Amphibians
Axolotls
Caecilian Worm
Chaco Toad
Mud Puppies
Newts General
Newts Eastern
Newts Golden
Newts Mandarin
Salamanders
Suriname Toad
Tadpoles
Terrarium I
Terrarium II
USA Toads
Water Dogs
Misc. Toads

Frogs
Bull
Clawed
Dumpy
Dwarf
Fire-Belly
Floating
Green Tree
Leopard
Pac Man
Pipa pipa
Pyxie
Red-Eyed Tree
Tomato
Misc Frogs 
Misc Frogs II
Misc Frogs III
Misc Frogs IV

Animals
Bunnies
Bunnies II 
Chinchillas
Degus
Ferrets
Gerbils
Guinea Pig
Hamsters I
Hamsters II
Hamsters III
Hamsters IV
Hamsters V
Hedgehogs
Kittens
Kids & Kittens
Mice
Mice Pets II
Parasites
Rats I
Rats II
Rats, Hairless
S-T Opossums
Sugar Gliders
Water Bottles

Bugs
Crabby 500
Crab 04 Results
Centipedes
Cray/Lobsters
Crayfish II
Crayfish III
Cray, Yucatan
Fiddler Crabs
Shrimp, Algae
Shrimp, Aqua
Shrimp, Red
Shrimp, Flower
Shrimp, Ghost
Shrimp, Rudolph
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crabs II
Madagas Roach
Mantids
Mini-Clams
Mini-Crabs
Giant Millipedes
Red Claw Crabs
Reiman Butterfly
Snail, Apple
Snail, Colombian
Snail, Land
Snail, Malaysian
Snail, Mystery
Snail, Trapdoor 
Scorpions
Tarantulas
Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II

Birds
Breeding Tips
Canaries
Cockatiels
Dove, Diamond
Dove, Ringneck
Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots
Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II
Dave's Parrots

Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
Gecko, Golden
Gecko, House
Gecko, Leopard
Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
Iguana Dragons
Iguana Q&A I
Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile
Monitors, Savana
Monitors, Water
Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5

Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy
Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II
Misc. Snake Pix

Turtles
Box, Asian
Box, USA
Races
Snapping

Sulcata
Water

Live Foods
Blackworms
Blood Worms
Br Shrimp I
Br Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
Crickets
Daphnia
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fruit Flies
Ghost Shrimp

Glass Worms

Grindal Worms
Infusoria
Mealworms
Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
Under Gravel Filters
Cloudy Water
Cool Water Tanks
Gravel Vacuums
Preventing Disease
Feeding to the Max
Frozen Foods
Green Water
Nasty Chemicals
Overfeeding
Power Filters
Rift Lake Salts
Quarantine Tank
Mini-Tank
2nd Av Bait

Aquatic Plants
Amazon Swords
More Swords
Sword Plants III
Anubias
Aponogetons
A. boivinianus
A. fenestralis
A. ulvaceous
Aquarium/Bog
Banana Plant
Bolbitis
Bunch
Bunch Plants II
Cryptocorynes
Crystalwort
Dwarf Lily
Grassy
Grassy II
Hornwort
Hygrophila
Lace
Java Lance Fern
Java Moss
Moss Balls
Onion
Vermiculite
Watersprite

LA 
Young dwarf neon rainbowfish.

LA
Dwarf neon rainbowfish look better with a little age on them.

LA
Male dwarf neon rainbowfish on left.  Female on right.  Fairly easy to sex.

LA
2-inch dwarf neon rainbowfish.

LA

LA
1.5-inch dwarf neon rainbowfish.

LA
1.5-inch dwarf neon rainbowfish.

LA
Planted aquarium ready for a school of breeders.

LA
When first introduced, the eight breeders prefer to hide in the vegetation.

LA
Just introduced, the breeders "pale out" at first.

LA
A couple hours later, they start re-coloring.

LA
Male to the left.  Female to the right.

