# Rainbowfish?



## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

I was considering adding rainbowfish to my 55 buying have dirt and duckweed which make a lot of organic material. My water is clear but would rainbows work? I was thinking bosemoni's or turquoise.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

Rickybobby said:


> I was considering adding rainbowfish to my 55 buying have dirt and duckweed which make a lot of organic material. My water is clear but would rainbows work? I was thinking bosemoni's or turquoise.


They should be fine.

Most rainbowfish species are pretty darn hardy


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## pandamonium (May 14, 2012)

I'm a fan of the pseudomugil rainbows. IME they are quite hardy. I have a few aru II and used to have furcatas as well. I think they should be fine. My tank is full of organic matter and they still look great, flaring and all


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Rickybobby said:


> I was considering adding rainbowfish to my 55 buying have dirt and duckweed which make a lot of organic material. My water is clear but would rainbows work? I was thinking bosemoni's or turquoise.


Hi Rickybobby,

Rainbowfish are excellent in planted aquariums; I love the Melanotaenia lacustris (Turquoise Rainbowfish) in my 45 gallon.


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

Thank you guys I'm defiantly going to pick some up!


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## RD3557 (Nov 25, 2012)

Agreed. My Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (Turquoise Rainbows) are my favorite species in my 210L. Watching the males "flash" to impress the females is simply stunning. Below is a picture of my of my colorful males.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

the male species of any rainbow is fantastic to watch
most of them can even flash a colored line on their head back to the dorsal fin when displaying to females
most of the time this color is yellow.
Melanotaenia praecox are my personal favorite, followed by Glossolepis incisus
and then Melanotaenia Lacustris


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## simplicitysarah (May 14, 2012)

They are such pretty fish!! My 55 is currently in a fish less cycle and i am really leaning towards rainbows!! Tell me more! Can you mix different types of bows? What are good tank mates?!


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

The sweet terquoise I wanted sold... So I went with goider's and dwarf neons instead. In still kind of sad


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

simplicitysarah said:


> They are such pretty fish!! My 55 is currently in a fish less cycle and i am really leaning towards rainbows!! Tell me more! Can you mix different types of bows? What are good tank mates?!


Yes you can mix them and their are a lot of different tank mates just do some research


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## jstehman (Dec 13, 2010)

Rainbows rock.

I've got Turquoise, Boesemani, Kamaka, and G. Incisus in my 125. Tough little fish. Flash every morning. Never let food fall to the bottom though. If you've got cories or cats, you'll have to feed them in the dark.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi jstehman,

It sounds like you have a nice collection. Last Sunday I was in St. Louis and was invited to visit the fish room of Gary Lange, the noted Rainbowfish breeder and collector. I saw tank after tank of F1 and F2 Rainbowfish species, including some he has collected in Asia that are not currently available in the hobby. It is a very diverse family ranging from large species to ones that can be kept in 10 gallon tanks.


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## jstehman (Dec 13, 2010)

Awesome!

Did you get any pictures?


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

I have heard stories of his fabled fish room. It is a Mecca for bowheads 

He frequents Rainbow-fish.org. So far I have kept Praecox, Threadfin, herbertaxeorodi, kamaka. 

I just setup a 40b to move my herbertaxelrodi into and hopefully get some M.Nigrans or M.pygmaea. 

Here is my Male M. Herbertaxelrodi (his colors are a bit washed out, the lights were about to turn off for the night. rainbows really do show there best colors just after the lights turn on.














Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi jstehman,
> 
> It sounds like you have a nice collection. Last Sunday I was in St. Louis and was invited to visit the fish room of Gary Lange, the noted Rainbowfish breeder and collector. I saw tank after tank of F1 and F2 Rainbowfish species, including some he has collected in Asia that are not currently available in the hobby. It is a very diverse family ranging from large species to ones that can be kept in 10 gallon tanks.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

jstehman said:


> Awesome!
> 
> Did you get any pictures?


Hi jstehman,

As a matter of fact I did. I met Gary when he was a guest speaker at GSAS in May of 2011 (BTW, Gary is a very good speaker). I was bummed because I was unable to visit AGA in St. Louis last fall when they had a tour of Gary's fishroom but I was in St. Louis in January for a family gathering, contacted Gary, and he graciously offered an invitation to visit.

Gary and I









His large planted tank outside the fishroom

















Some of his tanks, each tank is labeled with the species, where and when collected, and other breeding information. Gary is meticulously careful of diseases in his tanks.


















































*Last but not least.....my new favorite 'bow!*


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

Wow some sweet colors on those bosemoni's


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi Rickybobby,

Those were Melanotaenia boesemani “Lake Aytinjo” and here is Gary's picture of the species.


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

If I had the money I would get some but they sure aren't cheap. Also I've heard they like a high ph and hard water is that true?


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## robxc80 (Aug 4, 2009)

Get the Bosemanii's. By far the best "Common" species IMO.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Rickybobby said:


> If I had the money I would get some but they sure aren't cheap. Also I've heard they like a high ph and hard water is that true?


Hi Rickybobby,

I recall Gary Lange saying that rainbowfish come from many different habitats. He keeps most of his species in standard St. Louis water or water softened with RO. I keep my Melanotaenia lacustris (Turquoise Rainbowfish) in about 5.0 dGh, 2.0 dKH, with a 6.8 PH. 

They eat dry food (TetraMin and Ken's), frozen Bloodworms, and a few times a month live White Worms (Enchytraeus albidus). The males flash every morning and occasionally I see them duck into my large Nymphoides sp. 'Taiwan' but it is a community tank with Corys and other species so I never see any fry.


