Description
Boesemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani) – Classic Beauty with a Bold Split
The Boesemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani) is a beloved freshwater species known for its unique two-tone coloration and active, peaceful nature. Featuring a vibrant contrast—metallic blue in the front half and rich orange to yellow in the back—this iconic rainbowfish adds instant visual appeal to any aquarium.
Native to the Ayamaru Lakes region of West Papua, Indonesia, the Boesemani Rainbow is best suited for larger aquariums with open swimming space and clean, well-oxygenated water. It’s a schooling species that truly thrives in groups, showing off its full coloration and social behavior when surrounded by its kind.
Key Features:
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Latin Name: Melanotaenia boesemani
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Common Name: Boesemani Rainbow
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Coloration: Metallic blue front half with orange to yellow rear half
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Temperament: Peaceful, energetic, and social
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Size: Up to 4–5 inches
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Tank Requirements: Minimum 40 gallons, with clean water, plants, and room to swim
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Diet: Omnivorous—high-quality flakes, pellets, and live/frozen foods like daphnia or brine shrimp
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Compatibility: Great for peaceful community tanks; keep in groups of 6 or more for best behavior and color
Tips:
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Use dark substrates and good lighting to enhance their bold coloration.
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Include both males and females to encourage breeding displays and richer hues.
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Perform regular water changes to maintain water clarity and fish health.
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Pair with other peaceful rainbows, tetras, or bottom dwellers for a vibrant community.
Why Choose This Fish?
The Boesemani Rainbow is a classic showstopper, combining ease of care with dazzling, split-tone coloration. Perfect for community tanks and aquarists of all experience levels, it offers movement, color, and personality—all in one beautiful, hardy fish.
Click & Collect
Livestock will only be bagged once you arrive, or if you contact us in advance to request it ready beforehand.
Local Delivery
Order anything from our in-store range and have it delivered right to you.
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Minimum spend: £50
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Delivery up to 10 miles: £10
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Delivery up to 25 miles: £20
Distances are measured “as the crow flies”, not by road.
Once your order is placed, we’ll be in touch to arrange a suitable delivery date and time.
Please note, delivery may take a little longer as we often group orders together to build an efficient delivery run.
Important: If you’re ordering a large aquarium, please ensure someone is available to help unload the van on arrival.
Dry Goods Delivery
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DPD Next Day: 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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DX Next Day (Heavy Items & Small Aquariums): 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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Express Pallet: 1–3 working days
If you'd like to add more items to an existing order that hasn't yet been dispatched, please place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to combine the orders.
Please note: We currently only dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Pre-Order
Want the full details? Check out our Terms & Conditions.
Livestock Delivery
Thursday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Wednesday afternoon
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Delivered Thursday before 1pm
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Order by Wednesday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Friday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Thursday afternoon
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Delivered Friday before 1pm
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Order by Thursday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Saturday Delivery – £29
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Dispatched Friday afternoon
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Delivered Saturday before 1pm
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Order by Friday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
📦 Want to Add to an Existing Order?
No problem! Just place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to link it with your original one (as long as it hasn’t been dispatched yet).
🛒 Dry Goods Now Included!
You can now include dry goods in your livestock delivery – perfect for topping up supplies in one go.
❄️ Please note: We can’t send frozen food with livestock – please order frozen items separately.
⚠️ Delivery Exclusions
Unfortunately, we’re unable to deliver livestock to the following postcodes:
Scotland & Isles:
AB30–AB56, DD8–DD10, DG3–DG9, DG12–DG14, FK17–FK21, KA18–KA19, KA26–KA30, PA20–PA38, PA80, PH3–PH40
Cornwall Isles: TR21–TR25
All of the following postcodes are excluded:
BT, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW
Plus Channel Islands and Shetland Islands
Payment & Security
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