rainbow fish...breeding?

[Umberle]

I just got a tank and among other things it came with two rainbow fish. I haven't yet figured out what kind of rainbow fish or, in fact, if they are even of the same type. One, however, is very sleek and brightly colored and the other is a little more subdued in colored and pretty round in the belly.

Just tonight they've started sitting still next to each other, head to head and tail to tail, and vibrating. Is this mating behavior....or just rainbow fish having fun?

 

[Zezmo]

I think there is some concern in Rainbowfish breeding in the USA about maintaining pure lines. This is because new breeding stock can not be imported from Australia.

Rainbows like a mop, or moss or other plant to breed on. The female will release her eggs, and the male will fertilize them. With mature rainbows, this can be every 15-30 minutes all morning long, and can result in hundreds of eggs.

Most species of larger Rainbowfish have fairly rough mating rituals. Lots of bumping and nipping. The male will display his flasher (on his forehead), the female will wiggle. They will ram eachother a few times, and then the eggs come.

The eggs typically take about a week to hatch. And about 6 months to reach a sexually mature size.