Author Topic: Dwarf Rainbows - Male/Female Colouration (Read 10418 times) 16 replies

dbaggie · « **on:** March 17, 2014, 10:55:16 AM »

Morning all - just after a bit of general advice in relation to my Dwarf Rainbows (Praecox):

I have a nice group of 6 which I purchased from my LFS a few weeks back. He (the retailer) did try to pick me out 2 males with the rest being female, however it was pretty fresh stock so there was a lot in there and they were all juveniles, so when he stuck the net in they pretty much all lost their colour!

It subsequently looks as if I've ended up with all females as none have the distinct red fins I would expect from a male. The retailer has kindly offered to swap two of the females for males (hopefully more luck this time), however I've noticed what appears to be male-like behaviour from one of my rainbows - following (pestering!) another with fin flashing, yet it definitely has the same colouration as the rest.

Is this common and maybe just a form of female 'pecking order' being sorted out??

Sue · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2014, 11:12:25 AM »

That's the problem with stressed young fish in shop tanks $:-\$

Seriously fish doesn't comment on males having red fins, just that males are more brightly coloured and have much deeper bodies than females as they mature. Do yours show any difference in body shape?

Other references talk about males having orange fins rather than red. And I've come across one saying that the females kept the males in one corner while they roamed all over the tank.

But the majority say that males have orange-red fins and females orange yellow; and that they need a ratio of 2 females per male.

Richard W · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2014, 12:11:25 PM »

Rainbows are slow to mature compared to many fish. If yours are really juveniles then it might be some time before you can be sure what sex ratio you have.

dbaggie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2014, 12:11:59 PM »

Hi Sue

There are some differences in the body shapes, but I'm not sure if this isn't just down to individual growth rates as I did pick them up quite young (they we're all probably less than an inch in length) and they are still a way off being fully grown.

I did go back to the retailer at the weekend who is still selling the same batch of rainbows and you could distinctly see the orange/red fins on the males and a more vivid blue colouration as well - in fact you could easily tell the difference when I first purchase them (until they got stressed when being netted as you've referred to!).

I did expect them to take a while to get their colouration back after I first bought them but they seem to be doing fine and growing well but definitely no male colouration showing!

I should add that the females still look lovely just in case anyone was thinking they're a bit drab or something

dbaggie · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2014, 12:14:35 PM »

Quote from: Richard W on March 17, 2014, 12:11:25 PM

Rainbows are slow to mature compared to many fish. If yours are really juveniles then it might be some time before you can be sure what sex ratio you have.

I did wonder about that but it's the males showing their colouration in the fish shop which is causing me some confusion (as they're all the same batch and therefore presumably the same age). They all seem really settled in my tank so I'm sure that stress isn't a factor.

Richard W · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2014, 12:45:32 PM »

One wonders what would happen to all the other males if everybody wanted the ideal ratio of males to females. I guess most people don't know about it, or it could be very inconvenient for the fish shops ........... I'm planning to get six of these soon, but I'll have to take what I get as by shopping on line they are less than half the price of the large fish shop.

dbaggie · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2014, 02:24:21 PM »

Got my males now

You can definitely see the differences in colouration, particularly on the fins - 1st pic is one of the new males and the 2nd is one of my existing females. They're all great though!

ColinB · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2014, 03:16:23 PM »

Lookin' good!

Sue · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2014, 03:31:20 PM »

I intend getting some of these when I can get to somewhere that sells them. I'll have to take a good look at the fish in the tank in case I have the same problem.

Sue · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2014, 09:13:59 PM »

I got some dwarf rainbows today

They were quite big, I was surprised as I expected tiny little juveniles. It was easy to tell the sexes apart, the males had really deep bodies and red tail while the females are much shallower with orange tails. I got 3m 5f. Well, I'm hoping that's what I've got and they don't suddenly change shape or colour on me. They are still settling in, some of them are still clamping their fins a bit so I'll have to wait to see them properly.

Resa · « **Reply #10 on:** March 26, 2014, 12:10:29 AM »

I want some of those for my new tank

Can we have some piccies, please Sue?

dbaggie · « **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2014, 12:17:22 AM »

Nice one Sue

I found that mine settled in quite quickly - they seem to be quite confident fish rather than skittish or nervous.

Sounds like yours are already quite mature - can you see a distinct, almost violet coloured line down the length of their bodies? All of mine have them (males & females) but I'd swear blind they weren't there until I introduced the males.

ColinB · « **Reply #12 on:** March 26, 2014, 08:08:55 AM »

C'mon Sue, you know the rules..... piccies, or it didn't happen.

jesnon · « **Reply #13 on:** March 26, 2014, 09:02:24 AM »

How exciting Sue, but I agree with the others we need pics once they're all settled in!!

Sue · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2014, 09:21:28 AM »

You must remember I've had other things to occupy my time $:-\$ I'd only just got them into the tank after a somewhat faster than usual acclimation when we had to go out hospital visiting.
I was quite surprised how quickly they settled especially after that short acclimation. I switched the light off so it wouldn't come on while we were out, and turned it back on around 5 o'clock. They hid in a corner at first, but by the time we sat down to dinner at 5.45 they were everywhere. They don't have their full colour yet, it'll likely take a few days for that, but pics will come before too long

jesnon · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2014, 05:55:02 PM »

Of course Sue, once things are all settled :-) hope things are going ok with your mum and she's on the road to recovery

Kirsty · « **Reply #16 on:** April 08, 2014, 12:04:51 AM »

Hi rainbow fans - I can definitely say girls are not less fun! But the male is much bigger - and much deeper bodied - mine are now about seven or eight years old and the male is about a good inch plus longer and yes much deeper bodied - I started with two girls and a boy into a large shoal of breeding angels - but second girl was bullied out of the romancing pair! I was told they were eastern rainbows as was warned they'd get big and remember the guy picking out the coloured fin for the boy - whether they are eastern or not (I tend to think some places just tell you what they think sounds good) but they are great - still lively in their old age and love a bubble tickle - they are fun! And yes they did get big - you'll end up loving them - but as I now know they are long lived too!

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Dwarf Rainbows - Male/Female Colouration

Dwarf Rainbows - Male/Female Colouration

Author Topic: Dwarf Rainbows - Male/Female Colouration (Read 10418 times) 16 replies

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