Re: [RML] Questions
Gary Lange (gwlange at stlnet.com)
Thu, 30 Oct 1997 06:23:14 -0600
----------
> From: caryho at ix.netcom.com
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: Re: [RML] Questions
> Date: Wednesday, October 29, 1997 6:50 PM
>
> In The Dawn of the Third Age "C. Mastbergen"
> <mastberc at ssu.southwest.msus.edu> woke me from my contemplation by
> writing:
>
> >Hello all,
> > I am new to keeping rainbows. Not to keeping fish I raise rare livebearers
and Corydoras. I have been informed that the best way to start is by getting a
mop of eggs and hatching them. I've read most of articles at the RSG page. I
still have some questions though. What is the average # of eggs per mop. What
water conditions are needed for the following speices Melanotaenia boesemani,
Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi, Melanotaenia lacustris. Are these the best
starters?
> >
> >Thank you
> >Chad
>
> Hello Chad
> In the US a standard mop should contain at least 2 dozen eggs, unless
> otherwise stated. Often blue-eyes mops will only be listed by a dozen.
> While these are minimums, you could find the mops you receive have
> hundreds of eggs. If the seller is sending vials of eggs expect to get
> near the two or one dozen mark. If you're getting the actual mops you
> will normally get much more.
> Of the fish you listed, I would recommend the boesemani as being the
> easiest for a new comer. I also typically recommend the furcatus as
> the easiest blue-eye, although the folks down under don't agree with
> that pick.
> As to the pH requirements of these fish, boesemani is 7 to 8, herberts
> 7.5 to 8 and the lacustris are 8.5 to 9. The lacustris is about the
> only bow that likes my straight tap water :-) Both the lacustris and
> herberts prefer the water cooler than normal tank temps. The herberts
> will probably have the fastest growth rate, boesemani second and
> lacustris have to be the slowest growers there are.
I guess my experiences have been a little different with those three fish. I
have never found any Melanotaenia that grows slower than a M. boesemani! In my
water and heated conditions (82-84 for fry) herberts and lacustris grow fairly
fast, at about the same rate. The boesman's grow at about 1/2 that rate. A
good trifasciata like Coen River, Canoe Creek, Giddy River also grow very
rapidly and you start off with fairly large eggs. Depending on where you are I
might be able to help you out with eggs before it gets too cold either there or
here. email me off the list.
On the blue-eyes my personal preference for a beginner fish is the P.
gertrudae. They really breed themselves.
Gary Lange
gwlange at STLNET.com
Rainbowfish Study Group of North America
http://home.stlnet.com/~gwlange/rainbowfish.index.html
> These are general recommendations. Like most bows, all will do well in
> a much larger range of water conditions. But hopefully this will help
> you pick the fish that will be the easiest to adapt to your local
> conditions.
>
> Good luck
> Cary Hostrawser
>
> My Rainbowfish Home Page
> http://pw2.netcom.com/~caryho/home.html
>
> Rainbowfish Study Group Web Page
> http://home.stlnet.com/~gwlange/rainbowfish.index.html