# Another fish question! "Red" praecox?



## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 23, 2008)

When I got out of the hobby a few years back there was a brand new type of rainbow fish coming out. About the same size as a praecox but they were completely red, rather then silver.

Anyone have an ideas on what it's name is or know of any breeders selling them?


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## valaser (Sep 21, 2006)

My guess would be Melanotaenia parva, sometimes called a Dwarf Flame Rainbow. Thatfishshop.com sells them and is one of the best places to buy rainbows from. Here is a direct link to buy, with a picture of them looking their best http://www.thatfishshop.com/product769.html


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

That could be. Our _M. parva_ are orange though, not red. Still an awesome fish with beautiful color* (*though only in the morning, as with most all rainbows).


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Here's a breeding male of ours:


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 23, 2008)

Sorry guys, should have gotten back on this thread sooner.

Fish I was looking for is called the Millenium Rainbow, newly discovered in 2000 and the sole importer of the fish is http://thatfishshop.com/rainbowroom.html

Here's a picture of the fish:










Forgive the size.

EDIT: Seem's I'm really outdated on my information and we're both talking about the same fish, sorry.


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## rich_one (Oct 31, 2007)

both of those pics are the same fish? the second one looks kinda like an Irian Red to me.


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## rich_one (Oct 31, 2007)

that's a cool looking rainbow. would look nice in my rainbow tank! I can see the difference now between that one and my Irian Red... the mouth and head are shaped slightly differently.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

All three, parva, milleniums, and irian's, are different species. 

I've seen milleniums years back and they never looked as shockingly colored as that pic. Then again, maybe they just needed time to settle in and color up. They are, however, not a dwarf rainbow like the praecox and the parva. 

Rainbows are definitely cool fish.


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## Heiko Bleher (Mar 11, 2007)

Hi, all of you rainbowfish freaks,

this is Heiko Bleher, the one responsable for those two rainbowfish species (and most of the others in the hobby, I guess...).

The photos from Six is Melanoatenia parva, which I brought back after 3 expeditions from the remote lake in Irian Jaya (now Papua), New Guinea, Indonesia. All those in the hobby today are from those few specimens I carried back. It becomes more red (see aqua geographia volume 22: YUakati and volume 24 at www.aquapress-bleher.com), specially in the early moring hours. They stay small in nature less than 2 inches (that is why it was called "parva"), but in aquaria it can go to 3 inches and even more.

The photo of the red rainbowfish from DirtyBlack Socks (do never wash them?) is Glossolepis pseudoincius. I descovered it begin of January of the new Millennium, that is why I called it The Millennium rainbowfish, but also because of its striking colour and believing it will be one of the most asked for aquarium fishes in the new Millennium (but I guess my fish of the century, M. preacox is still number one and M. boesemani number two). Now the Millennium rainbowfish stays also realtively small, normally max 2.5 inches, rarely 3. In nature much less. Its brother, G. incisus, on the other hand grows to more than twice the size. 
The Millennium rainbowfish should have the bright red colour as shown on your photo, unless it is under stress and/or no acclimatized well. It has the most striking red probably of any fish.

I hope this clarifies a little your uncertain questions.

From one who collects rainbowfishes, blue eyes and many (many) other fishes.

Heiko Bleher

PS I found several new ones last year - as every year, since 1975...


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## trackhazard (Sep 20, 2006)

Wow! Heiko Bleher himeself!

Thank you for all your work for all the fish enthusiasts around the world. If it weren't for you, I would have never been able to enjoy all the wonderful Rainbowfish (not to mention the numerous other species you've cataloged and introduced).

For those who don't know, here's link to Mr. Bleher's biography:

http://aquageo.com/AboutHeiko.html

-Charlie


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## krisw (Jan 31, 2005)

Wow, Heiko Bleher responds! Those Millennium rainbows are pretty!


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

I'm sort of star-struck right now....


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## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

Couldn't come from a better source than THAT! LOL


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