Cross breeding rainbows???

[Magnum Man]

I’m not try to, but have a variety of triplets of rainbows in my tank… all were bought as juveniles… the only males to show signs of mature colors are my madigascars… but one of the female yellow ones, must have come to maturity… she seems like she has a nesting spot( probably a males nesting spot) but she is dancing with 3 males right now… a red ( that’s not fully colored ) a yellow, that has not colored up yet, and my dominant madigascar, that is very well colored… they all act like they are trying to press eggs out of her ( she doesn’t look full of eggs ) but maybe 1st timers only have a few???

I thought it was pretty normal to mix rainbows, but I assumed they would sort out their own kind…

Maybe this is just juvenile lack of experience, and nothing will come of it… but the dancing looked pretty serious this morning..

 

[emeraldking]

Well, everybody must decide for themselves wether they'd like to crossbreed rainbows or not. But in a group, they'll shoal together from experience no matter if they are of different strains. But even if they're mixed, they'll try to mate with one of their own kind when present. That's the general way of how it goes.
But if there's just one of each, a crossbreeding can happen.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I'm assuming that if several pairs of different species were all trying to spawn in the same place, you couldn't guarantee that eggs were being fertilised by a male of the same if that makes sense? But I guess they'll try to breed with whoever is available

 

[Magnum Man]

I’m definitely not trying to cross breed, or even breed for that matter… just trying to have a few of several different varieties/ colors, of course I think everyone is trying to get the most color possible… it looks like the dance has cooled a little… maybe just the passion of young, becoming mature???

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

No one particularly 'tries' to breed rainbows, they don't need much persuading they usually do their business first thing in the morning just as the sun comes up

 

[Colin_T]

Most rainbowfishes will hybridise and males of one species will breed with females of other species, especially if they are limited to partners. But even if they aren't limited, some fish prefer others.

Males from different species will display to each other and if a male is breeding with a female, other males will often join in.

If you want to specifically breed the fish, move a pair into their own tank and leave them there for a week, then move the adults back to the main tank. The babies can be reared up in the breeding tank.

There's more info on rainbowfish at the following link if you're interested.

Melanotaeniidae and Pseudomugilidae

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

 

[GaryE]

Madagascars won't cross with their distant cousins from Australia or Papua New Guinea.

I keep Papua species in communities, but I would never save fry. When I want young, I use a separate tank.

 

[emeraldking]

you couldn't guarantee that eggs were being fertilised by a male of the same if that makes sense?

Especially when eggs of more females were laid next to eachother. But I had different rainbows but never had a cross offspring from them. I only saw exact copies of each of the separate species as offspring.