LA
Ditto.

LA
Male sulking on bottom.

LA
Female sulking on bottom.

Intro:  We're writing this page in a bit different style.

Origins:  Originally from New Guinea, these cute little two to two and a half inch guys and gals are now produced in fish farms.  And, you can reproduce them yourself.

Size Appeal:  Since most Americans start their fish keeping careers with a 10-gallon tank, small fish work best for them.  Not the cheapest fish in the barrel (like neons, moons, or danios), they're a definite step up at a still reasonable price.  Dwarf neon rainbowfish also start developing their color potential at a much smaller size than most rainbowfish.  They're still somewhat harder to find than the usual run of the mill community fish.

Temperature:  Like most community fish, dwarf neon rainbowfish fare fine at 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  They do okay slightly cooler and like to spawn when you bump them to 80F.

Sexing and Color:  You can tell the males from the females (sexual dimorphism) fairly easily.  Both sexes are an eye-catching iridescent silvery blue.  Sometimes you can see a light orange background that appears behind the rows of silver scales.  The males sport red top and bottom fins, which they enjoy flaunting at the females.  When swimming, they tend to flatten these fins suddenly opening them when they change directions.  Females have the same size fins, but they are yellow or orangish yellow.

Temperament:  Dwarf neon rainbowfish spend most of their time schooling or looking for food.  If no other dwarf neons live in their tank, they will school with other fishes.  They patrol the top and middle layers of the tank.  However, they do break ranks when food hits the surface.  I've never seen them scrounge the bottom for food.

Foods and Feeding:  Neon rainbows have smaller throats than their mouths, so they prefer smaller pellets.  They like all types of flakes.  And, of course,  love live and frozen foods.  Remember that food that falls to the bottom will not be eaten.  Add some scavengers or snails.  Rainbowfish do not like dirty water.

Mileage Warranty:  Expect your dwarf neon rainbowfish to last three to five years -- about twice the lifespan of bettas and most livebearers.

Habitat:  Most small fishes feel more secure in planted tanks -- live or plastic.  Plants and aquascaping also add to your appreciation of your rainbowfish and your tank in general.

Water:  Des Moines water works fine.  Although they originally came from slightly acid water, they do fine in our slightly alkaline water.  They do need clean water.

Breeding:  Most schooling egglayers breed best if you separate the sexes and condition them for spawning.  Dwarf neon rainbowfish lay smaller quantities of eggs on more of a continuous basis.  You needn't isolate the sexes for maximum production.  You will need a scavenger-free aquarium though.  Reputedly, the parents will not eat their eggs or fry.  However, I would not trust the reputation of any parental units that eat as heartily as rainbows.  Try the standard danio layer of marbles on the bottom to protect their eggs, or just assume you'll have plenty of eggs even if they do eat some.  Some fish keepers house their breeders in net cages that allow the eggs to fall thru.  They then periodically siphon the eggs out.  Bare tanks work best for this process.

Fry Care:  Dwarf neon rainbowfish have too small a mouth to start life on newly hatched brine shrimp.  Start them on Infusoria or Microworms for a week or so.  Lower the water level if you feed microworms.  They sink to the bottom fast.  After a week start adding newly hatched brine shrimp -- even the frozen ones.  Many breeders report success with the powder-fine commercial fry foods.  Since the parents eagerly accept commercial foods, the fry should also.  Make sure it's dust-fine and and do not overfeed.  Mystery snails make great scavengers after your eggs hatch and start free swimming.

