Bosemani Rainbow and ...

[domingo3]

I'm setting up a 50G tank. I really want bosemani rainbows. They're a bit expensive and I'd like to have a community tank. What's the minimum I need to have of them to keep them happy? Can I get one bosemani and round out a school with other cheaper and/or smaller rainbow fish?

I was considering some smaller fish like neons, guppies, zebra danios, and otos. I know these are all much smaller than the rainbows. Will any of this be a problem when the rainbows get bigger?


Thanks

[rich311k]

A group of 5 or 6 would be best, 2 males and 4 females.

[domingo3]

So with 5 or 6, can it be one or two bosemani and 3 or 4 turquoise? Do they school as rainbows, or do they need to be all one type?
The bosemanis here are like $12 each, so 6 of them would be $72.

Are they hardy enough to be the first fish in a newly cycled tank?

[rich311k]

Same species will be better. They do interact with other species, hybridization is quite comman. I have always added them to an established tank, so I do not have any experience with that.

[wolf_eyes]

Its best to stick with the same species, it's always more natural for the fish. I find the juvies/subadults pretty but adult males really do not appeal to me. Their heads get "pinched" as they grow older. http://www.solodvds.com/images/fish/Melanotaenia_boesemani.jpg
We have one at an lfs over here who's head looks like it belongs on a fish four times smaller than it is.

[mac]

Even though they can school with other similar Rainbows species they are much better suited to a school of their own.

Just a tip rainbows. They are hardy, very nice fish, just touchy over stale water. I have found the wild caught more hardy than captive bread IME. But they do require very stable water, and a tank that has been set up for quite some time. For me if I am adding rainbows to the tank I wait till I have got the land scape how I want it before adding them. I have fund they can get very easily stress with things being moved around the tank and die fast.

mac

[Zilla]

I have 3 in with 2 Turquoise.

Considering how mine act with each other, I would not add Neons and other small fish in the tank. When I added two Green Cories a month or so ago they wouldn't leave them alone for about a week. I think I was more bothered by the Boesemani's behavior than the Cories were. If the Cories felt they were being picked on, they'd zing around the tank in places the Rainbows couldn't get to.

The chasing and obnoxious behavior did stop, but it was touchy for that week as I spent the entire time doubting my decision of bringing the cories home and if I should return them. My LFS sells mostly fish that are juvies so when I got them, they were small. They've since done some growing and have filled out so the Rainbows don't pay them any mind unless all of them are bickering over a piece of food.

Such battles never last long as my Geo comes into the scene and eats the said food bit that was being fought over. LOL He's the big man in the tank and apparently isn't worth fighting with. Instead the Bows follow him around waiting for tiny bits of food to be filtered through his gills. He's the Pied Piper when it comes to food.

I have read about tanks that are mixed of full sized Bows with drawf Bows. Again I wouldn't do it, but it's your tank. I'd suggest you do lots of research before making your final decision.