Some new fishies

[GlennO]

A couple of weeks ago I was in an LFS and noticed a tank containing some very healthy looking rainbowfish that were on sale. I asked the owner why they were so cheap and he said because they didn't know what species they were. I don't know how that happens, but I couldn't resist and bought 8 of them. The males are just starting to colour up and my guess is that they are a variety of Eastern Rainbowfish, M. splendida splendida:

Melanotaenia splendida splendida (Eastern Rainbowfish) Care Guide

I won't know for certain for a little while yet but I'll be happy if they are, since I haven't previously kept this species. I think I have 3M/5F which would be a good ratio.

 

[Deathstar31]

Great, I don't know how they don't know the species!

 

[GlennO]

Great, I don't know how they don't know the species!

Me either. I think it was an error by the wholesaler who shipped a different species than what was ordered.

 

[Fishfur]

Me either. I think it was an error by the wholesaler who shipped a different species than what was ordered.

It is surprising to me that there aren’t more mistakes like that. And sometimes the suppliers genuinely don’t know but sell them regardless, because keeping them makes no economic sense.

I once got some super cool loaches that were mixed in with two other species of kuhli loaches. All were supposed to be P.semicinta but half were P. doriae (though not identified back then) and four or five were a medium brown shade, an inch longer & even skinnier bodied than the others, with quite different fins. They reminded me of some illustrations I’ve seen of sea monsters, though in miniature of course.

Still don’t know what species they were but I enjoyed them while I had them.