Advice Please On New Fish

tibby25731 · Jan 7, 2009

I got some new fish last night. I got 12 male black bar endlers who are in my 4ft community tank and doing very well. However, they are so small they seem lost! I was thinking about getting some females too and letting them breed to expand the population - I know in a community most fry will not survive, and plan to move preganat fish to my quarantine to give birth if I want to save the fry. How often do these fish breed, and how many fry do they produce on average? Anything else I should know??
I also got 2 male threadfin rainbows. They went into the same tank but half an hour later, after they had been chased by my ginat danios who thought they had new playmates, my krib took a chunk out of one of their fins. And ate it, with a demonic look on her face! I swear her eyes glowed red

So I netted them and moved them to my 2ft community, which currently houses a female betta, a bristlenose, 3 platies and 4 swordtails. Will they be OK with these fish - none of them are nippy. Also, is the tank big enough for them to grow properly? Capacity is approx 50 litres. If I am now overstocked, i can move the platies and swords to the bigger tank, no worries. I am also thinking of getting a girl so that the boys display their full colours - will 1 girl with 2 boys be a problem? Any advice would be great since there doesn't seem to be a lot of info about these fish online... or I am looking in the wrong places!

Thanks

minxfishy · Jan 7, 2009

The threadfins should be ok with those fish, maybe the female betta might be a problem, but doubtful. They dont get very large, but I must say I think a 2ft would better for them, purely for the swimming space.

For a good read up on them (and other rainbows) have a look here: http

/members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/ Site is: Home of the rainbowfish and its fantastic for information on all different species of rainbows.

tibby25731 · Jan 7, 2009

Thanks minx! the female betta is pretty placid except when someone steals her food, lol, and I already make sure the other fish are occupied at the opposite end of the tank to her come feeding time

I'll take a look at the website, thank you!

tibby25731 · Jan 7, 2009

OK my rainbows are happy in the 2ft, swimming round and exploring together. I'm gonna leave them there but move my swords out to the main tank - need some mid dwellers! Might move the platies too, will wait and see how the 2ft looks without the swords...
Am definitely gonna get some girl endlers and breed some, I'm gonna make room for the betta in my quarantine tank elsewhere so i can use the quarantine for pregnant endlers and then to raise the fry. I'll soon have a little swarm of them! They are so little, the boys, and the breeder tells me they dont really grow much bigger - they are currently smaller than neons! I am guessing they are no real strain to the bioload cos of their size? I know the girls are more guppy sized, just gonna get 5 of those for now and if I keep getting girls from the spawns I will rehome some or sell them on, I want mainly boys for the beautiful colouring.
Any other advice please?