Video:Profile of Rainbowfish for Freshwater Aquariums

Transcript:Profile of Rainbowfish for Freshwater Aquariums

Hi! I’m Tony Aversano for About.com and today I’m going to tell you about all about rainbowfish for the home fresh water aquarium. We’re here at Fish Bowl Pets in Stamford, Connecticut.

Rainbowfish Originate in Australia

Rainbow fish can be a great addition to a freshwater home aquarium. Before you decide to purchase rainbow fish, you should know a little bit about them.

Rainbowfish naturally originate from Australia, New Guinea area of the world. They generally live in swampy, shallow rivers that are clear water and densely vegetated. They are omnivores that eat a wide variety of food, generally coming right to the surface to have their meal.

Types of Rainbowfish

The main characteristics of rainbowfish is that they are very active, top swimming schoolers. In addition, rainbow fish have a divided dorsal fish which makes them very unique. There are numerous types of rainbow fish that are available and widely sold in pet stores. Among them are the Australian rainbow, rainbow peacock, we have blue rainbow in the store, there are red rainbows, so there are numerous rainbows varieties.

Price and Size Range of Rainbowfish

They all probably run about 8 to 10 dollars, with the Australian rainbows being less expensive, maybe in the 4 dollar, 5 dollar range. Being a schooling fish, rainbow fish will require a medium size aquarium in order to be happy. Having one in the tank will make him feel like he’s a lost sole and the bigger the school the happier the fish.

Generally the rainbow fish available for sale in a store will be 1 to 2 inches, they’ll max out at about 4 inches and as they grow the colors will become a lot more intense.

You’ll need to have all the facts in order to properly care for rainbow fish and know if they’re right for you. To learn more about freshwater aquariums and other topics, please visit About.com. Thanks for watching.