Last Words:  Try a school of the eye-catching dwarf neon rainbows.  You won't be disappointed.  LA

Jaguar Spawning II
Jewel Fish
Keo's Flowerhorns
Keo's Flowerhorns II
Kribensis
Odd Couple Spawn
Oscars 1
Oscars 2
Oscars 3
Oscars 4
Oscars 5
More Oscar
More Oscar II
More Oscars III
More Oscars 2007
More Oscars 2007.5
Oscar Spawn
Peacock Bass
Red Devils
More Red Devil
Red Parrots
Red Parrots Spawn
Red Parrot Spawn II
Pikes
Pink Tilapia
Rams
Red Bay Snooks
Red Bay Snook Spawn
Roger Stephen's Cichlids
Severums
More Severums
Severums III
Tanganyikans
Texas Cichlid
Texas Spawning
Texas Spawn II
Uarus
Misc Cichlids I
Misc Cichlids II
Misc Cichlids III
Misc Cichlids IV
Misc Cichlids V
Misc Cichlids VI
Misc Cichlids VII
Misc Cichlids VIII
Misc Cichlids IX

Livebearer  
Guppies
Half-Beak
Mollies
Moons/Platys
Swordtails

Minnows/Tetra 
Barbs
Barbs, Black
Barbs, Gold
Barbs, Rosy
Barbs, Tiger
Barbs, Tinfoil
Danios
Danio Egg Saver
Distochodus
Fathead Minnows
Headstanders
Killies, Econ.
Killies, Golden
Killies, Peat
Killies, Plant
Misc Mini-Fish
Pacús 
Piranha, Black
Piranha, Red
Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Rainbowfish, Irian
Silver Dollar
Tetras, Larger
Tetras, Smaller
Tetras, Spawn
Tetra, Vampire
White Clouds

Pond Fish
Carp
Channel Cat
Gold. Comets
Gold. Fantails
More Fantails
Gold. Oriental  
Gold Oriental II 
Gold. Spawn
Kloubec Koi Farm
Koi
Koi II

Koi III
Oranda Spawn
Plecostomus
Shubunkins

Oddballs  
Af. Butterfly
Af. Lungfish
Af. Mudskippr
American Eel
Archer Fish
Arowana
Bichirs
Borneo Suckers
Brackish I
Brackish II
Brackish III
Brackish IV
Brackish V
Michael Troung's Pix
Butterfly/Wasp
Chameleon Fish
Chromides
Chin Alg Eater
Crazy Fish
Crocodile Fish
Datnioides
Dojo
Dwarf Puffers
Electric Cat
Electric Eels
Elephant Nose
Exodon paradoxus
Flounder
Gars  
Glassfish
Goby Bumble
Goby Butterfly
Goby Dragon
Goby Misc.
Half-Beak
Knife African
Knife Clown
Knife Ghost
Loach Botias
Loach Clown
Loach Kuhli
Loach Weather

Longear Sunfish
Moray Eel  
Peacock Gudgeons
Polypterids
Puffers
Ropefish
Scats
Siam Algae Eater 
Spiny Eels 
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Wasp Fish
Wolffish
Wrest Half-Beak
Misc Mini-Fishes
Misc Odd
Misc Odd II
Misc Odd III
Misc Odd  IV

Misc Odd V
Misc Odd VI

Sharks  
Bala
Black
Bull
Chinese Hi-Fin Banded
Iridescent
Red-Tail
Siam Algae Eater

Pond Info 
Blank Park Zoo
Bob Humphrey's Ponds
Cattails
Maffett Reservoir
DMACC's Pond
D.M. Botanical Center
D.M. Water Works
Dr. Ervanian's Garden
Duckweed
Dwarf Lily
Ewing Park "Pond"
Jan & Chris's Water Garden
John McDonald's Pond
Hall's Four Acres
Klines' Water Garden
Landscaper Effects
Mini-Pond Pics
Pioneer Corn's Pond
Pond Fish Predators
Pond on 38th Street 
Pond Pics
Pond Plants
More Pond Plants
Pond Plants III
Reiman Ponds
River Scenes
Riverview Island
Selin's Water Gardens
Selin's Japanese Garden
Tom's Used Cars Pond
Urbandale Duck Pond
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Wild Ponds