Stocking Ideas for a Rainbowfish Tank? Thoughts?

[TheFishBoss97]

Hey Guys,

So finalized what the centerpiece fish for my 112G is gonna be...Rainbowfish...I don't know what kind, but I know how many for sure...

Here is what I already going in this tank for sure(I already own)...

-1 Clown Pleco
-1 Rhino Pleco
-3 yoyo loaches

here is what is definitely going to be in the tank which I have decided on

-between 16 and 20 rainbows(mix of praecox and others); i am thinking on 2 species with 8-10 of each or maybe 3 with 6 of each

So then I guess I need some other fish to fill in the tank...I know rainbows are mid-tank swimmers with a bit of upper level...so i need a few lower level fish including bottom feeders and some upper level

I am thinking of...

-Maybe 10 rummys or similar lower level schooling fish?
-Hatchetfish? Do you think they will do fine with rainbows?
-A few corys(4-6 sterbais maybe?)

What do you guys think? Feel free to give me other options or info! I am definitely keep the rainbows FOR SURE tho and also the other fish I already own

Thanks guys!

-Ritap

 

[stephcps]

I have a rainbow tank as well. Let me tell you.... They are all over the place and extremely active. I would do 3 species with 6-7 a piece. Consider goyder river......
If you must add anything I would choose cories and call it a day. Anything else will just get lost in the crazy activity of the rainbows. You honestly don't need anything else.

 

[Mudfrog]

I keep 10 Rainbows in my 125g, it still looks a little bare. 20 would look great since they will be your focal point. If you want an interesting bottom dweller look at the Hoplo catfish. They normally get around 5-6", they school and even if kept solo they are always out and about. Mine will swim every inch of the tank on the quest for food, he'd even lounge on the lily pads at the top of the tank.

 

[Dobber]

I've had very good luck with Turquoise (Lacustris) and Red Irian (Incisis) as far as coloring and health go towards your rainbow stocking. Have only seen the Irian once at the LFS (when I bought this one). Haven't had much luck with Praecox for some reason, even though I like the coloring. I recently got 2 each of Celebes (Ladigesi) and Threadfin (Werneri) for smaller breeds of them, though can't speak to longevity.

 

[Mudfrog]

My LFS had 8 line rainbows, they looked great but at $12 each I was not going to dive into them. Would have loved to have them in my tank though.

 

[Greggz]

Here's what I have in my 120:

5 Boesemani Rainbow
4 Turquoise Rainbow (Lake Kutubu)
2 Millenium Rainbow
7 Neon Rainbow
2 Herbert Axexrodi Rainbow
4 Roseline Shark (Denison Barb)
6 Clown Loach
4 Bolivian Ram

I'll probably add a few more if I can find some nice ones.

You can see a video of my set up in thread below. Good luck with your tank.

 

[Wren]

I have 4 turquoise rainbows, 1 bosmani, and 1 red rainbow in my 125 gal. I also have about 10 tiger barbs, 2 albino bn plecos, 2 clown loaches and a yoyo loach.

My fish are all pretty old, so they are large. I think the turquoise rainbows and the tiger barbs are a really striking color combination. I would like to get more turquoise rainbows, and possibly a few more tiger barbs (not sure how kind they are to newcomers). The tigers do a nice job of schooling, and the rainbows are too fast for them to harass.

I am afraid that your hatchet fish will be scared to death of the rainbows. My rainbows are very aggressive feeders. Even for just flakes. They come up at the flakes so aggressively that they splash tank water and flakes out of the tank every time I feed them. I literally dump the food in an slam the lid closed to keep in the splashing. I think that would be a little much for the hatchets. Even my tiger barbs stay out of the way for the initial attack!

I used to have a school of cories in this tank too. They hid in a back corner. For a couple years. They didn't die, but they sure weren't thriving. I put them in a slower quieter 55 gal and now they are out and about all the time. Just FYI, since you are considering the cories. I suspect either the loaches (they can be a little scrappy and they will directly compete with the cories for food - and be faster than the cories about finding and eating any food) or maybe the tiger barbs (I never see them bother anyone but themselves, but they do have a bad reputation).

I don't know anything about the rummy noses. They do seem to occupy the right area of the tank though - the bottom half of the tank. That is mostly where my tiger barbs hang out. The rainbows have the top half, the loaches have the floor.

Add a pic when you have everyone in place!

