Interesting Rainbowfish behavior

[coyotesweat]

Hi all!

My tank is doing well... except that some of the neons I put in died (after having read all the neon threads I've decided not to replace them, as they're probably too fragile in our alkaline ph water). So I put in 4 black skirt tetras yesterday instead.

And suddenly, all of my rainbowfish are flaring and looking very pretty indeed, as though they were ready to spawn or something. I have 2 male dwarf praecox rainbows, 2 female praecox, and one Boesmani male. They've all gone very bright colored... the Boesmani is especially brilliant today, with lots of blue and really bright yellow. They're flirting with each other a lot, too.

Any idea what caused this? The only thing that changed was the addition of the black skirt tetras, but they do not seem to be harassing the other fish at all, in fact, they seem very well behaved so far. The dwarf gourami continues to mind his own business, and the black skirts aren't harassing him, either.

I did do a water change yesterday, but it was the same as I do every week on Tuesdays: about 6 gallons of the 30, same temp, etc.

It has made them even lovelier to look at, and their appetite & activity levels seem normal.

Ideas?

Coyote

 

[talloulou]

Rainbowfish do color up as they mature. Mine were pretty dull when I brought them home but now they are striking indeed. Did you just get yours? Perhaps it's what your feeding them, perhaps it's age, lighting, spawning behavior, or maybe they are just showing off for the new additions. But apparently you are doing something right!

 

[Hrafnkel]

Where do you even find Rainbow fish (except liveaquaria)? I've never seen one up close or in real life at all. Does Petsmart carry them?

 

[talloulou]

My local petsmart occasionally has what they call "Australian Rainbowfish." I have never seen bosemani rainbowfish at Petsmart. I got mine at local business called Aquarium Paradise. Check the small local fish stores in your area.

 

[Hrafnkel]

I've checked nearly all the LFS's within 2 hours of here. No rainbowfish. Might could get one of them to order it for me, though, if I ever want it. Don't have room right now, though! Tanks are nearly full, 'cept for room for that Rubberlip pleco I'm getting.

 

[coyotesweat]

I've had these for about a month now... but they brightened up overnight last night. Even the female Praecox are bluer & more irridescent today, and the male Boesmani is doing a lot of flirting (darting up to the other rainbows, then turning away at the last minute, not nipping, just showing off). And his dark bands along his sides behind the gills are darker too. I've been feeding them (alternately) all purpose tetra min flake food, betta min flakes, and occasional snacks of dried bloodworms. Plus some algae discs for the cories & algae eater. The Boesmani is nowhere near mature, he's about an inch and a half long now... the rainbowfish show tank at the LFS where I got the rainbows has some in the 4-5 inch range that are GORGEOUS.

Maybe they just like the Black Skirt Tetras... or maybe they're scared of 'em and showing off in bravado... who knows what goes through their fishy little minds. The only thought I'm sure of is the "feed me feed me feed me" dance they do when I come up to the glass...

 

[coyotesweat]

Where to get Rainbowfish? Maybe your local aquaria store will order some for you? I've seen Australian Rainbows at petsmart, (but they get too big for my 30 gal at 4 inches... that's why I just have the one Boesmani). And I've seen dwarf Praecox rainbows at Wal-mart, of all places... they looked pretty healthy for walmart fish too. you'd probably want to isolate them for a few weeks in a ten gallon if you get 'em from Walmart... their fishkeeping skills leave a lot to be desired.

I got mine at a local fish store named Amazonia... they've been in business forever and have a beautiful show tank of adult rainbowfish of all sorts. Last month they had the dwarf praecox rainbows, male and female; the Boesmani rainbows, male and female, and some Irian rainbows... gorgeous! The Irian were too expensive for me (about 20 bucks each), but they had a sale and I got the Boesmani for about 14 bucks... the dwarf Praecox were only about 5 bucks apiece, a bit less for the females. Thanks to the fish sale, they sold all the Irians and male praecox, so I'm glad i got 'em when I did. Eventually, I want to talk hubby into a 55 gallon so I can have my own Rainbowfish show tank... I'll be working on it. they are very beautiful fish. Just make sure your local fish store is keeping them in your local tap water. I heard a horror story from a guy who got one elsewhere and was told by inexperienced help they had been at the store for a couple weeks. He brought home an expensive boesmani, and it immediately died. When he went back to the store, they told him it had just arrived the previous day, and oh, by the way, did you know they prefer brackish water. Poor fish had been moved from high salt to no salt and couldn't handle the change. Mine (and amazonia's) seem to do fine in our somewhat alkaline tap water with no salt added.

