Tropical Fish Forums

[spartan plume]

Hello

I have recently bought two new dwarf rainbow fish to replace two that died.

I thought this one might be a little large for a DNRF but it looked very similar in the shop , I thought maybe it was just a larger adult one.

But now looking at it it looks larger about 4-5 inches and visually different.

Now the other one I bought has settled in with the present ones in the tank,

and are eating like mad from my 'Tetra Pro Colour crisp wafers' and algae pellets, but this one just eats the odd piece and then spits it out?!?

I now know there isn't a problem disease wise because she is voraciously attacking and eating my wisteria and cabomba


here she is



Whats wrong

what can I do

[rales12]

How long has she been in the tank? I've been finding that fish seem to start eating best after a week or two of being in the tank and feeling secure. If its only been a few days, give her a week or so and see if she comes around.

Also, do you have a picture of the rainbowfish that you suspect isn't a dwarf neon? We can confirm an ID for it, and if its a different species, its best to remove it to a different tank (or return it to the store) because rainbows will cross-breed in aquariums and that's no good.
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- Rachel

[spartan plume]

shes been in there since 30th dec so maybe ist too early but why would she eat the plants and not the food


this is the one that I suspect isnt the dwarf neon rainbowfish


thanks

[spartan plume]

here are two of the other ones I was sold before as Dwarf neon rainbowfish a few months back

you can see the one thats not eating in the bottom right




(so embarrassing the glass needs cleaning but I am waiting for a speacial scraper on a handle to arrive in the post )

[spartan plume]

new info! when the lights went off she came out from under the plants there

So I have a theory : maybe she is too scared to feed from the surface as I have read they do, so she is ripping the plants apart to get some food

I would like to also know whether she is a DNR because otherwise I will take her back and trade her for another female.

[diademhill]

It is a different species so is stressed by being alone.

Exchanging for a female praecox would be a good plan.

[spartan plume]

thank you for your input

the LFS is just up the road so I got her in a bucket and took her back the manager of the shop was quite upset with the younger employee for selling it to me as a DNRF its now back in the fish shop with the others of its kind

and I have a new female DNRF

thanks all

[keithkyli]

I am curious what species it is. It doesn't have the blue iridiscence of DNRF and the snout is not as pointed.
And you said 4-5 inches...that would be GIGANTIC for a DNRF, and with the comparison with other DNRF it doesn't appear too big, did you mean 4-5 cm?
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Diamond Hill, Hong Kong

[spartan plume]

It was an estimate maybe more on the 4 inches side

It did have a blue sheen in the right light


my dwarf neon rainbows are (largest) 2.5 inches


The photo here is slightly misleading as we are looking down the fish that was in question.

I am quite a beginner with rainbows.

The man in the fish shop did indeed say it was a different species, mother (who took it in) said the name had something to do with lions sorry I know nothing more

except it has been re homed and is very happy

[unissuh]

Melanotaenia trifasciata perhaps? I don't know Melanotaenia spp very well, they also can vary to a remarkable degree depending on type locality.
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Fishing in the Rivers of Light