 

[rufioman]

I have corys and Madagascar/dwarf neon (praecox) rainbows in my hundy with roselines and some other dudes. The rainbows stay in the middle to lower all of time and don't bother anyone but themselves. I have two clown loaches in my hundred as well who have made the 10" or so on the left side of the tank their territory. They don't bug anybody really, and come out from time to time to hangout with everyone and eat. I think it's just the temperament of these loaches as they massacred the other clowns that were in the tank with them.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

I have a rainbow tank as well. Let me tell you.... They are all over the place and extremely active. I would do 3 species with 6-7 a piece. Consider goyder river......
If you must add anything I would choose cories and call it a day. Anything else will just get lost in the crazy activity of the rainbows. You honestly don't need anything else.

thanks! yea, the goyders look really nice! I will just keep plecos and loaches then...no corys

I keep 10 Rainbows in my 125g, it still looks a little bare. 20 would look great since they will be your focal point. If you want an interesting bottom dweller look at the Hoplo catfish. They normally get around 5-6", they school and even if kept solo they are always out and about. Mine will swim every inch of the tank on the quest for food, he'd even lounge on the lily pads at the top of the tank.

I will check those out! thanks! and yea, i will probably have a minimum of 16 and a max of 20...

I've had very good luck with Turquoise (Lacustris) and Red Irian (Incisis) as far as coloring and health go towards your rainbow stocking. Have only seen the Irian once at the LFS (when I bought this one). Haven't had much luck with Praecox for some reason, even though I like the coloring. I recently got 2 each of Celebes (Ladigesi) and Threadfin (Werneri) for smaller breeds of them, though can't speak to longevity.

yes, i totally agree, the irians look AMAZING! thanks! I am only considering praecox because I already have owned them and I really liked them

 

[TheFishBoss97]

Here's what I have in my 120:

5 Boesemani Rainbow
4 Turquoise Rainbow (Lake Kutubu)
2 Millenium Rainbow
7 Neon Rainbow
2 Herbert Axexrodi Rainbow
4 Roseline Shark (Denison Barb)
6 Clown Loach
4 Bolivian Ram

I'll probably add a few more if I can find some nice ones.

You can see a video of my set up in thread below. Good luck with your tank.

There is no link below in your sig(I don't see a sig haha)...thanks! I might consider adding a few trios of smaller species...will they be fine despite the fact they don't have others of the same kind to school with?

I have 4 turquoise rainbows, 1 bosmani, and 1 red rainbow in my 125 gal. I also have about 10 tiger barbs, 2 albino bn plecos, 2 clown loaches and a yoyo loach.

My fish are all pretty old, so they are large. I think the turquoise rainbows and the tiger barbs are a really striking color combination. I would like to get more turquoise rainbows, and possibly a few more tiger barbs (not sure how kind they are to newcomers). The tigers do a nice job of schooling, and the rainbows are too fast for them to harass.

I am afraid that your hatchet fish will be scared to death of the rainbows. My rainbows are very aggressive feeders. Even for just flakes. They come up at the flakes so aggressively that they splash tank water and flakes out of the tank every time I feed them. I literally dump the food in an slam the lid closed to keep in the splashing. I think that would be a little much for the hatchets. Even my tiger barbs stay out of the way for the initial attack!

I used to have a school of cories in this tank too. They hid in a back corner. For a couple years. They didn't die, but they sure weren't thriving. I put them in a slower quieter 55 gal and now they are out and about all the time. Just FYI, since you are considering the cories. I suspect either the loaches (they can be a little scrappy and they will directly compete with the cories for food - and be faster than the cories about finding and eating any food) or maybe the tiger barbs (I never see them bother anyone but themselves, but they do have a bad reputation).

I don't know anything about the rummy noses. They do seem to occupy the right area of the tank though - the bottom half of the tank. That is mostly where my tiger barbs hang out. The rainbows have the top half, the loaches have the floor.

Add a pic when you have everyone in place!

sure thing! yes, I will abandon the thought of hatchets...the rummys should be fine or I might skip those altogether as well

I have corys and Madagascar/dwarf neon (praecox) rainbows in my hundy with roselines and some other dudes. The rainbows stay in the middle to lower all of time and don't bother anyone but themselves. I have two clown loaches in my hundred as well who have made the 10" or so on the left side of the tank their territory. They don't bug anybody really, and come out from time to time to hangout with everyone and eat. I think it's just the temperament of these loaches as they massacred the other clowns that were in the tank with them.

thanks dude! sounds good, I will probably just keep the loaches I have and the plecos and only add rainbows and maybe rummys...