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Rickybobby,
> 
> I recall Gary Lange saying that rainbowfish come from many different habitats. He keeps most of his species in standard St. Louis water or water softened with RO. I keep my Melanotaenia lacustris (Turquoise Rainbowfish) in about 5.0 dGh, 2.0 dKH, with a 6.8 PH.
> 
> They eat dry food (TetraMin and Ken's), frozen Bloodworms, and a few times a month live White Worms (Enchytraeus albidus). The males flash every morning and occasionally I see them duck into my large Nymphoides sp. 'Taiwan' but it is a community tank with Corys and other species so I never see any fry.


Thanks hopefully ill get some turquoise rainbows and if the price is right bosemaniis


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Rickybobby,
> 
> Those were Melanotaenia boesemani “Lake Aytinjo” and here is Gary's picture of the species.


As I recall the 'lake aytinjo' are a smaller speices of bosmani as well. So they do not have the large tank requirement as the common bosmani's



Rickybobby said:


> If I had the money I would get some but they sure aren't cheap. Also I've heard they like a high ph and hard water is that true?


Rainbowfish are pretty darn adapatable. the water they come from varies at different times of the year. 

Here is a good source for rainbow info too, this is Adrian Tappin's E-book on rainbowfish, he would be considered the Gary Lange of Australia lol

http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Contents.htm
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm


The one species I REALLY want is no longer available in the US due to Australian export laws.  Melanotaenia gracilis. 

I think I had heard at one point there are 60+ species lol thats a ton of rainbows right there.


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## scribnibbler (Mar 26, 2012)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Rickybobby,
> 
> I recall Gary Lange saying that rainbowfish come from many different habitats. He keeps most of his species in standard St. Louis water or water softened with RO. I keep my Melanotaenia lacustris (Turquoise Rainbowfish) in about 5.0 dGh, 2.0 dKH, with a 6.8 PH.
> 
> They eat dry food (TetraMin and Ken's), frozen Bloodworms, and a few times a month live White Worms (Enchytraeus albidus). The males flash every morning and occasionally I see them duck into my large Nymphoides sp. 'Taiwan' but it is a community tank with Corys and other species so I never see any fry.


We also give our B. rainbows St. Louis water  Just thought I'd boast a little picture of our 'Gamma Squadron':


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

Noahma said:


> As I recall the 'lake aytinjo' are a smaller speices of bosmani as well. So they do not have the large tank requirement as the common bosmani's
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you great links


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## blink (Feb 22, 2012)

I was going to post that very link but Noahma beat me to it.

I've got Melanotaenia maccullochi Skull Creeks and I love them, they're so brightly colored and bold, perfect community fish for my tank.


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## RD3557 (Nov 25, 2012)

scribnibbler said:


> We also give our B. rainbows St. Louis water  Just thought I'd boast a little picture of our 'Gamma Squadron':


Agreed. My Turquoise Rainbows are thriving and spawn regularly for me in STL water.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

LOL, I was just thinking that maybe we shouldn't be posting all these pics and saying what great fish 'bows are for planted tanks.....it will increase the demand and prices!


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## zimbo (Oct 8, 2011)

Rickybobby said:


> Thanks hopefully ill get some turquoise rainbows and if the price is right bosemaniis


I'd find a breeder if you're spooked by local prices. Most of us charge about $6 a juvenile fish - (sorry i don't have any bosemani's for the forseeable future), but there are several of us who do breed most of these fish that we get from Gary. Just snoop around the rainbowfish forum, however, you do often have to be patient to find exactly what you're looking for. While there are breeders out there, we are not a dime a dozen, and its often easier to send someone eggs rather than juveniles. You obviously have to usually pay for shipping, however, given the LFS often start at about $12 and go upwards for a single fish you will likely still come out spending less after shipping if you get a decent group. 

Cheers,
Ryan


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## Rickybobby (Jan 29, 2013)

zimbo said:


> I'd find a breeder if you're spooked by local prices. Most of us charge about $6 a juvenile fish - (sorry i don't have any bosemani's for the forseeable future), but there are several of us who do breed most of these fish that we get from Gary. Just snoop around the rainbowfish forum, however, you do often have to be patient to find exactly what you're looking for. While there are breeders out there, we are not a dime a dozen, and its often easier to send someone eggs rather than juveniles. You obviously have to usually pay for shipping, however, given the LFS often start at about $12 and go upwards for a single fish you will likely still come out spending less after shipping if you get a decent group.
> 
> Cheers Ryan


Thanks maybe ill get lucky and find someone local


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Anyone know where to find ARU II for sale?


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## zimbo (Oct 8, 2011)

Every once in a while you'll find them on www.aquabid.com , and they have incidentally been listed a few times the last few months. Otherwise go to the rainbowfish forum and ask around. Like i mentioned, you may have to be patient, esp. if you want juveniles. You're much more likely to get eggs from someone. But there's more movement on aquabid from the spring through fall. 

I'm also assuming you're referring to Melanotaenia species "ARU II" vs the pseudomogil ARU II's the latter of which are currently listed on aquabid.


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## sanj (Jan 11, 2004)

The European "Gary Lange" is Johannes Graf. I am in the UK which rainbowfish wise is poor mans country. 

I keep and breed quite a number of rainbowfish species that have come from Europe. A few different people have been into Papua and Australia over the decades and brought back species. I guess none quite beat Heiko Bleher for what he has brought into the hobby.


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