Balloch’s rainbowfish or Glass Blue-Eye
Kiunga ballochi
Family: Pseudomugilidae
Distribution: Gerald Allen and John Paska first found Kiunga ballochi in 1982. Balloch’s Rainbowfish, or the Glass Blue-Eye as it is sometimes known, was collected from the small, shallow, clear tributary streams of the Ok Smak River, about 40 kilometres north of Kiunga, Papua New Guinea. At this stage, the full extent of their distribution range is unknown as most of their natural environment remains unexplored.
PH: Approx 7-8 based on its natural habitat
Temperature: 24° -25°C based on its natural habitat
Hardness: Up 15gDH.
Description: Kiunga ballochi have a mainly transparent body with a silver stomach, bold black borders on its anal fins and dominant translucent yellow bands. They have a moderately deep body for a blue-eye. One of the smaller Rainbowfish species, they grow to a tiny 3cm (1.2 inches). Unfortunately they are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Not much is known about the social habits, gender traits and temperament of this reclusive freshwater tropical fish although we can infer similarities from a close relative that has been found in the same region, Kiunga Bleheri or Bleher’s Blue Eye, and the understandings of the Melanotaeniidae family.
Diet: Like all of the Rainbowfish species, Balloch’s Rainbowfish need a mixed omnivorous diet to provide optimal health. In an aquarium, this would include live and frozen and vegetable based aquarium food in order to best mimic its diet in the wild.
Breeding: Currently there is no record of this species being bred in an aquarium. In their natural environment, this species distinctly pair, are open stream egg scatterers and do not guard their eggs.
Comments: Balloch’s Rainbowfish do not cope well with being caught and transported. As a result, it is not a common aquarium fish. If you could mimic the small tributaries of the Ok Smak River as much as possible by maintaining water quality according to the prescribed requirements, and provide a large amount of plant life, this species could be a potential for the advanced aquarist.
Article/Books:
Today’s Essential Guide to Growing Aquarium Plants: The Aquamaster Series
Culturing Live Foods: A Step-By-Step Guide to Producing Food for Your Home Aquarium
Setting up a Tropical Aquarium Week by Week
Recommended Compatible Species:
Rainbowfish are a great community species in terms of their temperament and therefore live happily with most Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetra and Black Tetra). They are also great tank mates with Discus, CorydorasCatfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbai and Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppyand Platy and most Gourami(such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also can live happily with most Danio(particularly the Zebra Danioand Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish make great tank mates. One thing you should take into consideration when housing rainbows with these recommended species is the water quality. Temperature and Hardness are similar but P.H. can be quite different, although it is not ideal, if you keep your water at a P.H. of 7 this should keep your community happy.
Rainbowfish are schooling fish and should be kept in groups consisting of at least six individuals, preferably no less than 10-15. Mix it up with enough females to give them a rest when the males are on the chase, but provide enough males to bring out their vibrant colours when they are in competition for female attention. Whilst this is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the fish, a large school is rewarding for the aquarist because a school of iridescent Rainbowfish is more dramatic to the eye than a few shy fish peeking out from behind dense vegetation.
Originally posted 2009-11-03 13:54:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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