55g Stocking Research (Rainbowfish)

[TDWagner]

Got a 55g for Christmas. ALMOST finished fishless cycling....should be ready by this weekend.

I've been researching livestock while staring at the empty tank for about 4 weeks now.

Final stock will be:
1-2 schools
1-2 non-schooling centerpiece fish (maybe)
3 or 4 bottom feeder cleanup crew type

I'd really like to go with a nice school of Rainbowfish as the main school. My favorites that I've come across so far are:
*Boeseman's - Melanotaenia boesemani
Australian - Melanotaenia splendida
Celebes - Telmatherina ladigesi
Turquoise - Melanotaenia lacustris

Any opinions as to which variety?
What about how many per school (I was thinking 5-7)? Opinions?

If I have two schools, I could go with two different types of Rainbowfish, or go one school of Rainbowfish, and one school of a different compatible species. Suggestions? Opinions?

I will probably be adding:
*Siamese Algae Eater - Crossocheilus siamensis
Sterba's Cory - Corydoras sterbai
(or some other kind of Cory) - Suggestions?
Maybe one colorful non-schooling fish as a centerpiece - Suggestions?

My goal is a peaceful community tank, but I've read that schooling fish don't school if the tank is "too peaceful". Should I look for something semi-aggressive, or intimidating-looking in order to keep a tighter school for visual impact? If they feel threatened enough to school, does that make them threatened enough to be stressed? Is that bad for them?

One of my biggest concerns is stocking the tank with fish that are compatible with my water and each other. My pH runs kinda high (7.8-8.4 ...still waiting for it to settle down and stabilize after my fishless cycle is done).

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

*Designates my favorite picks so far.

 

[pophead]

here's one for Roan Art...

 

[TDWagner]

Rainbowfish profiles from this forum:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/rainbowfish.shtml

 

[TDWagner]

here's one for Roan Art...

Yep, I already PM'd Roan Art with a link to here. Know any other Rainbowfish experts?

 

[Watcher74]

If you put a school of Boeseman's in there it should be a riot. They are extremely energetic. But I wouldn't think they would school that much unless you put a large predatory fish in there.

And that wouldn't be good.

 

[TDWagner]

If you put a school of Boeseman's in there it should be a riot. They are extremely energetic. But I wouldn't think they would school that much unless you put a large predatory fish in there.

And that wouldn't be good.

No, not good. I've had some people claim that naturally schooling fish will school even in peaceful tanks, yet other people say they won't unless threatened.

I'm hoping Roan Art will chime in about whether or not her Boeseman's do much schooling.

 

[Roan Art]

As was said, schooling fish won't school unless there is a reason to. Whomever told you otherwise is out to lunch

In order for any fish to school you have to have a large enough tank. 48" is not enough for a large fish like a rainbow to school in, even with a predator around. By the time the school "leader" gets to the end of the tank, the last one in line won't even be a ¼ of the way across. No room, no school.

The only fish that I've seen school for "no reason" are rummy nose tetras and mine are a small fish in a 36" long tank. They tend to school two-three abreast, so the school line is around 8" long.

If you are dead set on a fish that will school, then I would get a lot of true rummy nose. Very pretty fish, definitely schoolers.

As for the rainbows, they need a lot of plants as they are very O2 intensive fish, a decent current to swim in, and a lot of fresh water to stay healthy.

Your list:

*Boeseman's - Melanotaenia boesemani

Could do six-eight. They get deep bodied and can grow to 5" if they live long enough. I wouldn't add any other fish to the middle water column.

Australian - Melanotaenia splendida

I assume you mean Melanotaenia splendida australis? These are a big fish. They get to 5" and the males are very deep bodied. I wouldn't go more than six of these and I wouldn't add any other fish to the middle water column at all.

Celebes - Telmatherina ladigesi

The name is actually Marosatherina ladigesi. It was moved from the Telmatherina family quite a while ago. Don't know much about these as they are not members of the Rainbowfish family. They belong to the Athterinidae family as do Bedotia gaeyi, the Madagascan rainbow. Both of these are not considered Rainbowfish.

The apparently grow to 2", so you could probably do 8 in a 55g

Turquoise - Melanotaenia lacustris

Only some variations of lacustris are turquoise colored. Some are more blue. It depends on who bred them and for which color they bred for. They grow around 5" and are very deep bodied fish. Six would work with no other fish in the middle column.

Hope that helps!
Roan

 

[TDWagner]

As was said, schooling fish won't school unless there is a reason to. Whomever told you otherwise is out to lunch

In order for any fish to school you have to have a large enough tank. 48" is not enough for a large fish like a rainbow to school in, even with a predator around. By the time the school "leader" gets to the end of the tank, the last one in line won't even be a ¼ of the way across. No room, no school.

The only fish that I've seen school for "no reason" are rummy nose tetras and mine are a small fish in a 36" long tank. They tend to school two-three abreast, so the school line is around 8" long.

If you are dead set on a fish that will school, then I would get a lot of true rummy nose. Very pretty fish, definitely schoolers.


Hope that helps!
Roan

Well well, maybe all my research hasn't been 100% accurate so far. That's the one bad thing about the internet...conflicting information on different websites.

Anyway, I really like the coloring of the Boesmans first, and the Australians second. I'm having a hard time deciding whether to go all Boesmans, or do a mixture of Rainbowfish. If they're not really going to school anyway, then it won't matter if they're all the same type or not. What about comfort level though, will they be happier if they're all identical rather then a mixture?

OR, what about a small school (4-5) of Boesmans and a school of rummy nose or neon tetras? Would that be a bad mix?

 

[Roan Art]

Anyway, I really like the coloring of the Boesmans first, and the Australians second. I'm having a hard time deciding whether to go all Boesmans, or do a mixture of Rainbowfish. If they're not really going to school anyway, then it won't matter if they're all the same type or not. What about comfort level though, will they be happier if they're all identical rather then a mixture?

They prefer to be with their own kind, however if your tank is big enough to support 6 and 6, they stick with the right specie for the most part. You *could* go 4 and 4 with the Aussie and the Boe, but bear in mind that the Boe CAN get to 5" and the Aussie WILL get to 5". Actually, I think 5" for the Aussie is on the lean side, more like 6".

OR, what about a small school (4-5) of Boesmans and a school of rummy nose or neon tetras? Would that be a bad mix?

Can't speak for the rummys and Boes mix. I DO have a school of 8 rummys in a 65g with six silver dollars. Dollars are fairly big, but pretty timid fish. Even when they are out front, the rummys either school with or below or right through them. It might work fine.

I'd say a definite no-go with neons. They'll hide on the bottom. They don't like sharing their schooling space with big active fish. I've neons and glo-lites and they just hang at the bottom all the time when there are rainbows -- millenium, parva, boesemani, dubouyali, you name it -- are in the tank with them.

Roan

 

[TDWagner]

As for the rainbows, they need a lot of plants as they are very O2 intensive fish, a decent current to swim in, and a lot of fresh water to stay healthy.

This part kinda concerns me. I don't have plants yet as I was hoping to learn the fish part first, then delve into planting later. Is there any way to increase O2 enough to keep Rainbowfish without having plants?

I can add powerheads to give them some more current if they like that....pointing them toward the surface for agitation should give a little bit better O2 as well, right? I have an Emperor 400 biowheel, so there's some surface agitation from that as well.

Do I hold off on Rainbowfish until I'm ready to try a planted tank? Hmmm, tough decision.