# Boesemani Rainbowfish



## FynePrint (Jan 21, 2013)

So I recently changed my substrate in my tank from a black gravel to a tan/beige PFS. Also changed from a dark background to a more lighter one, now my Boesemani's look super washed out. They use to have a dark blue head with an orangish/yellow tail. Now they just have a yellow tail with hints of blue when they start flashing. Could the colour of the substrate affect the boesemani colour this much or is there something else going on?


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

In a word, yes. Substrate colour can have quite a dramatic effect on what fish colours look like to us. One reason why dark and black substrates are so popular, because they tend to make some fish's colours really pop, compared to lighter coloured ones. I recently saw some of these fish in a big tank with black bottom and they looked amazing, very bright, especially so when attempting to breed and flashing that stripe on their heads.

So maybe the pool sand is not so hot after all ? Hate that learning by experience thing .


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## FynePrint (Jan 21, 2013)

*Lesson Learned*

LoL... Yeah learning by experience sucks... I've read that there is some colour wash out but I didnt know it was going to be this bad. Geez... It looks like, I'm going to have to search for some black blasting sand now.

They went from looking like that to this... yuck..


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Yup, that is a bummer for sure. Sorry for the problem - sometimes it helps on here if you say what fish you plan to keep on a new substrate you're contemplating, and perhaps someone would have been able to warn you this was likely to happen with these fish.

I am reasonably certain it is an instinctive response by the fish, but I am not sure why they do it. To me the bright colours on dark would seem to make them targets more than the washed out shades over pale do. But whether or not it makes sense to me, the fact is, on black, they are bright, on pale they are pale too.

I don't keep them but have seen them in a few tanks. I know for sure they look far, far better over a dark substrate than a light one. I got to watch some chasing each other in breeding mode, doing that flash thing of theirs, and it looked incredible in that big tank, with beautiful plants and decor over the black bottom. Fish showed up like neon, just as your pics show them. Wish you luck.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

some colour may come back if the fish were still stressed by the changes in the tank. But they look the brightest when they are around a lot of colours, they like plants to.


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

That may explain the washed out colour on some I saw in an LFS. I was not impressed with them as I've seen pics on here of them and they looked great.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

They never look good in a store, they need to be happy in a well planted tank to show proper colours


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

pyrrolin said:


> They never look good in a store, they need to be happy in a well planted tank to show proper colours


Agreed. It amazes me when I move rainbowfish from quarantine to an established well planted tank with dark substrate. I expect them to be shy and timid, with pale colours until they feel comfortable - like normal fish. Yet within minutes they show vibrant colours and the males start showing off for the females.


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

Great pic Greg, yours look awesome. Too bad I've never got the hang of planted tanks or I would be thinking about getting some. Don't think they would be happy in my bare bottomed tanks I've used for breeding or grow out.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

I've always wanted a beautiful tank of Rainbows... Glad I never set one up now, all I use is child's play sand lol. They'd bleach out for sure over it sadly.

At least now I know for the future.


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## FynePrint (Jan 21, 2013)

greg said:


> Agreed. It amazes me when I move rainbowfish from quarantine to an established well planted tank with dark substrate. I expect them to be shy and timid, with pale colours until they feel comfortable - like normal fish. Yet within minutes they show vibrant colours and the males start showing off for the females.


Holy [email protected]*!... Greg your rainbows are so beautiful! I went through your Flickr album and now I caught the bug. I think I might have MTS because of your Rainbow Tank. Now I want aquarium just for rainbows.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I want to upgrade my main tank from a 90 to a 180 so I can add more stock, mostly rainbows! I have seen them in stores and they never look good. Recently there have been a few posts about rainbows and now I can see how beautiful they really are.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I can vouch for how Greg's look, his is the tank I referenced earlier. A real treat getting to see it up close.


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