feeding rainbows

[mikemou]

Hi all,
Just added one male Bosemain(?) and one male Blueish(?) Rainbows to my 55 gal community tank to be friends with 2 CAEs, 3 guppies, 3 koi angels, 5 neons, and 7 danios.
One question though. I fed the tank twice yesterday with TetraMin(?) but the rainbows refused to eat them. Is this because of the new environment or they have specific diet needs???
Also, I think their colors are more noticeable this morning than yesterday. Is this possible or I'm just dreaming.

THANKS!!!

 

[Menagerie]

I think their colors are more noticeable this morning than yesterday. Is this possible or I'm just dreaming.

As they get comfortable, their coloring should show more.

If Webmoose doesn't pop in, PM him and ask what he feeds his rainbows.

 

[webmoose]

My rainbows attack anything I put into the tank. They usually splash me in the process. They eat flakes at the surface and algea tabs that land on the gravel. They also like frozen bloodworms. Hopefully yours are just settling in. You might want to run out and get some frozen blood worms and see what they think of that..


MOooose

 

[webmoose]

oh ya and I generally feed them in the morning when the lights are turned on.. They like that..

 

[webmoose]

Also, I think their colors are more noticeable this morning than yesterday. Is this possible or I'm just dreaming.

The color of the rainbows get very dark when they are in the dark.. The color last for a little while in the morning when the lights first turn on. You will also notice that they color up nicely when they are trying to impress a female.. I have 3 males that constantly color up for the 1 female that just swims around and ignores them..

Mooooose

 

[mikemou]

thanks much for the info. i'll see if i can find those worms. i used to feed the tank with peas as a weekly treat but they're not warmly welcomed . maybe they'll like the worms more.

btw, i thought the suggested rainbow F:M ratio is 2/3:1??? apparently it works out great for you with the opposite. i'd love to get one more male and one more female in a couple of weeks after these two have settled in.

i believe i have room for few more fishes?

 

[Menagerie]

btw, i thought the suggested rainbow F:M ratio is 2/3:1???

It is. I guess Moose could not tell the difference when he got them! I believe you have more room for rainbows!

 

[WhiteCloud]

I just got some 6 Dwarf Neon Rainbows last week.

One of them did not eat for 3 days after I got him (was in hospital tank for damaged tail from UPS delivery...which could have contributed to his lack of eating). He is eating very well now though.

I feed them Sera GVC tropical mix...and they love it. They also went bananas with Frozen Blood worms and Frozen Brine Shimp.

 

[webmoose]

I would agree that the ratio should be 2:3.. If I found more Boes. Rainbows that were definately female I would buy them. I am just afraid to buy more and end up with 16 males and 1 female..

I am sure over the long term my males will become toooo dominate in the tank and stress out the female.... If I do not get more females...

Right now it is a case of 'man they are coloring up nice' long term I don't want.. "Oh man they tore up the tank....."

The do shoal/school together so I would recommend you getting a few more.. If you end up liking them..

Moose..

 

[webmoose]

Mine also like brine shrimp cubes.. hehe.

 

[spongebob69]

just a quick question...do you guys know if rainbows breed very easily? I am thinking of starting a tank with rainbows and some yoyo loaches and wondered if i'd have a bunch of fry on my hands.

 

[webmoose]

The one rainbow male and the female do a little dance over a bulb like plant in my tank. They face each others tail.. I have a hunch they might be pretending to breed. If they are indeed breeding and laying eggs. (I have no proof of that) the eggs would likely get consumed by the community of fish..

To properly breed these guys you would want to remove the bulb plant into another tank after they laid they eggs to give the fry any chance to live.

I am sure the yoyo loaches would find the rainbow eggs a tasty snack.

The thing I've read about and would consider if I was starting a rainbow tank is on aquabid they have yarn nests of rainbow eggs that you can buy and grow out your own stock of rainbows.. So you experience the rainbow fry stage and get some rainbows out of it in the end.

Something to maybe consider.

moooose

 

[Menagerie]

With egg layers that do not guard their eggs, it is harder to get fry since the other fish eat the eggs quickly.

 

[BASSNMAN]

When you buy from the LFS, ask when they got the fish you want. Often, the fish are stressed from being delivered, then we stress them again taking them home. I bought 4 angels and 3 ate immediately and one did not eat for 2 days.

 

[mikemou]

I would agree that the ratio should be 2:3..

2 F to 3 M, right?

btw, what kind of female rainbow should i be getting or it doesn't matter as long as i know for sure it's a she?

 

[webmoose]

Bosemani rainbows females!

 

[mikemou]

Just an update.

Bought bloodworms the other day and the rainbows are feeding fine now. Thank you guys for the suggestions. Will switch back to flakes to see how they react. The bluexxxx had only a few of those worms, while the bosemani was literally attacking them. But none other fish in the tank were more aggresive than my Koi Angels... If they had big enough mouths they'd probably swallow the whole cubes and choke...

BTW, is Turquoise Rainbow the same as Bluexxxx Rainbow??? I bought my Bluexxxx @ LFS @ 10.99, only to find out few days later Turquoise's is selling 4.99 @ PetCo. They look the same to me...

 

[Menagerie]

2 F to 3 M, right

No, you always want more females than males to spread out the aggression. I think moose was saying 2 to 3 females per male.

 

[mikemou]

update.

fed flakes last night. all did well except the Bluexxx/Turquoise. he attacked the flakes but only chewed them into pieces in his mouth then spit them out. i don't think he had any down his throat.

i might have to go back to worms if this continues.

 

[WhiteCloud]

My Dwarf Neon Rainbows do not like the larger flakes...and often spit them out...until the break into smaller peices.

My just want to grind it up a little and make smaller peices. That is what I do with my Rainbow in the hospital tank. He seems to like the smaller pieces.

I am feeding Sera GVC flakes, FYI

Hope this helps