R.A.S. Fins & Friends
|
R.A.S. Fins & Friends |
| Chilatherina bleheri |
Rare Rainbowfish Come to Regina: Fellow RAS member and hobbyist, Daren Nixdorf, contacted me in early 2005 to inform me that he was making a short winter vacation to the United States, and was contemplating ordering some Rainbowfish off the Aquabid web site. When he asked me if I was interested in also obtaining some new species, I jumped at the opportunity. After entering the website and viewing a number of new species, only recently discovered in the last couple of years, I had a difficult time determining which beauties I wanted to add to my collection. The big question for Daren was “How much room do you have?” He had plans to pick up a few other species of fish while he was in the San Diego area, and indicated he felt I could order at least four species. He was also using those breathable bags, reducing the space he would require in a fish box. I excitedly put my order together: Melanotaenia Parva ( F-1’s), Affinis Pagwi ( F-1’s), Chilatherina Bleheri, and the Blushing Red Irian, or Glossolepis Incisus (quoted as “the reddest of all red rainbows”). Daren ordered three species of Rainbowfish: the Bedotia Geayi (Madagascar), Melanotaenia Trifasciata Wonga Creek, and Melanotaenia Dubulayi. All of these species can be viewed on the Aquabid website. These species were collected from the wild by the fellow Daren had contacted, along with Gary Lange, during the last year or so. Therefore they would either be F-1’s, or F-2’s-- definitely a great opportunity to obtain some rare offspring of wild-caught species.
Most of these species listed on the website were about one inch to 1.5 inches in length, and came in groups of six. I only lost one species during Daren’s trip back to Regina, and considering the guy was generous with his count, I was pleased to have almost 30 new rainbows and four new species.
The Chilatherina Bleheri, is a very attractive Rainbowfish from the family of Melanotaeniidae. It was named after Heiko Bleher, a well-know fish collector from Germany. Also referred to as the Blehers Rainbowfish, it has an iridescent greenish body color fading posteriorly to pastel shades of yellow, orange and red. The dorsal and anal fins show these same pastel colors. The lower side of the body is white with a series of faint vertical dark markings. Males display a brilliant yellow-orange stripe on the middle of the forehead during spawning. They grow to about 10 cm. in length. These fish inhabit Lake Holmes and feeder streams in the Mamberamo region of Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
I immediately began feeding all of my new groups of Rainbows newly hatched brine shrimp on a daily basis, in addition to quality flake food. About every third day, I would give them some frozen blood worms. Rainbows are very aggressive feeders, and generally nothing hits the bottom of the tank. I really wasn’t expecting or planning on spawning any of these species for at least six months, as they were all very juvenile, and not showing any of their adult coloration. Well, some quality food induced the females to develop eggs. Within one month, I spotted a male showing some brilliant orange coloration, and the noted yellow stripe down his forehead and back. He was darting back and forth in the usual Rainbow breeding frenzy. I collected the java moss from the 30 gallon tank, and found a few eggs. I decided it would be easier to find the eggs in a spawning mop, so added one of these. Over the next few days, I collected about 20 eggs. Hatching took about 8 days in an ice cream pail with aeration, and a temperature of about 75 degrees F. Hatching rate was poor, but improved with time, likely a reflection of the parents’ immature status.
Anyone that has raised species of Rainbowfish will attest to the fact that the fry are very small, and require a food source smaller than newly hatched brine shrimp. Having spawned and raised at least 10 different species of Rainbows over the years, I had my own formula for success. As the fry swim right at the surface, liquid fry, and APR (artificial plankton rotifers) that floats, are their first foods. I also introduce vinegar eels for the first few days, and then switch to microworms. The microworms usually sink quite quickly, but I could see the fry collecting them at lower levels of the water, rather than just the surface. Often it takes the fry about a week before they can take the newly hatched brine shrimp. I always consider that once they reach this stage, I am safe from losing fry and they will continue to grow rapidly. I feed them as often as my job allows me to, which is usually first thing in the a.m., and then as soon as I get home, and again around 8:00 p.m.
At the time of writing this article, March 25/05, I have only had this species for about six weeks. There are at least a dozen fry or more, and the adults continue to spawn on a regular basis. For you Rainbowfish enthusiasts, you have to check out the brilliant colors in the photo of this species on the www.aquabid.com site. This is the best way to see the brilliant colors of this fish for yourself. I also have fry from at least one of the other new species as well.
Eventually RAS club members will see this species showing up at an auction. However, I promised Daren that I will be providing him with the offspring of each of the species I own, prior to any ending up at the auction. After all, if it wasn’t for his trip, and offering me this opportunity to obtain these species, I would never own them. Thanks Daren!