Schooling fish..

[Adcoffman]

As I stated in my previous post, I am very inexperienced with aquariums & had no idea of the maintenance/stress/excitement that can go into them! I just wanted to stress that fact. lol

My question is about rainbow fish. We had bought 2 about 5 weeks ago and today we lost one due to swim bladder & ignorance (being totally honest). I just read that the rainbow fish are happiest in groups of at least 6 and we only have 1! Will that stress the rainbow fish bad until we can get more? Also, with a 25 gal tank and 2 dalmation mollies, 2 platys, 2 mystery snails, 1 plecostima(sp?), how many would be too many? Thanks in advance!

 

[abrahamavelar]

What kind of rainbow also that tank its too small for all of that

 

[Adcoffman]

Thank you for your honesty. We've been told by multiple store workers that we could still get a few more! I'm not entirely sure on what kind of rainbows they are. It was something the store people kind of talked us into & I've grown to really like. The look like maybe regal rainbowfish but they are still young so I'm not sure. Their tails are green & they look kindof silvery. We were told they would change their coloring as they got older.

 

[abrahamavelar]

U could keep the mollies n platys but not the pleco he will get 14+" can u post a pic also depending on the rainbow thw size tank ull need, we r here to help eachother

 

[Adcoffman]

Ok I'll try to get a pic up by tonight. This has made me think of another question tho. How long do these types of fish take to mature & get to full size? I'm hoping to be able to get a bigger tank in the future.

 

[Adcoffman]

Also, the main question, will being the only rainbow fish in the tank stress it out too much?

 

[abrahamavelar]

Probably tje reason they school ots safty in numbers n need to be with others to feel happy

 

[Adcoffman]

This is the best I could do. He was following me straight on. Lol

 

[absolutangel04]

I am not familiar with that species of rainbow. I would actually suggest making a thread to ask people for help identifying it. There are some people here that know a lot about different rainbows. All the rainbows that I know of do need a school, but if you get a positive id on yours, then people will be able to tell you more.
Another thing, do you know what type of pleco it is? Again, you can put up a picture and ask members if you aren't sure. The common pleco can reach well over a foot. But, there are other smaller species who would fo fine in your tank.
I have had dalmation mollies as well. Very pretty fish. I keep platys too. Do you know what genders those species are?

 

[Adcoffman]

I'm not too sure of the kind of pleco. Right now he's hanging out inside the castle so I can't get a pic. I've wondered about his size tho because I've seen some in other tanks that were HUGE that looked just like it. Can you tell me some of the kinds that would fit well? I'll try to get a pic again later. Thanks!

 

[absolutangel04]

Bristle-nose plecos, pitbull plecos (they should be in groups), clown pleco, and zebra pleco are the ones I know of off the top of my head. Otocinclus are another good option.
Common plecos are one of the most frequently sold plecos. Stores tend to just put them in tanks labeled "pleco" or "algae eater' and not actually tell people that the species gets huge. They have even been known to reach 2 feet in some cases.

 

[Adcoffman]

Thanks so much for the info! Wow! It's amazing what you hear from the store employees vs experience!!!

 

[absolutangel04]

Thanks so much for the info! Wow! It's amazing what you hear from the store employees vs experience!!!

Yep, thats very true. There are definitely some great fish store employees out there, but it seems to me that you run into far more poor ones than good ones. I have heard some very wrong things from fish stores, but now that I know a bit more about fish, its easier for me to tell which people know teir stuff and are reliable.

 

[abrahamavelar]

I am not familiar with that species of rainbow. I would actually suggest making a thread to ask people for help identifying it. There are some people here that know a lot about different rainbows. All the rainbows that I know of do need a school, but if you get a positive id on yours, then people will be able to tell you more.
Another thing, do you know what type of pleco it is? Again, you can put up a picture and ask members if you aren't sure. The common pleco can reach well over a foot. But, there are other smaller species who would fo fine in your tank.
I have had dalmation mollies as well. Very pretty fish. I keep platys too. Do you know what genders those species are?

+1 beautiful fish tho

 

[Adcoffman]

I forgot to answer your question. I have 1 male & 1 female of both my mollies & platys. I have no idea when it comes to the rainbow. . That is another concern for me.

 

[absolutangel04]

I forgot to answer your question. I have 1 male & 1 female of both my mollies & platys. I have no idea when it comes to the rainbow. . That is another concern for me.

Ok, livebearers like mollies and platys do much better in groups of 1 male for every 2-3 females. The males tend to be very resolute in chasing the females, so the females get really stressed out over time. If you have multiple females, then the attention gets spread out between them and each female can get a break from the constant harassment. I suggest you add more females, or else replace the males with females.
Still not sure about the rainbow, but I will google a few species to see if I can find it. Otherwise, hopefully another member will chime in with a rainbow id for you.

 

[Adcoffman]

Here is a pick of my pleco. May not be the best, he's at the back of the tank so I was at a weird angle.

 

[abrahamavelar]

To me it looks like a common

 

[absolutangel04]

Yeah, it looks to me like a common as well. I am not an expert pleco identifier by any means, but it certainly does not resemble any pleco I know of that is suitable for a small tank. Sorry.

 

[Adcoffman]

No need to appologize. It's not like you are the one who told me it was ok! Lol. Will it be ok for a while at least? Or should we immediately pass it along? I have no idea what to do with a live fish! I've only had to get rid of dead ones! Will pet stores take them?