Why ask for this off list, I think it is a good topic that many lurkers may
be interested in themselves. Afterall this is what the list is for :-)
A 3 1/2 foot tank would probably be best with smaller rainbows or blue
eyes. You could put some of the larger rainbows in but you would not be
able to put in as many. If you have good water and good water change
routines you could get away with maybe 10-15 of the larger rainbows such as
Melanotaenia trifasciata (banded rainbow), Melanotaenia splendida
splendida, australis or inornata, some of the newguinea rainbows such as
boesmani or herbertaxelrodi or you could put 20-25 smaller rainbows such as
praecox, lacustris, nigrans, exquisita. or even 30 blue-eyes like
Psuedomugil signifer (pacific blueeye) or P. mellis (honey blueeye).
I find that Glossolepis incisus (the red rainbowfish) can be a bit
aggressive as can the Pacific Blueeye from Harveys creek near Cairns. If
its colour you are after I would personally go for some tris and inornatas.
They are big and colourful and the two species are very easy to tell
apart. Whatever you do don't try to spawn them while both species are
present. There is a chance of hybridisation and most of us on this list
disagree with cross breeding.
If you don't have a good rainbowfish book such as Gerry Allens
Rainbowfishes - In nature and in the Aquarium, you can view many different
species on some of the web sites sprouted on this list from time to time.
A good place to start looking for links is Roys ANGFA of NA site
http://www.angfa.org
Adrian Tappins site
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
I have an unlisted site with images of trifasciata on it at
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~fisher/new/tri.htm
My preferences from the axelrod mini atlas
Melanotaenia boesemani PNG pg 662
M. lacustris PNG pg 664
M. herbertaxelrodi PNG pg 667
Psuedomugil signifer AUS pg 669
M. trifasciata AUS pg 669 nb. (this is the Goyder river variety and can
be fiddly as per previous discussions on this list. Also see variety of
colours from this family on page mentioned above)
Regards,
Baz.
----
From: Meryl Jury <merylj at pec.co.nz>
To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
Date: Wednesday, 21 May 1997 8:13
Subject: [RML] Re: types of rainbows
>
>Sadly, my new tank is no where near completion - so I have not tried to
get
>any rainbows to go in it yet.
>I am planning to set up a 3 1/2 foot tank complete with automatic feeder,
>fish and lots of plants.
>
>How about everybody mailing me OFF THE LIST and letting me know what
they
>recommend as a good variety of fish for a tank this size. Then I can go
to
>the pet shop and ask to look at the lists of available fish and I can
>choose with certainty fish which will be likely to be compatible. (Yes,
I
>have been caught before by different "experienced shop people" selling me
>fish that should live together in peace and the carnage that resulted was
>terrible.)
>
>Please let me know if these fish are pictured in Axel Rods mini atlas
then
>I can show people the picture and it also helps identify the fish at the
>shop.
>
>Please mail me at work - merylj at pec.co.nz
>(If this mail address does not work try - merylj at pec.co.nz at smtp)
>
>Enjoy your day everybody, ~ Meryl
>
>