# A few of my Rainbowfish...



## sanj

I began my Rainbowfish addiction about 7 years ago soon after I bought my first house. I now keep and 'encourage to breed' several species.

I think these fish have been underated for far too long, not least because they are so drab in shops. The fact is Rainbowfish improve in colour with age and that is part of the reason they are not more popular. 

The M.Aru II was only introduced into the hobby in 2007.

I am still very amature with photography so the pics arent all that great but give an idea of what the fish look like. With the exception of the rubrostriata and M.lacustris all the others are young fish less than a year old and not showing full colour or body development. Not the best photos but these are a few of the species i keep.






Melanotaenia splendida rubrostriata




Melanotaenia lacustris




Melanotaenia Aru II 




Melanotaenia Aru II with flash




Chilatherina bleheri


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## Pixels

Thanks for sharing the pics. 

The idea of adding some rainbows to my 180 litre is really growing on me. They do however appear get quite large!

Currently contemplating _Melanotaenia praecox_, but any alternative suggestions would much appreciated. 

Cheers
Paul


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## Gill

Lovely shots of some very underated fish. For My I Love the Smaller Rainbows Like threadfins, celebes and gertrudes. 
I must admit i am not a great fan of the larger rainbows, but these are peaking my interest Melanotaenia splendida rubrostriata


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## sanj

Pixels said:
			
		

> Thanks for sharing the pics.
> 
> The idea of adding some rainbows to my 180 litre is really growing on me. They do however appear get quite large!
> 
> Currently contemplating _Melanotaenia praecox_, but any alternative suggestions would much appreciated.
> 
> Cheers
> Paul



Hi Paul,

Praecox is 'the classic' smaller  Melanotaenia rainbow today, although M. Muccullochi and M. pygmae grow to about 2-2.5". In the wild they can get a little larger. m.parva is also 3" max.

The is a bit of an issue with mass bred praecox, they have weakened considerably in the trade and often succumb to mycobacteria based infections like waisting and sores. They often do not live long. I have the Pagai strain which is a fairly recent edition to the gene pool and so hopefully will be hardier. 

The pseudomugils stay even smaller 1-1.5" I keep the P.gertrudae Aru II form which is lovely, slightly on the larger end of the Pseudomugil size range.

Gill,

thanks for the comments. The larger bows certainly do need larger aquariums ~250 litres 4ft long min really, but yes i think both the larger and smaller guys have thier attractions.


Ill keep adding photos as the fish grow and develop.


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## sanj

I managed to get a better shot of the dominant Aru male. The blues,mauves and violets will intensify as he gets older.
He was a real bugger to get a shot off too busy tarting around with the young Aru females. There are about 30 in total, young adults and fry. It would be great to get a pic of him displaying.









Other inhabitants:




This is one of 8 Puntius denisoni, i lost my largest one a few months ago s/he was over 6"! This one is unusual in that it sports a yellow tail spot on its ventral fin, none of the others have it.





Oh and here is a shot of some of the Munky's there are 12 in total, these guys like most loaches need to be in groups the larger the better and not less than 5.


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## misscaretaker

I adore Rainbows! I was originally hoping to get some of the threadfins or gertrudes but with an adult angel in the tank I had to adjust my ideas. I went for the 'classic', as you say, M praecox and after only 3 weeks in the tank their colours have doubled in intensity. Hopefully they won't be short lived! They've really brought my remaining 4 red eyed tetra out of themselves, they stay together all the time at the moment!


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## Pixels

Thanks for the info. I think I will be keeping my eye for some _M. praecox_ now! 

Cheers
Paul


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## sanj

Some pics and a video of some of my Arus and others.

The Arus are now 14months old, but they still will take more time to develop their full colours.




A dominant male on its own





Maybe the video gives abetter idea of how the colours are developing. Compare this to how rainbows look in shop tanks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMvJ_ZXZ7-0

Hope you like.


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## Gill

Gets Better everytime, what camera you using


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## Garuf

Holy lord, I wish I had your tank/collection. They're breathtaking.


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## sanj

Does the music work when you watch the vid. It only seemed to for me when i switched settings to higher than 360p?


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## Garuf

I turn the sound off, the music is never to my taste. Seems to be working fine to me though.


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## sanj

Rainbowfish typically grow slowly....quite frustrating sometimes. 

A few more pic updates, most are still jeuveniles or young adults:

*Melanotaenia affinis "Pagwi" *- two yound males around 2.5", they will mature at 4-5" eventually and colours will get better.




*Glossolepis dorityi "Lake Jaigum"* - this is also known as the Zig Zag rainbowfish. Those zig zag stripes sometimes look as though they are coming out from the fish, a bit like looking at them through 3-d glasses.




*Glossolepis pseudoincisus "Lake Ifanten"*- this is not the salmon red rainbow which is common in shops.




*Melanotaenia boesemani "Lake Aitinjo"* this strain is more orange and smaller than the larger Ayamaru variety. This fella is only 1.5" and illustrates that males in this species do have colour when small. Beware of LFS that claim drab fish with no yellow/orange will colour up... they are probably females.



