Rainbows

[pat3612]

I was at the fish store getting plants and decieded to check fish lol my tank hasnt cycled yet but I seen something called torquise rainbows I watched for a while they seem like cute little guys since I dont know the store people to well I was wondering if anybody had any info. Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

The turquoise rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris) comes from Lake Kutubu in the New Guinea highlands. They grow to about 5 inches and are a blue colour on their top half and a silver on their belly. Males have longer more pointed dorsal and anal fins, the females have shorter more rounded fins. Males have a yellow dorsal blaze when showing off. Dorsal blaze is stripe running along snout from first dorsal fin to top lip. They are relatively peaceful schooling fish that do best when kept in groups of 8 or more. They like a big tank for swimming and a 4ft tank is as small as you want to go for a school of these fish. They eat just about anything offered but do best on a high vegetable diet. Keep the PH above 7.0, general hardness above 100ppm, and the temp between 22 and 28 degrees C.

 

[pat3612]

The turquoise rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris) comes from Lake Kutubu in the New Guinea highlands. They grow to about 5 inches and are a blue colour on their top half and a silver on their belly. Males have longer more pointed dorsal and anal fins, the females have shorter more rounded fins. Males have a yellow dorsal blaze when showing off. Dorsal blaze is stripe running along snout from first dorsal fin to top lip. They are relatively peaceful schooling fish that do best when kept in groups of 8 or more. They like a big tank for swimming and a 4ft tank is as small as you want to go for a school of these fish. They eat just about anything offered but do best on a high vegetable diet. Keep the PH above 7.0, general hardness above 100ppm, and the temp between 22 and 28 degrees C.

Thanks for the info at the store they told me they ony grow 3ins and are not schooling fish, this site is great and everyones so helpful.

 

[Colin_T]

all rainbows are definitely schooling fishes and in the wild occur in groups of hundreds so it is best to keep a group. They will live happily with other rainbowfishes so if you want to get 4 lacustris and 4 of another rainbowfish they will school together and still be happy.
In the wild M. lacustris grow to about 4 inches but in captivity they get a little bigger. Good quality fish should get to 5 inches in a 4x2x2 ft tank when they are over 2 years old. Smaller tanks will limit their size. If kept in large outdoor ponds they can get to 6 inches but it tanks time.

 

[steelhealr]

If you have questions about fish..go to the top of the homepage and click on the TFF Fish Index. This is a list of various fishes kept by our members. In fact, uh...look what's posted up there:

http/www.fishforums.net/content/Oddballs...bu-Rainbowfish/

Have fun.
SH

 

[Mikaila31]

Home of the Rainbowfish

 

[Colin_T]

you can also go to angfa.org

ANGFA is a society that specialises in Australian & New Guinea natives fishes including the rainbowfishes. They do a neat booklet called Fishes of SAHUL. Worth reading if you want to know about rainbows.