Choice of fish?

Kwyet

Kwyet

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I have a birthday coming up, so will be getting some fish, yay! I’m thinking either the purple-finned hillstream loaches for the hillstream tank, or Threadfin Rainbows for the Dutch tank. Are Threadfins a good choice for a Dutch tank? I originally planned to fill it with the Red Neon Blue-Eyed Rainbowfish, but I already have a Sunset Honey Gourami in there, so that would just be all red fish. I think some contrast might be better. When looking at threads about Dutch tanks, they’re pretty much focused on the plants, but choice of fish is important too, right?
Thanks!
 
I'd get fish that interest you the most. Personally I am not a huge fan of threadfin rainbows. They have always been a bit more sensitive in my experience. Maybe pseudomugil gertrudae? Depending on collection location will depend on color but I have Aru IV and they are blue instead of the yellow you normally see.
 
SkaleyAquatics said:
I'd get fish that interest you the most. Personally I am not a huge fan of threadfin rainbows. They have always been a bit more sensitive in my experience. Maybe pseudomugil gertrudae? Depending on collection location will depend on color but I have Aru IV and they are blue instead of the yellow you normally see.
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Thanks, I was considering the gertrudae. They’re just not as cool-looking to me, lol! I’ll look up the Aru!
 
Kwyet said:
Thanks, I was considering the gertrudae. They’re just not as cool-looking to me, lol! I’ll look up the Aru!
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Red neons are fantastic looking do not get me wrong, they do pop a bit more.
Best free Rainbowfish info

Your dutch is big enough for one of the other dwarf rainbows like Kali tawa or melanotaenia praecox Or rhadinocentrus ornatus
 
Mr.Shenanagins said:
I’d love to find some of these, @GreggZ suggested them to me a while back instead of neons. So far I have been able to acquire neons locally that are robust and healthy. Any retailer online has been a bust
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This is the way to go in terms of neons. That same guy actually has a collection location of the neons and I want them but he doesnt want to part with them.

I'll spawn some Kali Tawa and send them your way. It'll be a year xD
 
More info for fish considerations—both of these tanks are unheated. They’re usually 70-72.
 
Kwyet said:
More info for fish considerations—both of these tanks are unheated. They’re usually 70-72.
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I keep espei rasbora at these temps, which is lower than typically recommended but 4+ years on the only one of the original 10 I've lost was a jumper, and I highly suspect a visiting child facilitated that death. I had a power outage where the tank hit the mid 50s briefly and they came out unscathed.

They are pretty perfect nanofish. Intensely orange, bold but not aggressive, plus they school more tightly than most fish. They aren't super uncommon per se, but they are definitely underrated IMO.
 
ElleDee said:
I keep espei rasbora at these temps, which is lower than typically recommended but 4+ years on the only one of the original 10 I've lost was a jumper, and I highly suspect a visiting child facilitated that death. I had a power outage where the tank hit the mid 50s briefly and they came out unscathed.

They are pretty perfect nanofish. Intensely orange, bold but not aggressive, plus they school more tightly than most fish. They aren't super uncommon per se, but they are definitely underrated IMO.
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Espei rasboras are absolutely gorgeous and def underrated. I personally think the 3 species of trigonostigma that are closely related are all underrated. Harlequin's(trigonostigma heteromorpha) are a classic but great looking fish, especially in a dutch scape. I have also been able to keep them below kwyet temps.
 
Thanks for more suggestions! I’ve been pretty busy today, but I’ll certainly consider the Espeis and other Rasboras too. I’ve always been a little leery of them because of their reputation for jumping, but it sounds like they’re not really that bad. I might end up moving the gourami to another tank and keep the original idea of the Red Neons. I have 8 that have been growing up in another tank that I could move over. Then I would just need a few more to round out the group. I just wish they were longer-lived. I’ll have to think on all the choices for awhile.
 
I like these Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, but reading about them gives me some concerns.

Is it true that:

-they require a lid (I don’t have one)?
-they require 8 dkH or so (I have 0-1)?
-they are so boisterous that small fish (my Pygmy Cories) or slower, long-fin fish (my honey gourami) might be harmed?

Also, do they need more females than males, or vice versa? Does it matter?

I know some of you are Rainbowfish experts, so I would rather hear from you than trust all the different info I’m finding online.

Thanks again!
 
Kwyet said:
-they require a lid (I don’t have one)? Nope
-they require 8 dkH or so (I have 0-1)? Nope
-they are so boisterous that small fish (my Pygmy Cories) or slower, long-fin fish (my honey gourami) might be harmed? Not IME

Also, do they need more females than males, or vice versa? Does it matter? Most people prefer all male, much more vibrant than the females. If you wish to see them show off breeding colors and dancing, you could add a few females.
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I’m no expert, but I’ve been keeping them for a few years. Avoid most online retailers, I’ve never had them last long.
 
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