This is especially important with rainbowfish. Always ensure your water is properly filtered, and regularly change the water (25% weekly or 50% every other week). To ensure your pH and hardness are suitable you should invest in a testing kit. Your Ph should be of 7.2-7.6 and you should aim for a hardness of 5-15 DGH. Depending on your local climate, you may need to install a water heater to ensure the temperature stays within this range. They can usually tolerate temperatures of 24 to 30 degrees C (75 – 86 F). Keep in mind that the following parameters are recommended for only the majority of rainbowfish species, so please always check the needs of your specific species. Having adapted to a range of different water conditions in the wild, most rainbowfish can handle fairly diverse water parameters. A central piece of driftwood is also highly recommended to simulate the tree roots they would naturally converge amongst in the wild. A few Java moss and/or Crested Java Fern plants are ideal, just be sure to keep the vast majority of the water column clear for swimming space. Live plants are an absolute must for Rainbowfish and we have those available for your to order from our online aquarium plant section, but you will need to strike a balance to avoid too much clutter. This makes your fish look extra iridescent by contrast, and can also help them feel less exposed and more at ease. As for colour, dark substrates work particularly well with rainbowfish. They will rarely venture to the bottom of the aquarium to dig for scraps, so you may decide based on the needs of your other species or aesthetic reasons. The type of substrate is really up to you when it comes to rainbowfish. The chart below is representative of mid-range species such as Bleher’s Rainbow Fish, with a max length of 11 cm (4.5”), starting with the minimum recommended shoal size. It should be noted that the vast array of different species reach slightly varying maximum sizes, so be sure to check on individual species needs before deciding on a tank or number of fish. Shoals should also consist of a minimum of 5 of the same species of rainbows, with a bias towards females in numbers, with longer tanks being far better than tall. A shoal in a small tank may appear to have enough room, but this will eventually cause them stress as they naturally claim a fairly large territory in the wild. Housing Rainbowfish and Aquarium Fish Tank Set-up TipsĪs avid swimmers, rainbowfish should have a slightly larger tank comparative to their size. Some of our recommended tankmates for Rainbow fish include Angelfish, Barbs, Danios, Gouramis, Sharks and other Rainbowfish. Rainbows are mid-level swimmers that should have no problems swimming out in the open water of your tank as long as they know they have some hiding spots available. They may show some aggression between males at breeding time, but even this is very mild. As a naturally shoaling fish, rainbows should be kept in groups of no less than 5 in order to avoid stress. Only super aggressive fish such as Cichlids or Betta Fish( Siamese Fighting Fish) should unsurprisingly be avoided as tank mates. Rainbowfish are a very placid fish that get along well with just about all similarly sized species. This diversity will mean some species will have slightly different preferences, but they all enjoy clear, slightly warmer water and live plants to shelter amongst. Rainbowfish are found throughout Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, far northern Australia and parts of Indonesia. Some of our popular species include the Bleher’s Rainbowfish, Chequered Rainbow and our 10x pack of Flyspeck Hardyheads. Although they are a very placid fish, they can be susceptible to stress, so be sure to follow this guide for tips on how to minimise stress on your Rainbowfish. Rainbowfish have no specific diseases to worry about, though they are not immune to the more common issues like ick. Other than these necessities, you have a wide range to work with for your water parameters and tankmates. Be sure to cycle your water regularly and so a planted freshwater aquarium can help to control your tank nitrate levels. Rainbows are fairly low maintenance fish, although they can be picky about water cleanliness and nitrate spikes. An excellent fish both for beginners and experts, rainbowfish are perhaps the most popular native fish for Australian aquarists. Many feature a large bump on their heads and are typically around 11 cm (4.5”) at maximum length. There are over 50 identified species of rainbowfish, though most are exceedingly rare.
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