendations for your Turquoise Rainbow

As the turquoise rainbow fish do reach around 12 cm, but more importantly are incredibly active it is best to keep them in an aquarium with a minimum volume of 181 liters. This ensures that they can be kept in a school and have ample swimming space as well.  

The turquoise rainbow is totally plant-safe and will not only love but also look great in a well-planted aquarium. They are mostly mid to top water-dwelling fish so the choice of substrate and aquarium hardscape is not a major concern. They are however excellent jumpers so a tight-fitting lid is a must for the aquarium. These are also tropical fish that are best kept at 24-26 degrees.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The turquoise rainbow fish is incredibly peaceful but due to their speed, they may potentially outcompete slow or bottom-dwelling tank mates. They can however be kept in a wide range of community aquarium settings and with other rainbow fish strains.

Usually Compatible

Other rainbow fish species, a range of tetra species such as lemon tetras, black widow tetras, and Congo tetras along with danio species as well. 

Sometimes Compatible

Corydoras, Apistogramma, angelfish, and other smaller or potentially slow-moving species. 

Rarely Compatible

Aggressive species which may prey on the turquoise or an incredibly small species such as shrimp which may be eaten by the rainbow fish 

Feeding your Turquoise Rainbow

Turquoise rainbow fish will take to aquarium foods very easily. They will take a wide range of pellets, flakes, and frozen foods. Giving them a varied diet ensures that they have optimal nutrition.  

The ideal diet would be a good quality floating food, supplemented with frozen bloodworms or black worms or even live foods like baby brine shrimp or micro worms. Feeding any foods with natural colour enhancers would also be great as this will really enhance the reds.