# Threadfin Rainbows



## gBOYsc2 (Nov 26, 2010)

These are my absolute favorite small peaceful fish. I wish i had a good cam and some photography skillz cuz they look amazing when displaying to each other. These pictures do not do the fish any justice but I thought I'd share with you all anyways. They do this cute little fin flutter thing to each other when displaying. And some of them you will notice have a gold stripe on the forehead. This stripe comes and goes in an instant I am not sure what it means yet. It happens mostly when I feed or when they display to each other. One fish in the school has whitish blue tips on its tail fin and another shows vertical stripes.

They are fed on crushed .5mm NLS sinking pellets. Sometimes when they are lucky they get a treat of BBS, grindal worms or frozen cyclops.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

you should have seen when my sae was swimming and my ottos followed it while a school of pygmy cories followed the ottos .


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## mthom211 (Sep 3, 2010)

There one of the few natives I like, well there natives to me anyway....... Good luck with them


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

I wish I could get mine to eat crushed anything. They like bbs, blood worms, and just about any other type of small larve.


They are by far one of my fav fish. Mine spawn about once a month.


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## mthom211 (Sep 3, 2010)

Have you tried microworms, imo they are one of the easiest live foods to culture.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I didn't even know threadfins looked like that! The ones I've seen in stores always have their fins clamped and are colorless.
What is a fair price for these fish? I've only seen them for $10-$14 and I always have a hard time justifying to my wife why I spent more than $5 on anything for that matter, not just fish. lol


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## Lizzz (Nov 28, 2010)

My favorite rainbows! I had a small school of 5 that my pictus cat decided to eat in 2 days  Thus ending my threadfin experience. It was amazing while it lasted though. I wish you luck with yours, I'm jealous that you're able to have them!


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

there $4-6 each here.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i had a small group, i killed them by accident when i overdosed my mini tank with excel...great fishes!!!


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## gBOYsc2 (Nov 26, 2010)

*mthom211* - That's awesome that these fish are found locally for you. We don't have nearly as pretty of fish where I'm from. No I haven't tried microworms. Are they a favorite food?

*TAB* - What do you use to condition them for spawning. Have you noticed do they like meaty foods as opposed to vegetable foods? When I had cories and ottos my threadfins would also hover above the "pile up" of catfish fighting for the algae wafer and pick off the little tidbits that would get kicked up.

Also I am curious at what temperature yours spawn at. And do you use a spraybar?

*Franco* - I paid I think 6-7 dollars for them. When I bought them they looked exactly how you describe them. With a little TLC they will color up in no time!

Thanks for the comments guys! Would any of you care to post some pics of yours? My photograpy skills are very lacking and I have seen some of these fish that are absolutely stunning!


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Mine will only eat "meat" I've tried to feed them other things, but they look at the food then swim away. They do get some daphina, from my green water culture about once a week. So I know they are getting some veggies. They mainly get frozen BBS, BW and any larva I can collect local, I only feed them once a day.

I don't do anything to induce spawning. They start getting "fisky" a day or so after a water change, when I have a over growth of moss.

Tank specs 45 gallon Hex, ferts, CO2, 150 watt halide 12 or 14k bulb( can't remember right now) pH stays about 6.8 temp is 78-79, my water here is pretty soft, 3-5 kh, I have no idea on the GH, My mineral content is also very low. I do weekly 30 gallon water changes, with aged water. The tank is pretty much a jungle. Its run off a old fluval 203 and it does have a spray bar.

I know lots of guys that house them in temps in the mid 80s. Which is actually what got me started with them. I figured they would be a great schooling fish for my discus tank. Then I kind of fell in love with them.

here is some basic info on breeding them. http://iriatherina-werneri.com/english/index.htm


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## mthom211 (Sep 3, 2010)

I'm not sure if microworms are a favourite food but it's worth a try. I've never kept them since they're not found locally. They're found in Far north Queensland and the northern territory, while I live in Brisbane. Australia is a very big place haha. A online breeder sells them at $6 each here but There around $12(I think) in lfs and there very uncomman. We don't have many colourfel fish here, Only marines and male rainbows pretty much.
http://www.aquagreen.com.au/plant_data/Iriatherina_werneri.html


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## gBOYsc2 (Nov 26, 2010)

Awesome links guys! Very informative!

I am starting to think I am running my tank at too low of a temp. I have been running it at about 80 but I think I might slowly crank it up to about 84.


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## ralphsparker (Jan 17, 2011)

I like the rainbow! I have a small school, and my 5 cats eat Golden Pheasant 2 days decided to end my thread fin experience. This is amazing, and it lasted though.


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