# boesemani rainbow fish community tank



## fighttest

i currently have a 50 gallon tank with 12 neon tetras and 2 zebra loaches i plan on getting 7 boesemani rainbow fish and need some suggestions for tank mates for them. my ph is 8.2. i know that i need to get rid of the tetras because the boesemani will try to eat them so i plan on selling them back to my lfs. i know zebra loaches like to be in groups of 5 or more so i may get 2 more of them but depending on the suggested tank mates for the boesemani i may sell them back as well. if anyone knows of some good tank mates for them i would be really grateful.


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## aunt kymmie

I've seen congo tetras kept with rainbows and it's quite the display. However, I'm not sure that keeping them in a ph of 8.2 is going to work well with those particular fish. I would definitely add more loaches, as you alread know. ;-)


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## fighttest

i just did a little bit of research (im home from school because i didnt feel well) and i made a possible stocking list.
7x boesemani rainbow fish
3x pearl gourami
4x zebra loach
5x silver/marble hatchetfish
5x tiger barb/congo tetra

tell me what you think


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## Twistersmom

Are you set on getting some Boesemani?
The reason I ask, I have 6 rainbows in my 65 gal. They are fine, just not as much swimming room as I would like for them. I did not really visualize how big they where going to get. If I had to do it over again, I would have chose a smaller fish.


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## fighttest

yeah im pretty set iv been thinking about it since i first got the tank its pretty long 48x18x13


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## fighttest

how much room does each of your rainbows have? and i was thinking if they would deffinitly be to sqashed together i could do angels but my ph is 8.2 soo. i really like the idea of have a main group of fish and then a slightly smaller group and then several even smaller ones. in the suggestions that i posted the boesemani were supposed to be the main then the gouramis and then rest were nice fillers to add color to the tank


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## Twistersmom

My tank is the same length as yours only taller. My rainbows are a tight group. They all swim from one side of the tank to the other side together. So, having all 6 on one side, makes the tank look crowded.

Maybe just go with 6 of them. All of the other fish in tank swim at a different level. That leaves more room for the rainbows. I have my cories, rams, and eels at the bottom. Then I have my bettas, that don't really take any room away from the rainbows.

Be careful about adding any very small fish. The rainbows are not really aggressive, but they will mistake a small fish as food. One of my female bettas is red. When she was first introduced to the tank, I think they though she was a bloodworm. 
I had to take her out, let her grow a little more, then she was fine with them.


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## fighttest

what if i went with 5 or is that to little of a group. also would they eat my neon tetras?ALSO if i didn't do boesemani what could i do instead? thinking back to my previous post


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## Twistersmom

I would not trust the rainbows with the neons.

More loaches, would be great.

Tiger barbs are the only other fish that I have kept from your list. A large group would fit nicely into a 50 gal. Tiger barbs are one of my favorite fish, but they are somewhat ornery and unpredictable. I would not trust them with the neons either.


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## Fishin Pole

for your stocking list, i would not add tiger barbs....I think your gouramis would become targets for them and their fin nipping.......3 gouramis could also become an issue as they mature.........5 bosemanis would be ok together, but i suggest you only get 2 males and 3 females to spread the chasing around, or another alternative would be 5 males and 0 females........if you decide against bosemonis, their are other smaller rainbow species that would allow you a few more fish, the Celebes rainbow is one that comes to mind, but their are others also.......its hard for me to say if they would eat your neons, but the rule if it fits in there mouth, they could reconize them as food........Giant danios are another fish to consider instead of rainbows.......Good luck with your tank and keep us posted on your decisons!


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## fighttest

are there any rainbowfish that wouldnt try and eat neon tetras because if so that would make things so SO much easier, possibly yellow rainbowfish? also im kind of thinking now it would be cool to do multiple species of rainbowfish


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## Twistersmom

There are so many different kinds of rainbows and some that stay small and would probably work with you neons.
This site might help you in your search. Rainbow Fish


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## fighttest

this sucks so hard i wish i could just put what ever fish i wanted with any other fish


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## fighttest

i think im going to go as close as i can to that list i made. ill just have to see what kinds of different fish the lfs's have around i want to go to the petsmart a few towns over to see what they have but im so poor


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## stiltman

Wny 5 hatchets? I have always read at least 6. Either way I'd recommend at least doubling it. At least a dozen hatchets. I have had marbled hatchets for almost 3 years. They are great little fish, very thin so there isn't alot of bioload. 

They can be spooked easily in my experience. So I would recommend adding them sooner than any more active fish, like the rainbows. 

Good luck!


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## fighttest

i guess six then but 12 hatchets is alot of fish they would end up taking up like half my tank


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## stiltman

Hatchets remain at the very top of the tank. You will have no problem with a dozen.


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## fighttest

i got 6 hatchets and 3 pearl gourami today and they are all doing perfect


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