Hello everyone, I have a 60 gallon set up with 6 boesemani rainbows and a few corys. I really enjoy watching the rainbows, they are showing some really nice colors and they play all over the tank, they put on a great show. I have fell in love with these fish. I have decided to do another larger 6 ft 135 gal tank and I want to stock it with a few different types of of rainbows, small schools of 6 or so. I have found a couple of breeders online but if anyone here has any good info or links about these fish or can comment about which different types might do well with each other in a 135 gal. or if you would like to brag about yours then please post up because I would love to learn and read more about them. Thanks in advance.
Rainbow tank
- Thread starter Dino36
- Start date
i think you need to join http://bowheads.org/
lots of great info and experienced people on there. i have M.boes, M.lacustris, goyders, incisus. they all get along great for now but i have herd the incisus can get aggressive, ill just have to watch him.
lots of great info and experienced people on there. i have M.boes, M.lacustris, goyders, incisus. they all get along great for now but i have herd the incisus can get aggressive, ill just have to watch him.
Thanks for the link. I joined up, they have some great info on rainbows there. I'll have to do some reading in the archives.
I found this site to be the authority on rainbowfish (I think I've posted this link like 100 times now LOL). http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Contents.htm
The species I have now are Melanotaenia boesemani, M. lacustris, M. trifasciata, M. splendida splendida, M. maccullochi and they all get on great. I have 3 big male (over 10cm) splendida rainbows and they get on great beacuse they are all of slightly different sizes. This allows them to form definite pecking order and they show hardly any aggression.
My favourite way to show rainbows is to have a mixed school of the bigger rainbows and another school of one of the dwarf species of rainbows (or Blue-Eyes). This makes the bigger species feel more secure and helps limit aggression too (not sure why).
I'd love to be able to set up a 6ft tank full of rainbows, can't wait to see pics.
Here's some of my rainbows.
The species I have now are Melanotaenia boesemani, M. lacustris, M. trifasciata, M. splendida splendida, M. maccullochi and they all get on great. I have 3 big male (over 10cm) splendida rainbows and they get on great beacuse they are all of slightly different sizes. This allows them to form definite pecking order and they show hardly any aggression.
My favourite way to show rainbows is to have a mixed school of the bigger rainbows and another school of one of the dwarf species of rainbows (or Blue-Eyes). This makes the bigger species feel more secure and helps limit aggression too (not sure why).
I'd love to be able to set up a 6ft tank full of rainbows, can't wait to see pics.
Here's some of my rainbows.
Wow, nice rainbows, love the colors ^^. Thanks for the link. I also want to do a few of the larger species mixed with some smaller ones. I need to do a little more reasearch so I can learn more about the proper species names so I can describe some of the ones I like without sounding like a newbie lol. I will be post up some pics when the 6 footer gets going 
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I was in a small pet store the other day and the owner had a large heavily planted show tank with Rainbows in it. Australians, New Guinea, Boesmani, and a school of a type I had never seen before. The top half of the fish was a deep blue and the bottom was white. Absolutely gorgeous against the green plants.
I think it is this one with the top being a darker blue.
Common Name: Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Scientific Name: Melanotaenia lacustris Munro, 1964
I have been tempted to get Boesmani but they are $9 each here. I read they like company and can grow too large for me to keep a school in a 55 gallon.
I think it is this one with the top being a darker blue.
Common Name: Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Scientific Name: Melanotaenia lacustris Munro, 1964
I have been tempted to get Boesmani but they are $9 each here. I read they like company and can grow too large for me to keep a school in a 55 gallon.
One extra thing. Rainbows look great in planted tanks but the big males love to destroy plants as well (mine have nearly wiped out 2 java ferns). If you can get the plants established first that would be a good idea. I've found anubias species a really great plant to have with rainbows. If your getting small fish however it's not so much of an issue.
Probably useless information but anyway. Some species look completely different depending on what creek/river system they originate from. If at all possible get the common name, scientific name and river or origin. Of course this only really matters if they're young.
Probably useless information but anyway. Some species look completely different depending on what creek/river system they originate from. If at all possible get the common name, scientific name and river or origin. Of course this only really matters if they're young.