Rainbow Cichlids

[Etan]

The other day I picked up 3 of these for my 75. They are housed with 6 columbian tetras and cory cats. They are between 2.5 and 3 in.

Does anyone have any long term care experience info I should know.

I believe the two larger ones are male. They have really colored up and pick on each other while the smaller one is very dark. I'm not sure how to sex them.

Also I've read mixed info on keeping them in pairs or groups.

For future tankmates I was considering some of the following: severum, eb acara, cupid cichlid, bolivian ram, festivum or maybe apistos.

I hear they are super skittish so I assume something like a sajica or HRP's would be way too aggressive for them?

Thanks.

 

[neutrino]

Don't know about cupid cichlids in the mix, cupid's a fairly shy, sensitive fish ime.

 

[Toiletcar]

I have had mine for almost 2 years now in a 150g with other smaller CA cichlids including HRP.
If it were me I would pass on those SA cichlids and get the HRP and/or sajica. I think you would be fine.

My rainbow.

 

[duanes]

I grew mine up in a 75gal, from fry given to me by a club member.

at about 3" they started to show signs of spawning,

In Costa Rica during the rainy season, they move out to flooded grass lands to spawn, where food like insects and grasses are plentiful, and predators are few (other than birds). So I moved my 7 pairs to a 400 gal kiddy pool, where all pairs started constantly spawning.


Fed mine a high spiraling diet throughout and kept temps the 70s.
Although in some of the wind swept flooded fields where they move to spawn can drop the water temps quite low at night, and the sun heat up the water almost hot during the dy

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Personally I would add more rainbows.
They live in groups in the wild and like to hang in the shallows near aquatic plants(normally marginal grasses like carex species)
Add a shoal of livebearers and you have a nice little set up.
You will find in Greater numbers their aggressiveness will be diluted. Add line of sight breaks such as rocks and stands of vallis Americana and you should be good.

 

[Etan]

How many would you suggest for a 75?

 

[Toiletcar]

Personally I would add more rainbows.
They live in groups in the wild and like to hang in the shallows near aquatic plants(normally marginal grasses like carex species)
Add a shoal of livebearers and you have a nice little set up.
You will find in Greater numbers their aggressiveness will be diluted. Add line of sight breaks such as rocks and stands of vallis Americana and you should be good.

I agree with this. It would be a much nicer setup.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

6 or 7 preferably more females than males.
A lot comes down to trail and error with cichlids but I can't see you having any major issues with this species.

 

[Etan]

Is there a good way of sexing them?

 

[Gourami Swami]

I agree with Stanz, 6-7 rainbows would be better than 2 rainbows and assorted other cichlids.
Really awesome little fish, I have kept them a few times and always enjoyed them. Good community cichlids as long as nothing else is too mean