Rainbows

[Beeman]

So I have got all my inhabitants nailed down for my 90g, except for my choice of a schooling group. Have researched till by eye-sight is blurred! There are sooooo many! I want color, and a healthy, sturdy species. Rainbows are catching my attention because they are peaceful, very flashy, and of a medium size as opposed to the average tetra. Can anyone give advise on the smaller scaled rainbows? I'd like to stay at or under 3". Also I'd like to narrow my search to what is actually realistically available. Many thanks

 

[scientist0724]

Neon rainbows are smaller and the smaller ones like threadfins, P. gertrudae, furcata, and celebes are nice.

Arlene

 

[toddnbecka]

Not commonly available, but M. parva are a smaller and very colorful species. They turn up occasionally on aquabid, a few folks breed/raise them. I kept a proper group (3m/2f) of praecox (dwarf neon) rainbows in a 55, and found them to be very conspecific-aggressive.

 

[londonloco]

Rachel has or usually can get Furcata's, I use them as dithers for my Tang's, they are colorful, stay smaller and peaceful.

 

[Tony]

+1 on conspecific aggression. Rainbows smaller than neons tend to be a lot less sturdy as well.

 

[YSS]

Not sure how hardy they are, but love my threadfins and celebs. I also have a third kind in my tank, but don't know what they are called. May be neons.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Rasta Fish]

H.O.T use to have a rainbow tank it was very cool
I wanted to start one but never got to it i keep getting more and more cichlids

 

[Beeman]

They did have a few when I was there two weeks ago. The celebes caught my eye. Searches on-line call them 'delicate'. But what small schooling fish isn't? Is anyone in the forum breeding these?

 

[dogofwar]

Celebese Rainbows are brackish, I believe...so probably not good with Amazonian fish.

Matt

 

[Avatar]

You have something against tetras?

If this is indeed to be an Amazonian tank not sure why you'd jump to another continent for fish when there are so many "natives" available. Columbian tetras are large, lovely and well-behaved, not to mention a lot cheaper than rainbows. You might check them out. Alternately I have a dozen Buenos Aires tetras I'm looking to re-home that are pretty and amicable as well if not quite as fetching as the Columbians in my opinion.

 

[Beeman]

If this is indeed to be an Amazonian tank not sure why you'd jump to another continent for fish when there are so many "natives" available. Columbian tetras are large, lovely and well-behaved, not to mention a lot cheaper than rainbows. You might check them out. Alternately I have a dozen Buenos Aires tetras I'm looking to re-home that are pretty and amicable as well if not quite as fetching as the Columbians in my opinion.

I have to agree, as I wasn't sure I wanted to deviate either. Although I'm not necessarily creating a biotope, I was trying stay with CA/SA. But I just wanted to see a school of something other than the same ol' same lfs tetra. Still considering :wacko: