Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm a fan of rainbowfish, particularly the endangered ones, so I thought I'd check in. Does anyone know which Perth local fish stores carry them?

You can get rainbowfish from most shops in Perth, they can order them in from Aquarium Industries or Bay Fish. Both currently have Melanotaenia lacustris in stock.

Be aware that rainbowfish bought in Australia may be carrying Fish Tuberculosis, which is incurable. Once it's in your tank, it's there to stay unless you disinfect everything. Even fish from experienced keepers can have Fish TB, it's a major issue here and worldwide. If you can get wild-caught fish or ones from keepers who've had theirs for years with no issues, you might be okay.

Check the fish lists I posted earlier or the ones below:

Bay Fish - www.premierpet.com.au
Aust & New Guinea Rainbows - www.premierpet.com.au

Aquarium Industries - www.aquariumindustries.com.au
Current stock list - https://www.aquariumindustries.com.au/w ... ckBook.pdf

The links I posted are for the main wholesalers that supply most pet shops in Australia, including WA. Any pet shop you visit in WA can order fish from either of those wholesalers.

I shared those links so you can check their current stock and then ask your local pet shop to order the fish for you. Vebas and Aquatix both sell Melanotaenia lacustris when they're available, but I'm not sure if they currently have any in stock. You can give them a call to find out.

If you have another pet shop nearby, even a chain store, they likely deal with AI or Bay Fish. Just ask them if they can get the Melanotaenia lacustris for you and how much it'll cost. The wholesale stock lists I posted don't have prices, but the shops get the same list with prices, so they can give you a quote.

Another option is to check if ANGFA WA is still active. They used to meet every second month, and some members also attend Aquarium Society of WA meetings. Many ANGFA members keep rainbowfish and might be able to get you eggs or young fish.

However, remember that any rainbowfish sold in this country, including those from pet shops and fish clubs, could be carrying Fish TB. If you do get rainbows, they might start dying 6-24 months later. The only way to get TB-free fish is to catch them yourself or get them from someone with clean stock who knows about Fish TB.

Wish I'd seen this thread an hour ago
Hi @coltin, so even if you quarantine Rainbowfish for a month or so and all seems fine, TB can still break out a year or 2 down the line? I mean, it's a bit worrying that even after a lengthy quarantine period, the disease can still manifest later on.

Is this a worldwide issue or is it more prevalent in Australia and New Guinea? I'm curious to know if the risk is the same if they're bred in another country - would the outcome be the same?

Set up a single species tank, just rainbows, keep them isolated and quarantined for a year, see what happens. If they start dying, probably have TB, scrap the tank, start again. Any fish can have TB, so even if you avoid rainbows, you can still get the bacteria in the tank.