LOL... more fish in my future...

Coyote

 

[Zezmo]

I have several species of Rainbows. The adult males pretty much flare themselves all day and all night. The females flare a lot too, but thier beauty is more subtle. You can tell if it is happy flaring (mating based) because most Male Rainbows have a flasher. This is a stripe running from thier nose to the begining of the dorsal fin. It flashes bright colors during mating display. My Red Irian (incisus) male used to flash a bright orange stripe... it was so bright it was unbelieveable. At first he would only do it occasionaly. But as he matured that thing was almost always on. He'd turn on the flasher and swimaround like crazy. My Splendid Rainbow has a has a bright Purple flasher. The Parkinsoni's do not seem to have a flasher. But for one male his side goes from silver to green, the other one goes to a pink color.

 

[czcz]

If you're interested in buying online, I visited Tanner, aka Rarefish on aquabid, when I picked up my blue eyed rainbowfish. Very nice guy and excellent stock. His breeder gave me my first tour of a fishroom and showed their breeder mop setups, and patiently answered all my questions. I would not hesitate to buy from them again.

 

[Zezmo]

I have seen Boesemani's labeled as "Australian Rainbows" at petsmart (and at petco). I have also seen what looked like Millenium Rainbows under this name. Mostly what I see under that name are "mutts" of some mixed and indeterminate breed.
If they had the rainbow fish, whose common name is often Australian Rainbow fish, they would have these: Melanotaenia splendida australis, Western Spendid Rainbow
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/australis_GS.jpg

 

[Zezmo]

BTW - If you are up for it, I am pretty sure teh best way to buy rainbows online is to buy a mop of eggs from a breeder. Easier, safer and cheaper to ship. THey are fairly easy to hatch and raise after that.

 

[talloulou]

Awhile ago I heard that the boesmani rainbowfish were considered endangered in the wild. That could explain why they are sometimes hard to find. I have no idea if the ones offered for sale are bred in aquariums or wild caught. Hopefully they are bred. 8O

 

[talloulou]

did you know they prefer brackish water.

Coyote

I never heard that before...

 

[Zezmo]

Rainbows prefer very clean water. As they come from very clean water in the wild. Australia does not allow export of rainbow fish to the US. All (legal) Rainbow fish in America are bred from stock that was available prior to the ban. This is why there is such a concern for one, not cross-breeding, and two, that some species are losing thier color/viability due to not enough breeding stock. (ie Florida fish farm mass production)

 

[coyotesweat]

LOL, actually, I did check the habitat for the various rainbows on this site:

http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Melanotaenia.htm

This is a great resource on rainbowfish... lots of species listed, with pics of each and collection, habitat and distribution info.

Most come from rivers and streams, but some come from lakes, swamps, lagoons, or areas around the headwaters or outlets of rivers, so depends on which species exactly, I guess. Some have the temp and ph change throughout the year from acid to very alkaline, some live in clear water, others with lots of turbidity. As near as i can tell, though, most would do just fine in nice clean, non-saline water in an aquarium, despite whatever they might have to go through in the wild. A lot of the species prefer alkaline water, but most have been occasionally collected in acid water as well, so they seem to be pretty hardy as to water conditions.

I don't plan to breed them at this time, but maybe in the future (once I've talked hubby into more tanks...) I will separate out the various species and give it a go. I don't want mutt rainbows either :?

 

[Zezmo]

That is the site that inspired me to get "into" rainbow fish. As good as those pictures are. Most rainbows look even better in person.

 

[megladonsharky]

lfs is where I got mine... I have seen some type of rainbow but not preacox in the big chain stores./