Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Identification => Topic started by: GersBantamJR on October 28, 2015, 10:16:39 AM

Title: What is this fish?
Post by: GersBantamJR on October 28, 2015, 10:16:39 AM
Got 3 of these from a friend he said they were forktail rainbow fish but they are definitely not
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Sue on October 28, 2015, 10:33:05 AM
I agree, definitely not forktail rainbows. The body shape and colouring are wrong. {For anyone else reading this, forktail rainbows look like this (http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pseudomugil-furcatus/)}


But as to what they are  ???

Is the photo accurate, is the fish grey with an orange tail and lower back part of its body? I know from taking fish photos hat they often come out looking like a different fish - well, mine do  :-[ .

The head and fin shapes don't look quite right for a Melanotaenia species - the only one that fits those colours is a stressed boeseman's rainbow.

I can only think it is a tetra of some sort. Does it have a tiny fin on its back between the main dorsal fin and the tail?
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: GersBantamJR on October 28, 2015, 10:39:13 AM
It's lower body going towards the tell is a redy-orange and there is a small fin between the tail and dorsal fin that is also Red. It looks a it like a neon without the blue stripe
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Sue on October 28, 2015, 10:50:30 AM
If it has that small fin - an adipose fin - it's a tetra. They are the only aquarium fish that have the adipose fin.

The problem now is which tetra? There are so many of them. Looking at photos of tetras with red tails, they don't have red on their bodies.

Do you know where your friend got them? It might be easiest to make a visit to the shop and see if they still have them. Even if they don't, they may recognise them.
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Extreme_One on October 28, 2015, 11:36:53 AM
From what you describe it sounds like it could be a "Gold Neon Tetra" but it's hard to say without seeing it more clearly.

Do you think you could try and take a better quality photo? I know how difficult it is to photograph fish!  ;)
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Sue on October 28, 2015, 11:45:02 AM
You could have got it there, Extreme  :)

Have a look at the second photo here (http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-innesi/)


If that's what they are, you'll need more than the three off your friend. The minimum for neon tetras is 6. Though since these tetras are just 'modified' neon tetras, getting 'ordinary' neon tetras would be OK. IF they are indeed gold or diamond neon tetras.
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Richard W on October 29, 2015, 06:58:02 AM
Could this be Rathbun's (a.k.a Redflank) Bloodfin?

See :http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/aphyocharax-rathbuni/

Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Extreme_One on October 29, 2015, 10:20:13 AM
Could this be Rathbun's (a.k.a Redflank) Bloodfin?

See :http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/aphyocharax-rathbuni/

That does look a possible candidate.

Fin-nipper though, so if it is that species, need to be careful with tank-mate selection.
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Alex_N on October 29, 2015, 03:10:11 PM
What size is the fish in question? To me it looks bigger than the Bloodfin, going on the measurements in the bio on seriously fish.

Edit: mystery fish also looks to rounded rather than the slenderness of a tetra
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Sue on October 29, 2015, 03:56:49 PM
There are a number of deep bodied tetras ( serpae, phantoms, bleeding hearts etc) but I haven't managed to find any that match the colouring.
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: GersBantamJR on October 29, 2015, 04:34:46 PM
My friend got it at a Maidenhead aquatics I paid them a visit yesterday and they said they were red flank blood fins. I bought another 3 is that enough. The tank mates are cherry barbs flame tetras and Bolivian Rams (standard colours)
Title: Re: What is this fish?
Post by: Extreme_One on October 29, 2015, 06:29:41 PM
Richard W wins !

They really need to be in a group of at least 6
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/aphyocharax-rathbuni