2) What is considered a good or proper ratio of male to female
rainbows?
3) I have 4 fish that are being called "Blackmast" They are juvies and I
am told they are hardyheads. I cannot find any reference to them in
various books I have looked in however. Any information on these fish
is
appreciated....<<
Hi Jim - Why not try a single species set up? Most rainbows exist in
situations where they are the only representative of their species.
Besides, think of it - a tank of nothing but great looking praecox or
bleheri or herbertaxelrodi or lacustris of furcatus...you get the idea. Pick
one!;-)
Sex ratio would depend greatly on the size of tank and what you plan
to do with the fish. There are two "schools" of thought. More females
to males and vice versa. With melanotaeniids I tend to favour more
females to males. The males can get a bit boisterous and that usually
means bad news for the females. So having more females means they
get to share the abuse more widely. On the other hand I like to use the
reverse set up with blue eyes because in my experience females left
unattended keep busy by eating eggs. Besides the males tend to do a
lot of dislaying to each other which reduces the time they spend
harrassing the females.
As for the blackmasts, according to Leggett and Merrick, "Australian
Natives Fishes for Aquariums", p.118 - these fish sometimes occur in
hard water and are best kept in small schools. Males have an elongate
second dorsal and anal fins often yellowish. Females have a lower first
dorsal.
Water temp: 23-27C
Ph: 7.5-8
Total hardness: 250-300ppm
Spawns in mops. Fry hatch in 6-9 days. First foods infusorians, fine
dried foods followed by microworms. Growth is slow - 10mm at 5 weeks
of age.
I have never kept these fish. They are atherinids and as such are
probably very similar to maintain as rainbows are.
These fish used to go by the scientific name of Quiricthys stamineus . I
believe the name is now Craterocephalus stramineus.
Chris
drews at webgate.net