I did not like the white sand. I don't know, but I think sand gets dirty faster, so I took a week and re-did the tank with black eco complete. I also added all the Vallisneria from my 75 gallons and put it in, and pulled up the swords and put them in the 75. I will probably source some black background material as well because rainbows look great against a black background.
I got 2 fish types that I have been lucky to get. Glossalepis Wannamensis has been in the hobby for a while but has been interbred. I got a genetically pure strain Wanam "emerald" rainbowfish and his female mate. The prize though was getting a pair (genetically pure) Chilatherina Fasciata "Kali Biru." I am thrilled. Both come from the collection of a premier Rainbowfish collector.
The problem with Rainbowfish is that their populations can interbreed. They evolved their separate colors because their populations have been isolated in small cut-off rivers or ponds, most fed by rainwater. (Rain-bows? Rainwater?)
Anyway, I have several "just regular pet store" rainbow fish, but I do plan on breeding some of these pure strains because they are near extinction and need to get out there.
I ordered the fish and they came in freezing because of an unexpected snowstorm that hit that morning. I spend some time getting them warmed up. Very worried!
Kali Biru is rare and is not as colorful as brightly colored rainbows. This is a male, and he is fairly young, but his natural colors are a subtle pink and various blue-grays. He darkens up to a chocolate brown.
When they were first discovered someone tried to give them more color and kind of ruined their natural color (this was in Germany some years back), so there are some orange ones out there. That is a hybrid. This rose-petal and gray color scheme is the genetically pure form.
I got 2 fish types that I have been lucky to get. Glossalepis Wannamensis has been in the hobby for a while but has been interbred. I got a genetically pure strain Wanam "emerald" rainbowfish and his female mate. The prize though was getting a pair (genetically pure) Chilatherina Fasciata "Kali Biru." I am thrilled. Both come from the collection of a premier Rainbowfish collector.
The problem with Rainbowfish is that their populations can interbreed. They evolved their separate colors because their populations have been isolated in small cut-off rivers or ponds, most fed by rainwater. (Rain-bows? Rainwater?)
Anyway, I have several "just regular pet store" rainbow fish, but I do plan on breeding some of these pure strains because they are near extinction and need to get out there.
I ordered the fish and they came in freezing because of an unexpected snowstorm that hit that morning. I spend some time getting them warmed up. Very worried!
Kali Biru is rare and is not as colorful as brightly colored rainbows. This is a male, and he is fairly young, but his natural colors are a subtle pink and various blue-grays. He darkens up to a chocolate brown.
When they were first discovered someone tried to give them more color and kind of ruined their natural color (this was in Germany some years back), so there are some orange ones out there. That is a hybrid. This rose-petal and gray color scheme is the genetically pure form.
