Considering a rainbow tank for smaller varieties

[bettaMagenta]

I'm curious about keeping a diverse community tank with the smaller species – has anyone had success with this setup?

What's the ideal tank size for a mix of smaller varieties? I'm considering a 45-gallon tank, but I'm worried it might be too tall for some of the species.

Do you think it's possible to mix all the smaller varieties together without any aggression issues, like fin nipping on the threadfins or flowery finned varieties?

I'd love to see some pics of your smaller community tanks – anyone have a 'lil rainbow tank they'd like to share?

[coltin]

I'm not too familiar with the dimensions of a 45-gallon tank, to be honest. My experience is mostly with tanks that are around 3 or 4 feet in length, 14 inches in width, and 18 inches in height.

If you're planning to keep Pseudomugils and Iriatherina werneri, I'd recommend keeping them in separate tanks, especially if you're interested in breeding them. You can mix Iriatherinas with P. gertrudae, but I'd advise against mixing different Pseudomugil species as they tend to crossbreed.

I've had success keeping small species of Melanotaenia and Glossolepis together. For example, you can keep Melanotaenia maccullochi, papuae, and sexlineata with Glossolepis ramuensis and maculosus, as well as Rhadinocentrus ornatus. However, I'd avoid mixing different Melanotaenia species that have similar-looking females. When I wanted to breed them, I'd simply separate the species for a couple of weeks and then reintroduce them to the main tank.

As long as the species are similar in size and easily identifiable, you can mix them in a tank.

[bettaMagenta]

My 45 Gallon is 36 inches long X 12 inches wide X 24 inches high, I guess that answers my question about tank size.

I'm curious, would it be considered inconsiderate or mean if someone didn't make provision to raise the young and just kept several pairs together in the aquarium, letting nature take its course with the eggs or fry? I can see the appeal, but personally, I never got into the hobby to breed fish. That being said, I am hoping to breed Tilapia next year, we'll see how that goes.

[barnicle]

I'm curious about keeping a diverse community tank with the smaller species – has anyone had success with this setup?

What's the ideal tank size for a mix of smaller varieties? I'm considering a 45-gallon tank, but I'm worried it might be too tall for some of the species.

Do you think it's possible to mix all the smaller varieties together without any aggression issues, like fin nipping on the threadfins or flowery finned varieties?

I'd love to see some pics of your smaller community tanks – anyone have a 'lil rainbow tank they'd like to share?

I don't think it's cruel to let nature take its course, it's just the way of things. I'm not set up to raise fry at the moment, but I'd love to give it a go in the future. My Boesemani rainbows are always breeding, and I've got cherry barbs in with them that take care of any stray eggs.