Rainbow Fish Stocking

[NottsFishy]

Hey everyone after two weeks of redesigning and restocking my tank like a few more suggestions I have already stocked bosemani, red banded, lake tebera and a melanotaenia sub species I would like to know peoples opinions on two other types one that is bright bright red with black have heard it's called the parva rainbowfish and the lake kebera (I think) rainbowfish.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ok, first, think I will need to ask what size of tank do you currently have and how many of each stocking you have before I can give recommendations on any more rainbowfish for your tank.
 
Also your water hardness and ph might be useful too.
 
 
Sounds good and really would like to see a pic if thats at all possible 

 

[NottsFishy]

Ch4rlie my tank is 55gal and just under 3.5ft long the ph is 7.4 unsure what the hardness is but just changed from angels and keyhole cichlids which were fine.
I currently have two of each rainbowfish so 8 all together it has a power head to move water has regular weekly water changes and an external eheim filter

 

[Ch4rlie]

Right first off, a dilemma, i'd suggest you bump up numbers for each species you already have, all do better in groups of at least 6 or 8 to bring out the best in them. 
 
BUT your 55gal / 210 litre tank will probably more than likely then be overstocked if you do this. And therefore leaves no room to add the two extra species you'd like.
 
I would say you may need to reconsider what you'd really like in your tank, take it down to, say, 2 species or maybe 3 species max, that may make bigger groups of each and more natural behaviour.

 

[Doomchibi]

I second Ch4rlie's opinion, it *would* look nice with multiple varieties but rainbowfish generally need to be kept with a bare minimum of 5 of their own type, more if possible. How big are your fish currently? With the size of your tank, you will run out of room if you keep small schools of each type all together. Most of the types you named get from 4-5" each, so right now I would not suggest adding any more fish to that tank. Perhaps you should consider getting a larger tank so you can get more of the kind you already have to keep them happy. Sorry we could not give you the responses you were hoping for, but it would be best for the tank to put your stocking goal on hold for now until your current fish are ready for it. 

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A 3.5 foot long tank is not suitable for these bigger, active rainbowfish for life, which need a 4-foot at the very least but I personally think they are far better suited to 5-foot plus aquariums.
 
A tank such as this only suitable for species upto and included "Celebes Rainbowfish" i.e. ones that max out naturally at 8cm SL (excluding tail fin).

 

[NottsFishy]

Ok thank you all for the advise and I will take it on board and rehome them all as soon as I can.
This is the first time I have tried rainbowfish and I believed the information I received before hand was good.