Beginner Rainbow

M. praecox (neon/drawf rainbow) should be good for that size tank. I think most rainbows should be fine care wise as long as you stick to your maintennece program (water changes at least once a week).

thesydmonster said:

I have a 37 gallon tank (30x12x20ish) ph 7.8 temp 76F with 3 botia striata (zebra loaches) and 1 BN pleco. Driftwood and moderately planted. I was told rainbows would do well in my set up. Is there a good beginner rainbow that wouldn't get too big for my tank and would be on the easier side to locate at a LFS?

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The only rainbow I would put in that small of a tank is praecox and some blue eyes species. The tank is only 30" long and they need space. Anything else is asking for trouble.

So, I'd say praecox, furcatus, or celebes (not a true rainbowfish, so I have no info). No threadfins, though. IMO not for beginners.

Roan

I know that this is not recommended, but I have 6 ~3" male boeseman's and a 3.5" turquoise in a 37g right now and they're doing fine. My parameters are pretty much identical to yours and tankmates are two bagrid cats, and three fancy plecos. Having all males also seems to help with aggression issues (no females to fight over).

They're soon to be re-housed in a 65g tank (36x18x24) but they appear perfectly happy in the 37. I've had them in there for about 4-5 months with few problems (only a weird batch of bacterial slime, but it was easily cured in a hospital tank).

Not to say that you should do this, but you can house some of the medium rainbows in that tank. I do agree, however, that dwarf rainbows would be better.

You're right, I wouldn't recommend crowding the rainbows that way. If your Boes are 3" now, and you've only had them 4 months, and assuming you bought them as juvies, you are looking at 4" fish once they get to a year old. They can and will grow close to 6" in size if they live long enough, btw.

Your turquoise at 1 year will be around 4½" based on those sizes.

At one year you would have 6 4" Boes and a 4½" turquoise in a tank that is the same size as my 36g. That's a LOT of rainbowfish for that size tank. Glad you're moving them to the 65g, they need the space.

As for having all males -- that's a matter of opinon and it doesn't always quell aggression. Depends on the fish and where it was bred.

Roan

thesydmonster said:

Thanks for the input.... I was looking at the celebes (the smallest ones my LFS has, no dwarf rainbows) but thought the furcatus might be better if I could find them. The dwarf ones are very pretty, though, too. How should I stock it.... # and sex ratio?

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You could ask your LFS to order the neons. Neon Rainbowfish are very common in the hobby. Try another LFS? Furcatus are more rare, but some can order them.

Celebes IMO are too big for a 30g. They get to 3" SL, Standard Length according to FishBase.org -- that means it doesn't include the caudal fin -- so you are looking at a potential 3½"+ fish. I wouldn't put a rainbowfish, even a distant relative, of that size in that small of a tank. No sure of growth rates, but it will probably go close to 3" in the first year or so. Bows usually get to their stated "max" (max meaning what people seem to like to say they will grow to, not their potential or actual growth) size in about a year or a year and a half, but then they keep on growing until they die.

In order of rarity: Neons are the most common, then Celebes, then furcatus. I would rate furcatus the least hardy of the three. Pseudomugil genus rainbows are said to be pretty picky about their water chemistry, however I haven't seen or had any problems with my gertrudae.

I'd go to about eight neons or furcatus in a 2 female to every male ratio. See how they act over the course of a month or so. You'll find them very active and if they have the room they will school quite a bit before they start spawning behaviour.

HTH
Roan