Question about stocking Boseman Rainbows

GwenInNM

I really would like to have a couple/few Boseman Rainbows to add to my 5 Neon Dwarf Rainbows, when I get my 43 gal cycled. My tank is 36" long and 17" high and 16" deep.

Is that too small to keep this species of Rainbows? Has anyone had experience with this. Perhaps if I only had one male and a couple females?

Thanks for help. I'm trying to decide what to add to my tank. Though I do want a few bottom feeders also.

Gwen

LasColinasCichlids

I hate to bring bad news, as I know what a beautiful and desirable fish a Boeseman Rainbowfish can be. But I dont think that tank size will work for them. They should ideally be kept in a group of 6 or more, and minimum tank length is suggested to be 48". They need this length because they are VERY active swimmers. And males get to 4"+ and females get 3"+.

Now, I dont know if the Boeseman and the Dwarf Neons would school together or not, thus making it more acceptable to have less Boeseman...we would have to get a more experianced opinions to give us their thoughts on if that is a good option or not, or someone who has had both in the same tank and witnessed them schooling together. (And it would be great to find out what their had the water parameters at for pH, temp, and hardness.)

As far as the Boeseman Rainbowfish being housed with Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish I assume it would be fine for the most part if you found a medium between their water needs...here is how it breaks down according to the profiles on TFK...

Boeseman: med hard to hard water... Basic 7-9 pH... Temp 80-86F

Dwarf Neon: soft to med hard water... Wild Caught: 6-7 pH, Tank Raised: 6.5-7.5 pH... Temp 74-77F

So if the water is med hard, pH of 7, and temp kept around 78-79F I would think housing them together is okay if they can both have slightly altered temps. But the tank size would become an issue in my opinion.

GwenInNM

I had a feeling that would be the answer. I'll be curious to see if anyone else weighs in.

I bought 2 Bosemans from Petsmart awhile back, and the girl told me for sure that a 30 gal was big enough. I got them home, I immediately could see problems starting, did more reading about them, and brought them back. I hated to do that, but I read they need a larger tank. I just hope that got a better home than I could have given them. It breaks my heart to think about the lives some of these fish go through

I guess I won't be getting them. Just wanted to check.

Thanks

Gwen

jaysee

I keep boesmani with dwarf neon rainbows, and yes they do school together some of the time. I have a larger school of dwarf neons and smaller schools of the larger rainbows (boesmani, yellow and turquise). The smaller schools will break away and do their thing then rejoin the larger school.

But I agree, IMO a 46 is not big enough for the larger rainbows - they really need a 4 foot tank and preferably an 18 inch wide tank because they are such active swimmers.

LasColinasCichlids

Yeah, petsmart employees are notorious for incorrect information. They also suggested a 29 gallon tank to house two Blood Red Parrot Cichlids...which can reach 10 inches and are very round fish. I even had one try and tell me that cycling my tank only meant to let it sit running with water and dechlorinater for a week and that would cycle it and it would be safe for any fish I wanted to put into it. She claimed to have 5 tanks at her house all sizes up to a 125 gallon...makes me wonder what her fish mortality rate is!!! I have often caught the same girl telling people that tiger barbs are okay solo, and a bunch of other totally wrong things that makes me think she knows NOTHING and should be removed from the aquarium department and put on the register only!!! I complained to corporate, nothing happened. I just get tired of pulling her customers aside and giving them the RIGHT information...I should be on Petsmart payroll when I am in their stores spending hundreds of dollars per month on my fish, dog, and cat!!!

But yes, I would hope someone else will come along with more details on the rainbowfish situation and see what they have to say.

I would LOVE to own boesemans, but my largest tank isnt even big enough for dwarfs!!! I am hoping to talk my hubby into letting me get a 60 gallon next year. If I do, I want either Boesemans or blood red parrots...and once my guppies, mollies, neons, and cories live their full life out, I am thinking about converting my 29 gallon to two fancy Goldfish.

jaysee

Good for you for recognizing they are too big for your tank. Some people cram them into 20 and 29 gallon tanks, but it is really a shame to put a fish that loves to swim so much in a tank where it cannot swim. Truthfully, I felt they were too small for my 45 which is why I moved them to the 90. A bowfront tank has a bigger footprint, I think, so it would be a little better for them.

jcinnb

I put two in my 55gal last night and they immediately started "schooling" with my porkchop radboras
They also really chowed down last night, too. Never seen new guys eat like that. They appear very happy with the space they have.
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