*
Melanotaenia trifasciata "Habgood River"* - these are taking forever to grow and are only 2" now the adult colouration on these are blues on the body and red fins. Trifasciatas are some of the largest rainbows growing up to 5-6", but this form stays a little smaller. Im not really doing it justice taking photos of it this small.




*Melanotaenia inornata "Salt Creek" *- only a 1" er. Inornata's have amazingly patterned fins...again this one needs to grow up before he can show them off properley.







*Melanotaenia inornata "Flat Rock Creek" *



*
Melanotaenia Maccullochi "Eubenangee Swamp" * - this species stays around 2"



*
Melanotaenia sp."Aru II" * - these are one of the few species I keep that have reached more or less adult size. 







*Chilatherina bleheri* - a young male, mature fish show more red and golden yellow.


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## Greenview

Glad to see you have added to this thread. The fish are looking great.


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## Gill

Absolutley Stunning Sanj, Well Worth the trip to europe


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## Mark Webb

These are stunning sanj. Are Glossolepis pseudoincisus "Lake Ifanten" easy to source? I will be looking for some nice Rainbows in the next couple of weeks for my tank.


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## Gary Nelson

Stunning fish, I had rainbows in my last set up - they are by far the best fish I've had and look great in a large group.


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## sanj

Thanks for the comments guys, no doubt they are my favourite fish, but not always the best compliment to a planted tank. 

Mark, the G.psuedoincisus is not common in UK shops, I have spotted them once though. The much more common G.incisus is similar, but it grows larger and is a more salmon red colour often with large patches of silver. I am raising some G.psuedoincisus fry, but they do take a long time to grow. 

Still more and more species are becoming available from the more dedicated shops.


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## Mark Webb

thanks sanj. Do you know of any stores who specialise in Rainbows?


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## OllieNZ

Looking good Sanj
Do you have any female Bosemanis? Would you mind posting a pic if you do?


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## sanj

Mark, there are a few stores around that stand out from the others; MA Crowland, Sweet Knowle Aquatics and Wildwoods. The latter two can send fish by mail. Even though they are better than most other LFS for rainbows I wouldnt say they are yet where they could be in regard to these fish as they still occasionally get Ids wrong and some of the fish they sell can be hybrids. 

Ollie, I will take some photos of the females and post on here.


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## Mark Webb

Thanks sanj.


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## sanj

As requested here are some pictures of female boesemanis:











Male and female.




More of the trifasciata's all still only around 2" and will end up much larger:

Melanotaenia trifasciata "Goyder River" This is a very popular and sought after form.




Melanotaenia trifasciata "Habgood River" second attempt




Melanotaenia trifasciata "Coen River" a couple of photos







Another of a M.inornata "Flat Rock Creek"




These buggers are difficult to capture, these are a blue- eye species Pseudomugil. gertrudae "Aru II". I bred these ones and they are about 6 months old, the male fins and extensions are not fully developed yet, the photos are blury but you might get an idea. They also show colour variation with yellow, orange or while accent markings. They will grow to arond 4cm.


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## sanj

Dont underestimate those rainbowfish that are commonly available, M.lacustris is up there imo one of the best coloured fish available, you just have to give a young fish a year or two and it will come up with the goods:


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## Mark Webb

All stunners sanj. Interesting to see your success in breeding. Clearly patience is the key with Rainbows as most are almost colourless when young. What temp do you keep your tank at?


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## sanj

Hi Mark,

Patience is definitely key, but on here it often seems fish are an accessory to chop and change lol. Sometimes you will see shops selling rainbowfish housing a display tank to show what established fish might look like. I keep my tank at.around 23-24 celsius.


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## Morgan Freeman

Not really a rainbow fan but I do really love those Arus.


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## sanj

Heh, im going to make this post go on forever....well until im dead 

Three strains of M. trifasciata that I keep. These fish are Rainbowfish from Australia:

Coen River:


Blyth River:


Habgood River:


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## Mihai Boldor

Great pictures, really nice fish


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## ourmanflint

Great photos Sanj. I really do like Rainbowfish, most are a bit too big for my tiny tanks so will stick with my Pseudomugils for now.

Cheers


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## Edvet

Nice fish Sanj, i Always had the idea to make a Rainbow biotope someday. Can you point me in the direction of some nice biotope pics for them? Won't the different strains interbreed?


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## sanj

Thanks all,

Edvert, I dont keep a biotype, you can get some plants that are found in the respective habitats, but harder to find for the Papua species. A lot of rainbows dont actually live in areas with a lot of dense aquatic vegetation.

Regarding cross breeding, rainbows can even do this across Genera, but the spawning shenanigans I have observed indicate that given a choice they prefer their own species, even strain. However in mixed communites with different bows eggs get eaten, but even if they survive the fry are highly unlikely too. I have never yet seen any in my larger community tanks.

Breeding always takes place by taking species out into their own tank then removing the eggs or the parents after spawning.

