Rainbow shiner care
Hydrophlox chrosomus · Small, clear streams of the Mobile River basin in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee
Rainbow shiners are North American minnows from clear streams of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee; in spring the males turn blue and pink, with a purple head and a red nose.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 60 to 75 °F (16 to 24 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep rainbow shiners
Rainbow shiners are North American minnows from clear streams of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee; in spring the males turn blue and pink, with a purple head and a red nose. Keep six or more in a 30 gallon or larger tank with good flow and plenty of oxygen; they need no heater, since room temperature suits them.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Rainbow shiner tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Reticulated hillstream loach
3 in · 20+ gal · 68–75 °F
Emerald corydoras
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Celebes rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 68–82 °F
Peacock gudgeon
3 in · 15+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Guppy
2.8 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Peppered corydoras
2.8 in · 20+ gal · 64–77 °F
Keep apart
Betta: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, bettas 76 to 82 °F.
Dwarf gourami: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, dwarf gouramis 77 to 82 °F.
Pearl gourami: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, pearl gouramis 77 to 82 °F.
Angelfish: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, angelfish 76 to 84 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
German blue ram: No shared temperature: rainbow shiners need 60 to 75 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
What a rainbow shiner tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below. Rainbow shiners are comfortable at room temperature, so a heater is optional in a normal home.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon rainbow shiner tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon rainbow shiner tank without being built for a far bigger one.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding rainbow shiners.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, but its display reads 64 to 86 °F, so it can’t show the bottom of the 60 to 75 °F rainbow shiner range. Check it with a second thermometer that reads below 64 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common rainbow shiner problems
- Warm, still water stresses them; keep them at 75 °F or below with strong filtration.
- They jump; use a lid.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Hydrophlox chrosomus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Rainbow shiner H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Emerald corydoras NonstickRon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celebes rainbowfish Brent Tibbatts, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peppered corydoras Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl gourami h080, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Chili rasbora JoKrimmel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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