Iriatherina werneri Care.

[Byron]

You said depending on fish. I posted my stock above. Will Bolivian rams work? (If so, do I need 1? 2? A pair?)

If all you have are the neons and panda cories, then a male Bolivian Ram should work. The rainbowfish add an uncertainty for me. A 29g is not a large space and the Bolivian might or might not pester them, I've no idea. The Ram will eat shrimp if he can.

A "pair" or rams means a male and female that have selected each other from the group and bond. Even this is not a guarantee of harmony, but it is usually.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If all you have are the neons and panda cories, then a male Bolivian Ram should work. The rainbowfish add an uncertainty for me. A 29g is not a large space and the Bolivian might or might not pester them, I've no idea. The Ram will eat shrimp if he can.

A "pair" or rams means a male and female that have selected each other from the group and bond. Even this is not a guarantee of harmony, but it is usually.

No, I am not going to get any rainbow fish. Just the ram.

(I also have a male albino BNP, that shouldn't cause any problems?)

My LFS always has rams. So excited to finally get one! Any more tips/tricks I should know?

 

[JuiceBox52]

No, I am not going to get any rainbow fish. Just the ram.

(I also have a male albino BNP, that shouldn't cause any problems?)

My LFS always has rams. So excited to finally get one! Any more tips/tricks I should know?

Make sure it's the right ram that you're getting

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Make sure it's the right ram that you're getting

Can't see how I could mess that up? Lol...

 

[Essjay]

Make sure you can the difference between rams and Bolivan rams because the store may not be able to. Rams in all the colour variants have red in their eye rings, Bolivian rams do not have red in their eye rings.

It is very difficult to tell the sex of Bolivian rams unless they are in the act of breeding, and they will be too young in the store to be able to breed. The way to try to select a bonded pair is to stand motionless in the front of the tank. When they see people they stop behaving naturally so you have to stand still till they forget you are there. Eventually, you will see that some of them making little charging movements towards each other. They may not make contact but they will definitely be warning off the other fish. Those are more likely to be males. Some of the fish will be pootling round and ignoring the other other fish. Those are more likely to be females. If one of the potential males allows one of the potential females to stay near him, those two could be a bonded pair - but this is not 100% guaranteed. Make sure you have someone with you; keep your eyes on the fish you want and send the other person to find a store worker.



Do not let a store worker persuade you to get Mikrogeophagus ramirezi - blue rams or german rams or electric blue rams or gold rams or balloon rams or any type of rams except Bolivian rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Now that I think about it, they usually carry German rams and electric blue.

I will have to order a Bolivian Ram. I will call and ask how much they cost.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Bolivian Rams should be cheaper than German Rams or Electric Blue Rams and more hardy.

If you are getting German Rams or Electric Blue Rams, watch out for parasites infections such as gill/skin flukes and internal parasites.

 

[Essjay]

If you order two and the store gets in just 2, they could be 2 males, or 2 females or one of each but unbonded. No wholesaler will pick out a bonded pair, they'll probably just send the first two fish they catch. Any of these alternatives will probably end in disaster.

If they get in a batch rather than just the amount you order, you will have to wait until they've sorted themselves in the store tank. The wholesaler will probably have split up existing pairs because they'll catch the fish at random so you'll need to wait until new pairs have formed before buying them.





Are you really sure you want Bolivian rams? Or any other dwarf cichlid, come to that, as they'll have the same problem if you have to order them.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Actually Iriatherina Werneri are interesting fish. Though they are not colourful, their fins are amazing. They are like a group of Bettas fish trying to show off to each other with their fins.
Their fins can be quite big when they grow to maturity.
So, their overall size is definitely bigger than Neon Tetras.

Also, as Essjay mentioned, are you sure you really want Bolivian Rams?
I am afraid you may not be satisfied later... LOL

 

[Byron]

I would not consider Bolivian Rams unless I could see the fish in the store tank. Some of these poor fish can be highly stressed and they are sensitive fish. I would also only get a male if you do get one.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If you order two and the store gets in just 2, they could be 2 males, or 2 females or one of each but unbonded. No wholesaler will pick out a bonded pair, they'll probably just send the first two fish they catch. Any of these alternatives will probably end in disaster.

If they get in a batch rather than just the amount you order, you will have to wait until they've sorted themselves in the store tank. The wholesaler will probably have split up existing pairs because they'll catch the fish at random so you'll need to wait until new pairs have formed before buying them.





Are you really sure you want Bolivian rams? Or any other dwarf cichlid, come to that, as they'll have the same problem if you have to order them.

I’m not sure I want a pair, for the reason that you mentioned.

I am looking for some fish that has a decent size to it.

No one has recommended anything different to me. I have asked about Gouramis, but no answer.

 

[Colin_T]

No one has recommended anything different to me. I have asked about Gouramis, but no answer.

You should read the first page of this thread. A number of people commented on gouramis.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You should read the first page of this thread. A number of people commented on gouramis.

Ok. Honey Gourami’s were recommended to me, and I like the look of them.

Do I need a trio? I remember one species did, forgot which one it was.

 

[Essjay]

Honey gouramis would be fine. Yes, they may eat baby shrimps but if you have lots of plants (eg anacharis ) they won't eat them all. Not dwarfs because of health problems, nor anything bigger than dwarfs in a 29 gallon tank.
Licorice gouramis were mentioned earlier but I have never kept those so I can't say from personal experience. SF says they are about the same size as Iriatherinas.

 

[Essjay]

You posted as I was typing.

Honeys are OK as a pair or a trio. Red ones are impossible to sex. Wild ones are easy - females have a dark line down their sides and are silvery grey. Males are tan coloured but if they are very stressed in the store tank they will look washed out, though they won't have the stripe. Yellow honeys are not as easy as wild coloured honeys, but look for a bit of a broken stripe for females, and no trace of a stripe for males. When I say stripe, I mean down the side from nose to tail.