Rainbow fish questions

nursie

nursie

AC Members
Jan 15, 2005
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Peoria, IL
Real Name
michelle
I have read through info that was posted in another thread, but instead of adding to that one decided to start my own.
I have 2 bosemani rainbows and 3 clown loaches I'm moving over to my 75 (yes..it's taking forever..waiting for hubby to add the extra floor support under it :rolleyes: )
Anyway...I have some small rainbows I bought at a fish auction identified as "dwarf neon rainbows"...they are an irridescent pink body with neon pink finns. From a comment I saw, I am now figuring out I can't put these in with my Bosemani's because of the size difference....is this right?

I would like to add to my bosemani's, and also introduce red into the tank, and saw the note that the parva's would also be to small. What about the glossolepis? How many of each type could I keep?

In the 75 I'll like to have 3 clown loaches, 3 striped kuhli loaches...and also a small school of some kind...white cloud minnows...or some kind of neons, and then the rainbows. Does this sound right?

In the 55 then would have 3 pearl gouramis, 3 dwarf neon rainbowfish, 6 rasboras and 3 black kuhli loaches. Not sure if I will add anything else or not. Maybe something blue?
 
ok...I'm not the best at taking fishie pics...
I guess I need more practice and a tripod. Here are 3 of the 10 gal QT they are in...

pic1.JPG pic2.JPG pic3.JPG
 
In the pictures, they look like standard enough dwarf praecox, to me.

Even still, they should be fine together. Rainbows aren't aggressive by any means, only somewhat territorial - and at that, it's usually to other adult males. I've kept boesmani in with threadfins, celebese, other larger types, and now I've got boesmani in with madagascans which are much smaller.

The real "threat", in my eyes, is mixing several large/small species and having interbreeding resulting....which is fine if you can ensure they don't go beyond the confines of your walls.

If you're in the market for some smaller rainbows, I have to suggest Celebese and/or madagascans. They're both just spectacular. The celebese stay slightly smaller than the others. I must warn againt threadfins. They are particular little buggers, IME and are a pain to feed because their mouths are sooo goshdarn tiny! Also, they may be beautiful up close, but they flare less, IME, and from any distance they just appear greyish.

And, if you ever want some larger ones, the same size as the boesmani, I have to suggest Goyder rivers (M. trifasciata). They're striking as all get out...the males at least.
 
nursie said:
I have read through info that was posted in another thread, but instead of adding to that one decided to start my own.
I have 2 bosemani rainbows and 3 clown loaches I'm moving over to my 75 (yes..it's taking forever..waiting for hubby to add the extra floor support under it :rolleyes: )
Anyway...I have some small rainbows I bought at a fish auction identified as "dwarf neon rainbows"...they are an irridescent pink body with neon pink finns. From a comment I saw, I am now figuring out I can't put these in with my Bosemani's because of the size difference....is this right?
Click to expand...
Well, Julie Zeppieri (rainbow list), who has been keeping Boesemani for 10 or so years, advised against it and no one disputed her advice. Therefore, I'm taking it :) Up to you if you want to try a mix of sizes or no.

I have (don't cringe!) 22 rainbowfish juvies and babies in my 36g tank. Eight pseudoincisus, eight parva and six duboulayi. That's why I'm rusing to get the other 75g this weekend. Anyhow the duboulayi are *big* fish. These grow 6" and two of these babies are as big as my smaller Boesemani males -- they're almost 3" already. They DO pick on the smaller rainbows and push them around. They don't bother with any other fish in the tank but the rainbows. It could be because they are crowded, have to see how they do when they are all in the 75g.

Sunday, if all goes well, they'll all go in the 75g. If I see problems, I'll take the duboulayis out and put them back in the 36g. The duboulayis are for the 3rd tank, so they can wait.

So, yah, I've seen larger bows pick on smaller ones. Dunno how bad it can get.

I would like to add to my bosemani's, and also introduce red into the tank, and saw the note that the parva's would also be to small. What about the glossolepis? How many of each type could I keep?
Click to expand...
I've read recently that bows are actually better in schools of TEN or more. Wow. Lotta bows.

Okay, parva too small, pseudo too small. We need a red rainbow, that's available over here, that grows about 4". There aren't very many that grow only 4" (or a little over) that I can find that are all red, but these ones have red on them:

Melanotaenia trifasciata grows about 4½. Color will depend on where they come from. The Goyder River origin ones have the most red, I believe:
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Trifas.htm

Chilatherina bleheri has red. Very attractive fish:
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Bleheri.htm
Here's a better picture of a male in display:
http://ftp.peninsulahatchery.com/ftppics/Bleheri2.jpg

The rest of the possible bows are orange or yellow. Are your Boesemani the yellow breeding type?


In the 75 I'll like to have 3 clown loaches, 3 striped kuhli loaches...and also a small school of some kind...white cloud minnows...or some kind of neons, and then the rainbows. Does this sound right?
Click to expand...
The smaller schooling fish will probably not be very happy. I've had neons with my bows and they tend to stay near the bottom away from them and don't school. I think it's because the rainbows are so active in the middle layer, there's no room for them.

In the 55 then would have 3 pearl gouramis, 3 dwarf neon rainbowfish, 6 rasboras and 3 black kuhli loaches. Not sure if I will add anything else or not. Maybe something blue?
Click to expand...
Well, the neons you have are supposed to be really blue :) That's why I wanted a picture. I've asked for an ID from the list because they may still be juvies. Dunno. Waiting for some feedback from them.

Roan
 
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