Are Any Rainbow Fish Good Solo?

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DeanoL83

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Or all they all better in schools?
 
I just ask as I want a slightly bigger fish to be the centrepiece of my aquarium.
 
I have hard water (13-14dGH) and high ph (approx 7.7).  Tank is mainly livebearers (platties and mollies), but also tetras and danios.
 
I was thinking the Melatonaie boesemani (spelling is wrong i know!), as it is a lovely blue and yellow and would add great colour to my tank - also it's not too large.
 
But i read recently that rainbows are schooling fish?  Is that true of all types of rainbows? Or is there one that may be suitable for my tank?
 
Thanks :)
 
The rainbowfishes are in the family Melanotaeniidae that has 71 identified species in seven genera, with several unidentified species believed to exist according to Fishbase.  Some 51 species of "rainbowfish" are classified in the genus Melanotaenia, and all are shoaling (schooling) species.  So they should be kept in groups to be at their best.
 
Byron.
 
Byron said:
The rainbowfishes are in the family Melanotaeniidae that has 71 identified species in seven genera, with several unidentified species believed to exist according to Fishbase.  Some 51 species of "rainbowfish" are classified in the genus Melanotaenia, and all are shoaling (schooling) species.  So they should be kept in groups to be at their best.
 
Byron.
 
Thanks for the reply.  A shame, as I really like the look of many of them, but couldn't fit a group in my tank.
 
Any suggestions for a slightly larger (say 6 inches) colourful, peaceful fish that is a good centrepiece fish?  To go in a planted community tank with hard water?
 
What size tank and what other fish do you have? Some of the central american cichlids could work but it really depends on tank size and tank mates, you mention live bearers and tetras - so long as they are not guppies and torpedo shape tetras like neons there are a few that could work nicely - the Danios are not really a concern as they are so fast most cichlids would never catch them - though the ones I have in mind are not predatory anyway :)
 
Wills
 
It's a 200L, 4ft long tank.  Platties, mollies, neon tetra, rummynose, serpae, zebra danios and 6 sparkling gourami who normally hide in the plants.  one RTBS who gets along well with everyone else.  
 
Pretty full tank but there are lots of plants and I do regular water changes of about 25-30% every 2-3 days and monitor water levels frequently. 
 
hmmm quite a few small and calm fish... need to have a think but someone might suggest something better in the meantime
 
Wills
 
Wills said:
hmmm quite a few small and calm fish... need to have a think but someone might suggest something better in the meantime
 
Wills
Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to think about it. Something peaceful, colourful and a bit bigger than the mollies etc will get to. That's why I was thinking a lone rainbow until I realised they're better off in schools.

Thanks.
 
Im just wondering what the numbers are in the schools and the live bearers - given what you want to achieve maybe a bit of a number and species juggle might be in order?
 
5? Platties
5? Mollies
15 of one schooling fish, preferably either the larger Serpaes or the fastest Danios - or you could put all this group into a big school of Dwarf Neon Rainbows?
6 Sparkling Gourami
1 RTBS
 
Then you could look at some of the softest Central American Cichlids like a Rainbow Cichlid or a Cutteri Cichlid would be my first choices. Cutteri would work but avoid Sajicas and Convicts. JDs would be too aggressive, Firemouths and Ellioti could be too fiesty and then I think the rest would all too big.
 
Not sure of what else to suggest...
 
Wills
 
Another really placid american cichlid is the Aquidenes Metae, I have two in with platies & gourami they are more docile than my rainbow cichlid (who is a nutter)
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Do the American cichlids prefer harder or softer water as I have hard water here.

On my phone but can give numbers of each fish when home if needed.
 
Would Metae do well in 7.7ph Star? I was airing on the side of central americans which do like hard water, where as souths generally like soft. But some souths are so tank bred they may cope in the 7.7 - though it is pretty high...
 
Wills
 
I have read reports of them spawning at 7.4.
 
It is not so much the pH (here 7.7 is mentioned) but the GH that affects fish physiology and interferes with spawning.  The calcium can prevent the eggs from hatching if any are laid, but calcium also frequently prevents spawning from even occurring.  Calcium builds up (the kidneys remove it from the water passing into the fish via osmosis) and blocks various tubes.  Kidney failure is common cause of death in soft water fish maintained long-term in harder water.
 
The GH here was given as 13-14 dGH which is fairly hard water.  In fact, of the fish already mentioned, I would expect rummynose to have real difficulty, and the neons and sparkling gourami too.
 
Byron.
 
Thanks for all the input.  I do wish I found this site and did a bit more research before stocking my tank.  Oh well, rookie mistake i guess.
 
I know better for next time at least.  I think I might just leave the tank as is for now - probably no good to add more fish to a tank if there are already some fish that would be finding it difficult in there.
 
Thanks for the help though.
 
By the sounds of it, with my hard water, I need a sole livebearer tank, or a rainbowfish tank.  Maybe next time.
 

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