Sexing Bosesmani Rainbowfish

[twodoctors]

How does one sex boesemani rainbowfishes? I have 8 good size ones all coloured up well. I would love to have a go at breeding them. How do I sex them? Is my 18x10x10 big enough to keep a pair in there to breed? Thanks.

Adrian

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Don't females have greeny yellow flanks, while only the males look like a steely blue front fish stuck onto the rear of a golden yellow one (plus a dramatic deepening of the body behind their gills, almost looks like the head is squashed)?

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks. Any photos?

Mine are about 7-8cm. They have beautiful colours. I can't believe I managed to get all males with random picks, but they all look pretty similar to me. I shall have another look when the lights come on in the morning.

Anyone with experience in breeding them? Any tips?

Adrian

 

[Sanj]

Thanks. Any photos?

Mine are about 7-8cm. They have beautiful colours. I can't believe I managed to get all males with random picks, but they all look pretty similar to me. I shall have another look when the lights come on in the morning.

Anyone with experience in breeding them? Any tips?

Adrian

Male Boesmani

Femaile Boesmani

Male and female

Males are more colourful and have a definate Yellow colouring to the latter half of the body whereas females do not exhibit such bold colouring. Females tend to be a general olive green- yellow, black markings and with perhaps streaks of yellow or orange.

Very simply: spawning can be accomplished in the tank if they are the only species in there. You dont want to breed with other rainbowfish in there because hybridisation can quite easily occur. Otherwise you would need to isolate them to another tank.

Use a breeding mob, essentially a mop made from yarn which for the fish mimicks a good spawning medium.

After a few days to a week check for eggs. If there are then move the mop into a breeding tank. Depending on the water temp they would hatch in a week or so. Fry are tiny and need to be fed on infusuria and vinegar eels/ white worms. powdered fry foods like sera micron are also good.

It is important to keep the water clean and temperature stable. 80f is a good temp to incubate eggs and hatch fry. Change 50% of the water a couple of times a week.

Warning rainbows tend to be slow growers and boesemani are one of the slowest growing fry amongst this group of fish.

 

[mishmash]

IMO an 18x10x10 tank is not suitable for Boesmani considering the size they get and the fact the are incredibly active fish. Its not always a case of "can i keep them in whatever size thank" the more important question is "should I"? Same as you can keep a Polar bear in a zoo but its not at all kind to do so given they roam hundreds of miles in their natural environment. Good choice of fish though in the right size tank Good excuse to get a bigger one...

 

[njstockley]

twodoctors - you have males only? how do you find them as a group? lots of in fighting or do they get on ok? would love a huge group of these one day.

IMO an 18x10x10 tank is not suitable for Boesmani considering the size they get and the fact the are incredibly active fish. Its not always a case of "can i keep them in whatever size thank" the more important question is "should I"? Same as you can keep a Polar bear in a zoo but its not at all kind to do so given they roam hundreds of miles in their natural environment. Good choice of fish though in the right size tank Good excuse to get a bigger one...

Looks to me like the 18x10x10 would be a breeding tank only - think that the OP has a big enough tank if you check his sig.

 

[mishmash]

It all depends how long they will be in there for breeding as some people leave them in "breeding tanks" almost indefinitely. Even for shorter periods I think 1.5 feet is not enough for a fish that generally needs a lot of space.

 

[twodoctors]

Apologies. Haven't checked the topic for a bit. I guess I should take photos of mine and someone can sex them for me.

I've got my hands full with exam and a clutch of Cory eggs in the hospital/breeding tank. I actually found some eggs in a spawning mop that I left in the big tank... Along with a dead Odessa barb floating and rotten food in the mop. Disappointed to say the least. At least now I know not to leave mops in there when feeding. I think I might have better chance breeding the Odessa or Bolivian ram as I can sex them. The only problem is moving them on when they get bigger. Wouldn't mind a tankful of boesemani, but not so much a tankful of Odessa.