Pygmy Rainbows

[Baccus]

I just wanted to share some pictures of my pretty pygmy rainbows, they have settled in well with my school of threadfins and the lot of them shoal together and cruise the length of the tank.

I am still trying to get some really good shots of these guys, they don't trust the camera and are certain to sit in the shadows at the opposite end to the camera, that or be racing about the place like mad things.

[BlueBolts]

Cool pic.....I can just about see the cherries going ..."there goes the neighbourhood" :rofl:

[Squiggle]

Very cool Baccus, can't wait to see them in full colour when they get used to the camera. I love how they colour up first thing in the morning! :encouragement:

[Baccus]

Thanks, rather than the shrimp going "well there goes the neighbourhood" I think they are just hoping that the pygmy rainbows and threadfins don't go scoff all of the food.

[Baccus]

I actually managed to get some ok pictures of the pygmy rainbows. They really are not the most obliging of fish when it comes to sitting still and being photographed.

[Shrimp Aqua]

Looking good Baccus, have you ever kept Gracilis or Papuae both of these would complement your pygmyae, all beautiful small Rainbows.

[Squiggle]

Very cool indeed, lovely pics! :encouragement:

[Garnelchen]

That's a beautiful looking Tank!

I love all the plants and the red cherries everywhere!

The rainbows are super cute! Do they stay that little?

[Baccus]

Most people see my overgrown tank and think, its a mess of plants, but I tend to think the fish view it as a natural creek setting. Well I hope they do, its the effect I want. I remember the most striking tank I ever saw in a fish shop years ago in Mackay. They had all the gravel angled so it was high at the back and the deep water was to the front of the tank. In the tank was hundreds if stem plants, it was like a mini forest of greenery. And in that mix they had heaps of neon tetras, the tetras zipped in and out of the plants and the whole effect was like looking at a rainforest and seeing flocks of colourful parrots flying through the trees. It really was an amazing tank, and I still believe you could have stared into it for hours and still never known exactly how many fish where actually in the tank.

As for the size of the pygmy rainbows, yes they are staying relatively small, all up they should top out at around 4cm up to 5.5cm so pretty small for a rainbow.

Here is a full tank photo that I took a while ago, but gives you an idea of how packed it is with plants and timber.

Sadly apart from the few local rainbow fish I have never really been huge on keeping them, but I am really loving the pygmys and small blue eyes along with the threadfins.

[Squiggle]

Looks awesome Baccus, I like the natural look! :encouragement:

[Baccus]

Thanks, I will have to get a more recent photo that doesn't have the net suspended in the tank.

[Baccus]

A slightly better picture of the tank housing the pygmy rainbows, threadfins, various corydoras catfish, Borneo Suckers and of course cherry shrimp.

Its really hard to get a good picture of the tank since the plants are such a jungle and light is not a huge intense light that spans the entire tank. Not having the light run the entire length of the tank is a boon in the depths of summer since the unlit gap allows an area of tank that can cool off a bit.

[Garnelchen]

Most people see my overgrown tank and think' date=' its a mess of plants, but I tend to think the fish view it as a natural creek setting. Well I hope they do, its the effect I want. I remember the most striking tank I ever saw in a fish shop years ago in Mackay. They had all the gravel angled so it was high at the back and the deep water was to the front of the tank. In the tank was hundreds if stem plants, it was like a mini forest of greenery. And in that mix they had heaps of neon tetras, the tetras zipped in and out of the plants and the whole effect was like looking at a rainforest and seeing flocks of colourful parrots flying through the trees. It really was an amazing tank, and I still believe you could have stared into it for hours and still never known exactly how many fish where actually in the tank.

As for the size of the pygmy rainbows, yes they are staying relatively small, all up they should top out at around 4cm up to 5.5cm so pretty small for a rainbow.

Here is a full tank photo that I took a while ago, but gives you an idea of how packed it is with plants and timber.

[/quote']

I totally understand what you mean. When I was still living in Germany I used to love going to a small Museum in Duesseldorf. They had a huge (couple of meters long) South America themed tank with heaps of plants and hundreds of neon tetras and other fish in there. I was always so fascinated by that tank.

My tanks also have heaps of plant in them. I love it when they look overgrown and all green and alive.

That is the very reason why I don't like marine tanks. No plants! :(

They always look kind of bare.

[Baccus]

When I first started keeping tanks I had the obligatory plastic plants which I hated, they would go all green and get totally covered in algae, and the only plants I could afford to purchase as elodea or collect val from the local creek. Gradually I got more and more plants and had no plastic plants and I believe with all the other newbie mistakes of fish keeping ( I was only a preteen at the time) of overstocking, totally stripping a tank to clean it and other big no no's. I believe it was the live plants that where my saving grace, that and the fact that I couldn't afford lots of filter wool so I rinsed and reused the stuff all the time also my nearest pet shop was over 2 hrs away by car (2hrs at 100km/hr and no buses or trains).

Now I can not have a tank without live plants and natural timber, I also am not a fan of the multi-coloured gravels and much prefer the natural tones of washed river gravel or just plain sand.

And considering all the benefits of having live plants in a tank I am still amazed more people haven't made the leap and gone natural over artificial. Of course you cant always do that with some species of fish like Oscars and other cichlids that will rip out and destroy all the plants they can get.

I like marine tanks, some of the frags are pretty amazing as are the very colourful tube worms, and there are some nice algaes that you can grow in the tanks. My biggest problem with marine is so many of the fish species kept in them get quite large and territorial, and the fact that everything about marine tanks is so expensive. But if I ever did get a marine tank, I would be wanting to keep some kelp in the tank along with coral frags and tube worms and the centre piece would be seahorses.

But I do agree many marine tanks can look very bare and devoid of life because your limited on suitable sized compatible fish.

On a side note a tank housing some of the amazingly coloured marine shrimp would make an interesting display. My sister had a mantis shrimp called Thor which she loved.....sadly he would never have been compatible with other shrimp or even many fish.

[poeticwinter]

i have boesemani rainbow about same size with yours and look same pattern. not sure mine is bosemani but i bought from the shop as juvinille bosemani rainbow lol

[Baccus]

I went out to the shed last night, mainly to sneek another peek at my new riffle shrimp and managed to get the best couple of photos yet of my pygmy rainbows.

[Squiggle]

Wow Back, stunning colours there, well done on the shots! :encouragement:

[Baccus]

Thanks, I have to admit I cheated in getting the photos, because the fish had already had lights out for a couple of hours and then I woke them up by turning their light back on. The pygmy rainbows where still in snooze mode, but you can see in the first shot that the threadfins are quicker at waking up in a hurry.

[Squiggle]

Hahaha, nice move! Definitely worked. :encouragement:

[Baccus]

I had the perfect shot lined up, until one of the brochis splendens bumbled into the dozing rainbow and sent it skittering off into other parts of tank. Hope you enjoy what I did manage to photograph.

[Squiggle]

Very cool shots, thanks for sharing! :victorious:

[daimen]

The thing I love most about rainbows is when they get surprised showing their colour. Every one that sees pics of my rainbows say they are boring or not colorful enough. I always say you just wait. In the mornings is always my favourite time. Your rainbows look awsome. I also love the natural look in a tank. Yours looks great keep it up

[Shrimp Aqua]

Rainbows always need to feel secure to show their best so a well planted tank is a must to get the best out of them.