Rainbow fish impressions?

[ErinMcG]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for inspiration for my new 29 gallon (thread is here) and someone suggested that I check out rainbow fish as a rather under appreciated variety of community fish.

I've done a bit of poking around and generally like what I see, but I've had conflicting advice from my LFSs and was hoping to hear from people who have kept them.

LFS one says that they are expensive and picky about things like temp and pH. They don't carry them often.

LFS two has Gertrude's blue eye; Dwarf neon; Threadfin; and Forktail. They said that they are easy unless you are trying to breed them. And they are all typically about $5.99 (Cdn).

Now, obviously, I'd prefer to listen to LFS two. After all, they stock them. Equally, they may just want me to buy some.

Do you have any experience with any of these fish? They are all very young still, so don't look a whole lot like their photos on the web. Can I expect that as they grow, their colours will develop more and their fins will take on the funky shapes (e.g. the Gertrudes at the LFS look very streamlined compared to photos like this.)

Are they easy to care for? Would they be ok in a 29 gallon community tank, whose other occupants would likely be a school of pygmy cories or other small cory variety?

Cheers,
E

 

[Laser]

I know someone on the forum has experience with the Dwarf Neon Rainbows. I came close to buying them, but my LFS was asking too much for them IMO... they wanted 10 dollars for males and 8 for females. Everytime I go in there I see the same Dwarf Neons swimming around. I think they are a pretty hardy fish all things considered. I would probably stick to dwarfs for a 29, the non-dwarfs can get rather large.

 

[blert]

I love my Dwarf Neon (Praecox) Rainbows.
They are schooling fish so you will need five or more. Keep either all males or all females or mix at a 1:3 ratio or the females will get harassed to death. They are not hard to keep at all and they are very peaceful.

 

[Botanica]

In my limited (@3 months) experience with rainbowfish (Turquoise and Dwarf Neon) I have found them to be a very peaceful and easy to care for fish. They are always active and swimming around the tank giving us all a show...and what a show! The Turquoise are a stunning mix from cobalt to aqua to emerald...depending on the light. They are one of my favorite fish so far!

 

[TheFishBoss97]

IME with rainbows(i've owned praecox, boesmanis, threadfins, and red irians) they do always seem to color up after a while and look like ones in pics you see online

+1 with them being peaceful^

But personally, I'd say give them some more room or get 8 MAX in a 29G for either threadfins or praecox

get ALL males if praecox, they will look AMAZING

boes will get huge...

 

[ErinMcG]

But personally, I'd say give them some more room or get 8 MAX in a 29G for either threadfins or praecox

get ALL males if praecox, they will look AMAZING

Would that be 8 for the whole tank, or 8 plus the cories I'd like to have? (Is it a swimming space thing or a bioload thing, or both?)

And is it easy to tell males from females when they are juveniles?

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. I love AA.

 

[Bottomfeeder88]

I have 4 praecox 3 splendida and 3 turquoise in my 29g. I spent $15 for all 10. Would just stick to the dwarf neon and turquoise maybe some of the pseudomugil species like signifer they stay relativity small.

I also have several other fish in there including a pair of GBRs. It's a happy tank everyone gets along.

 

[blert]

...
get ALL males if praecox, they will look AMAZING
...

I think the females look pretty sweat too. Plus, you get to see some more behaviors when you mix them.

...
And is it easy to tell males from females when they are juveniles?
...

They must develop their color before you can sex them. Males will have all red fins and females will have some yellow or orange in their fins. As they grow the males face will kind of pinch at the "nose" and the females will not.

 

[librarygirl]

I have a 29 gal with Gertrude's blue eye; they are very pretty fish, particularly when the males flare/display. They're peaceful, get along well with the other fish, pretty easy to care for IMO. I have 6 currently.