Hi I have found them locally! At the last place I'd expect them, but a LFS just got in about 40 of them at R25 each, which I think is a good price. I was just wondering if they would suit my tank. I run my temp at 28 deg C and pH is 6.5
Yeah but once again there is conflicting information. I was hoping to ask somebody who has kept them before. I know rainbows in general prefer more neutral to alkaline water, but then I know a lot of fish are adaptable. Some, however, don't adapt well to diferent conditions. I was just wondering about the dwarf rainbows and can they adapt to my conditions. Also, how does the high temperature affect their metabolism and lifespan? Who here has experience keeping them?
It's your old friend that can help you here again... Dwarf Neon Rainbowfishes, alias Melantaenia praecox, are not difficult to keep but need good filtration and a diet not too high in proteins. They do not need the alkaline water that many rainbows prefer because they actually come from a rainforest and softwater environment, but I would be careful if the pH dropped much below 6. I would also be wary of temps higher than 26 C as this would shorten their lifespan, I would think. It should be remembered that there only very few fish were brought from the wild (by Heiko Bleher from New Guinea) and that all captive fish stocks were bred from these. As a result they are inbred and susceptible to particularly bacterial diseases. I keep a few but if I introduce new ones I always have some losses for reasons which are not really clear to me. They have a stunning colour and are lively fishes and deserve to be kept more often. Kind regards, Dirk
