# Rare Glossolepis Rainbowfish



## Rainbowric (Feb 11, 2012)

Up until now I have been posting pictures of Rainbowfish from the* Melanotaenia Genus*. But there is a number of other Genus of Rainbowfish available. Melanotaenia is probably the most common as they are easy to breed and color up young and so there for more making them more marketable.

One of my favourite Genus is the *Glossolepis*. A little more difficult to breed, and you need patience for them to develop into a gorgeous rainbowfish! Many up to a year before they really show!

This first species shown here could probably go into the dwarf section if he was not a Melanotaenia, as he does not get much more than 2 inches. The smallest rainbowfish in the Glossolepis Genus. It is none as the spotted rainbowfish, unique in that the spots are suppose to be a different on each one. There are two strains of this species in North America, one called the ANGFA strain and the other being called the European strain. I believe the European strain is a little more colourful. Below is a....

*Glossolepis maculosus* "European Strain"



This next Glossolepis they figure is the largest of the Glossolepis Genus. None also as the Zig Zag Rainbowfish! It was collected by Gary Lange recently when he heard the lake that they occupied was threatened by Global warming's. I was fortunate to obtain eggs off of his wild caught group. Below is a....

*Glossolepis dorityi* "Lake Nenggwambu" - F1



This Glossolepis is another recently collected fish by Gary Lange. It has been collected from a number of different locations so it is important to attach the location name to the name of the fish...like it is for all fish that carry a location name. Same location as the new strain of M. praecox "Pagai" This is a .....

*Glossolepis multisquamata* "Pagai Village"



Here he is showing off as usual!



And the last Glossolepis in this post, probably not this thread, as it appears that I can only post so many pictures at once in a post!

*Which also reminds me to let you know that I did another post, some more species in my dwarf rainbowfish thread!*

This Glossolepis none as the "Emerald" or the "Great Wanam" Rainbowfish, now extinct in the wild, and I promise you that *this one is pure*, which makes it very...very.. rare, is one of my favourite. He is a....

*Glossolepis wanamensis *"Lake Wanam"





Hope that you have enjoyed these pictures of fish from the Glossolepis Genus! Promise to post some more later in the thread after you tell me which ones do you like?

Warmest regards,

Ric


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Beautiful fish! How hardy are the fish?


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## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

I can't pick just one, they are all lovely... I guess a large school of the wanamensis would be amazing!


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## djamm (Sep 25, 2010)

wow~!~

You have some very nice rainbows....I want them all -=smiles=-


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## Flygirl (Jul 23, 2011)

How you get them hold still long enough to get some of these shots remains a mystery, but the two below are my favourites form this bunch.


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## Algae Beater (Apr 21, 2010)

i love your posts, simply amazing fish!! i need like 25 more tanks to get my hands on EVERYTHING you have  

a pleasure to view as always


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## Rainbowric (Feb 11, 2012)

Thank you for all your compliments and "Likes" in this thread and the others that I have done!

You should take a look once in a while back in some of my other threads,.... for more information about these beautiful fish and of course more pictures! I do try and answer most of your questions.

The Glossolepis Genus family of rainbowfish to require a little more care than the Melanotaenia Genus family. Probably why you see them less. They do like, like all rainbowfish live comfortably in declorinated tap water, 78 degrees ..+ or - 4 degrees, and they really show all their colors well in a planted tank! They do like water changes and dance in the fresh water when you add it to the tank! Oh yes and food..well I buy live black worms at one of our LFS and the owner tells me that the discus and stingray people buy them for treats for their fish. The rainbow people buy flake. Good flake is fine but a treat of some good frozen or live food, they will love you for it. If you had to live only on dehydrated food, how well would you look? Yes you would live but not as well as fresh live food!

But there is another thing that makes rainbows really show their colors!

You know it saddens me when I go into a LFS and see a tank of Rainbowfish with nothing left but females, no doubt they are not quite as colorful. However people are taking home only a colorful male. They are missing the best of there new fish they just bought!! That male has no reason to show off with no girls around. I won't sell anyone just a male, unless they have a female that they need a male for. The male fish turns into a whole different fish when he is courting the female. So a pair is a must! But many people that have experienced multiply rainbows and you will see even more as you will notice below. A male will color up nice when courting the female but when he has to compete with another male for that female...wow!! that's when the colors really come out!

Oh and BTW that white stressed out female in the LFS, when home and happy in your tank with a male, will look as nice as the brightly colored male you took home!

I did a major water change on this group and gave them a treat of some live black worms and the next morning this is what happened when these 2 fellow moved in on a female!

This fellow just realized that the other male was in pursuit of one of the females up in the corner of the tank!



I better let this fellow know that I am just as good as he is!



If this girl does not notice this, she has got to be blind!



I knew the other guy did not stand a chance.



These 2 pairs are about 1.5 years of age. They will live with good care to a least 5 years of age. Their is a pair spawning at least twice a week and the shows get even better every week! Especially as they get older and more mature!

*Next post I will show you what Glossolepis wanamesis look like when spawning takes place!*

Sorry for the quality of photography here as when this takes place it becomes quite difficult to capture with a camera!

Sincerely 
Ric


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## Rainbowric (Feb 11, 2012)

When the Glossolepis wanamensis starts to display his colors really start to intensify! So much that they almost go black! Still with a bright yellow strip down the nose.

This first photo I have to apologize for the focus on it as he was moving very fast around the tank. He and his girl are in with some Glossolepis dorityi which you will notice in the next photo.



The male dorityi thought for a moment about moving in on this fellows girl! It was just a thought!



These 3 young males, just over 2 inches are starting to display for the 2 females in this photo. As I was saying in the other post when competition comes in to play the colors in them really start to show!



Kind of cute to see these little fellows, so young starting to spar and display for the females.



*Little....what I am not little....I am bigger than this cat fish!*



Got to go, have a bunch of fry hatching today.

Hope you have enjoyed.

Best regards
Ric


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## Rainbowric (Feb 11, 2012)

Sorry I have been busy posting on the rainbow-fish.org forum. If you like Glossolepis, you should check out this thread!!! All of the replys not just the one post!

*Post subject: Glossolepis vs Chilatherina vs Glossolepis*

Rainbowfish Forum :: View topic - Glossolepis vs Chilatherina vs Glossolepis

Regards
Ric


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## kesler123 (Oct 12, 2010)

Beautiful fish! Where do you buy all your fish? Any stores available online?


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## Patti4362 (Oct 6, 2016)

Are you willing to sell/ship any offspring? Your fish are beautiful and finding them in Canada is fantastic.


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## Adam Edmond (Oct 26, 2016)

Congrats for the good work! How many tanks do you use to keep them?


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