I went to my LFS today and liked the look of some DNRs (Melanotaenia praecox) for my 50L tank.
They are about 2cm long right now.
I purchased 3 for £8 and asked the man for 2 females and 1 male but when I got home I noticed that I have infact been given 1 female and 2 males.

They were alright at first (cowering beneath the plants as new fish do) but now they're more settled the two males have been engaged in (as of yet) a multi-hour-tussle over the lone female and as I look to my right at the tank this morning I can see them writhing and flaring even now.



I have a 180L tank with 3 gold severums, 2 silver dollars, 2 silver tetras, 1 zebra angelfish and 1 B.R.T. Shark, do you think I should move one male into this tank and later in the week go to the same shop and select 3 females to even it out (2:4 male to female)?

Tankmates in the 50L are 4 cardinal tetras and 5 endler's livebearers.


Help and advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanks.
- Genesis

This post has been edited by 'genesis: Mar 3 2008, 07:39 AM

i made the same mistake at 1st with the dwarf rainbows, i ended up getting 3 males to 1 female, not what i had requested and only when i was doing some reading up to confirm their seeing i discovered the error, i ended u taking 2 of the males back and swapping them for females, I'm not too sure on what the exact ratio should be but i was looking for 3 females to 1 male simply so none of the females got hassled too much, i think tho in a 50l you would be better off with 2 female and 1 male, the current inhabitants will be fine for the rainbows they're quite peaceful fish.

They will spar for a bit, but shouldn't do any serious damage providing youy sort out the ratio in the next week or so. long term it's a bad idea to maintain that ratio but i wouldn't worry for a couple of days.

Agreed! M praecox flare and display frequently without causing any damange, but I would add another couple of females and maybe return one of the males.

I have 2 females and 1 male in one of my tanks and they all live together happily with displaying occasionally

Hey girls, thanks for your advice!
The fighting seems to have subsided signigicantly since I last observed them.


As I look to my right i cab see the three fish shoaling together with the two males occasionally nipping each other and flaring.


I think I will go ahead and purchase 3 more females because beleive I am far from overstocked at the moment and I will be moving all the rainbows to my 'large fish community' when they reach about 4 cm.







- Genesis