So you can keep strains together, but if you are going to breed from the fish, dont keep strains or species that have females that are difficult to tell apart. Alway breed in a seperate environment.[DOUBLEPOST=1396010690][/DOUBLEPOST]





> Great photos Sanj. I really do like Rainbowfish, most are a bit too big for my tiny tanks so will stick with my Pseudomugils for now.


 
There are several Blue-eye species, but also some small Melanotaenia although not as small as the Blue-eyes, more like 2"ers.


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## mikka23

Love the photos.  A couple questions: 
Where are the best places to buy rainbowfish in the UK?
What is your usual feeding pattern?


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## Andy Thurston

Hi sanj
Great thread
What do you think of these my friend bought 4 pairs from qss koi in bradford(one of the main importers of fish in my area and most of their stock comes from europe) and their great to watch


 
Your right about the lack of colour in juveniles putting people off, i've passed by many a tank because of the dull colours but i'll be looking more closely in future


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## limz_777

nice boesemanis , did it breed for you ?

also the Pseudomugil. gertrudae "Aru II" breed in 24 -25 temps ? any more info on your water parameters ?


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## EnderUK

Big clown said:


> Hi sanj
> Great thread
> What do you think of these my friend bought 4 pairs from qss koi in bradford(one of the main importers of fish in my area and most of their stock comes from europe) and their great to watch
> 
> 
> 
> Your right about the lack of colour in juveniles putting people off, i've passed by many a tank because of the dull colours but i'll be looking more closely in future



I got mine from the same place when they were a lot smaller and 6 for £15, this is probably the same batch I got 6 months ago haven't seen them get more in. They tend to look very white under the amount of light they have in the shops. Under the right lights they do flash neon and have lovely orange and red colour. They are very interesting fish, very very active. I think the right food helps, I use new era and life spectrum, they're not shy at feeding time.


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## EnderUK

from my journal


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## sanj

Sorry, I missed all these posts.



mikka23 said:


> Love the photos.  A couple questions:
> Where are the best places to buy rainbowfish in the UK?
> What is your usual feeding pattern?



There are a few reasonable places, but the more unusual species appear every now and then as opposed to routinely stocked. 

Maidenhead Aquatics Crowland (near Peterborough)
Sweet Knowle Aquatics
Pier Aquatics
Wildwoods.

I generally feed adults once/twice a day with a staple good quality flake supplemented with a whole variety of different foods( dried, frozen, live): krill, black worms, blood worms, daphnia, spirulina flake/pellets, seaweed, duckweed, blanched peas. I dont feed high protein foods (like frozen bloodworms) everyday but two three times a week, more often when conditioning fish for breeding.




Big clown said:


> What do you think of these my friend bought 4 pairs from qss koi in bradford(one of the main importers of fish in my area and most of their stock comes from europe) and their great to watch



Sorry, probably a bit late now, but from what I can see they seem ok. It is better to buy stock that has been in dealers tanks for several weeks and where fish do not show signs of lethargy, emaciation and certainly no sores on the body. If any do stay well away.[DOUBLEPOST=1399932644][/DOUBLEPOST]





limz_777 said:


> nice boesemanis , did it breed for you ?
> 
> also the Pseudomugil. gertrudae "Aru II" breed in 24 -25 temps ? any more info on your water parameters ?



Yes, the Boesemani are "Lake Aytinjo" strain, generally more orange-yellow and can be almost black on the front half under certain moods. I have bred them in small numbers.

The P.gertrudae do breed at 24-25c and the eggs hatch ok. The eggs and fry of psuedomugils tend to be larger than that of Melanotaenia and Chilatherina rainbowfish, so they tend to be more hardy, but the numbers of eggs produced are fewer.


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## mikka23

Thanks sanj.  I joined the facebook group, a lot of good info there.


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## dw1305

Hi all, 
Brilliant fish and photos, and I really like the look of these: 





sanj said:


> Pseudomugil. gertrudae "Aru II"


Cheers Darrel


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## sanj

More Rainbowfish porn anyone? 

Randy M.boesemani "Lake Aytinjo"...


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## Martin in Holland

Beautiful fish, stunning.


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## Lindy

Incredible colours.


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## Edvet

Indeed lovely colours, strangely i never did seem to like the shape of them, same with Pterophyllum dumerilli/leopoldi, Mesonauta festivus and Heros spp. Just my personal quirk


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## Dave C

Unbelievable pictures - I struggled at the start to find a focus for my tank, that is, until I came across rainbowfish - now i'm completely hooked - rainbows all the way! Stunning pictures of your fish, Sanjeev


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## candymancan

Beautiful Pictures..  I have a few rainbows myself...  Although I don't use their scientific name lol, makes it confusing to me when you do..

I used to have Celebes rainbows and some Neon Dwarf rainbows but they all died for some reason.   I had some outbreak in the tank..   My 55g tank currently only has 3 rainbows..  I have 1 female Blue Turquoise (male died a long time ago) and I have 2 Male Bosamani rainbows..  Fully grown adults.. Here is a picture of them..  They are perhaps the most stunning fish I had next to my discus.  I wouldn't mind getting more of them.   I got them as Juvies in petco for 10$


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## sanj

This is Chilatherina alleni "Wapoga"


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