Characteristics , Origin , and Helpful Information for Hobbyists
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The forktailed rainbowfish , Pseudomugil furcatus , is easy to spawn , attractively slanted and relatively hardy . Less than two column inch when fully maturate , this little rainbowfish fits in well with other small shoaling Pisces in a well - constitute community of interests fish tank . Providing that this fish is transferred over to its new marine museum home tardily , it will adapt to a wide reach of weewee conditions ranging from soft and slightly acidic pee to hard and alkaline .
Credit:The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Species Overview
Common Names : Forktailed rainbow fish , forktail gamey middle
Scientific Name : Pseudomugil furcatus
fully grown Size:2 inch
sprightliness Expectancy:3 years
Characteristics
Origins and Distribution
Forktailed rainbowfish are native to Peria Creek and the Kwagira River of eastern Papua New Guinea ; they live in the wild in only a very small geographic country in Milne Bay Province . They now and again trip into nearby river and tributaries , credibly as a answer of drainage among the dissimilar waterways .
These Pisces prefer behind - moving streams describe with heavy flora ; these environments make it well-off for them to retrieve their favorite foods : zooplankton , phytoplankton , and invertebrates . Very few forktailed rainbowfish are pull in in the wild . Because they are easy to multiply , they are spawn at fish farm for the aquarium craft .
Colors and Markings
The forktailed rainbowfishis a very attractive species with blue eyes , a silvery body , and bright yellow stripes on the top and bottom of the trunk in the breeding season . Two upturned almost wing - likepectoral fins , bright yellow in color along with bright yellow dorsal five in breeding season make these little gems great additions to any community aquarium .
Tankmates
Forktailed rainbowfish are a shoal metal money and should be continue with six to ten of their own kind . A broadly speaking passive fish , they can live well with smaller gudgeon or wolffish species , danios , tetras , rasboras , dwarf cichlid , and other small rainbowfish . Do avoid keeping this species in a tank with slower - move fish or angle with long , trailing fins as they do sometimes nip and can be a bit belligerent .
Forktailed Rainbowfish Habitat and Care
When creating a habitat for your forktailed rainbowfish , remember that their aboriginal environs is one of tardily - moving water with a great deal of flora . Torecreate a similar habitat , pick out a 30 - gallon or larger aquarium and add a blue , sandlike or rocky substrate .
grace with river rocks , driftwood , rooted flora , and floating feathery - leafed plants . float plants over a dark substratum will not only convey out the colors in this specie to the best effect , but the fish will be more easy and calm . Live plants are necessary for this fish to thrive . Be certain the piss is well oxygenated . Use a orotund filtration system but one that does n’t create too much turbulence .
The forktailed rainbowfish is very combat-ready ; it is not only firm but agile as well , swimming , twisting , and turning in and out of plants playfully . They are a middle zone fish and are in motion as long as aquarium light are on . It is near to keep two males together with four to six females to induce the most active societal displays . Forktailed rainbowfish need many hours to acclimate to a new aquarium environment . Quick exposure to dissimilar body of water chemistry and temperature can shock their systems .
Forktailed Rainbowfish Diet and Feeding
A great vantage of the forktailed rainbowfish is their uncomplicated feeding requirement : they have almost no extra needs . opt flake , micropellets , and small rooted food such as daphnia , baby brine shrimp ( Artemianauplii ) , and water flea .
Gender Differences
Male forktailed rainbowfish can be distinguish by their sharper gloss and a striking quintuplet shape ; fins are swerve and almost wing - like and are bright yellow . Females and juveniles have the same basic coloring as males , but the color are not as brilliant .
Breeding the Forktailed Rainbowfish
These Pisces the Fishes are short - exist in nature so they mature quickly , and strain young . Males are prime at about eight months ; after one year to 15 month , they will explicate a pigeon thorax , at which time they are too onetime or fledged to cover . However , many forktailed rainbowfish do experience to be very old fish in a community aquarium .
This speciesusually spouse within the shoal and position their egg amongfeathery - leafed plant . Over the last 10 twelvemonth , this remarkable phallus of the rainbowfish family has faded almost entirely from the plate aquarium scene . It is inauspicious , because not only is this remarkable Pisces the Fishes one of the sluttish of the rainbowfish to keep in a community marine museum , it is also one of the easiest of its kind to breed .
Using two males and six females , each male person will set up his own “ territory ” in the well - establish genteelness armoured combat vehicle . One of the males will take possession of a all right - leaved plant or breeding mop at a far last of the tank . You will notice that the females will stay in the middle of the aquarium during this coupling rite ; the other male may take possession of another plant of the breeding mop at the other ending of the armored combat vehicle .
You must get up at sunrise , or cause the lighting arrangement in the breeding tank to simulate dawn , which is when the Male will display for the female . This is deserving getting up for as they become quite beautiful in their dances . now and again the males may have a abbreviated clash for dominance , but they incline to disregard each other .
Eventually , a female will follow one of the male back to his chosen plant or genteelness mop to spawn . You will know they are spawn when they dip to the lower reaches of the tank and float up into the works or mop close to each other . As they turn over close to the top of the plant , they swim into each other and free ballock and milt together .
The most difficult part about breeding this remarkable Pisces is the wait for the nut to hatch as it will take at least 14 years . Because of this hold , there is a real chance of lose the eggs to fungus if leave in the breeding armoured combat vehicle . Remove the eggs to a sterile weewee tank with fungus treatment to achieve the good solvent .
The child ( infant fish ) of this species are strange among the small egg - layers as they are innocent - swim and self - sufficient at the time of hatching . They are right away magnanimous enough to consume livebaby brine shrimpand powdered dry food .
Use a quick study filter in the fry rearing tank after three workweek , modify 20 percent of the weewee each workweek , and bung diminished amounts of varying foods six time a day . With luck and good attention to item , at three months they will be over an inch long .
More Pet Fish Species and Further Research
If you ’re interested in Pisces the Fishes that might be proficient tankmates for your forktailed rainbowfish , mark off out :
Check out additional fish species profiles for more selective information on otherfreshwaterfish .
