wanted: threadfin/featherfin rainbow (Iriatherina Werneri)

Don't forget that once you get them into good conditions, ie out of the LFS tanks, they will usually color up and get nicer, if they don't die. Also the males will get to display colors only if after they mature and have females and another male to display for.

so how do i try to sex in the store to make sure i get males and females? would it be better to get 3 males 2 females, or 2 males 3 females? thanks

Even at 1 to 1.5 inches you should see a difference

There are two assortments of Werneri that go to stores, the small ones usually are mixed sexes, but you can tell females apart by lack of long fins. the larger size ones are all-male assortments.

Another thing you need to know is that Werneris are TOUGH to keep long term. They always go through a sick phase when you get them, every batch I ever got had ick on them, but with good conditions and right food they recover quickly. Feeding them is not easy. They have tiny tiny mouths and most normal fish food is too big. I have mine on frozen rotifiers and dried cyclop-eeze which is their favorite food.

I have a bunch of them and they eat crush pellets, flakes and frozen foods.

can they come in different colors like guppies?

There are different color varieties depending on the collection locality, but I can't comment on availability.

"color variety" in these fish doesn't mean they come in a variety of colors, but that there are subtle differences between the fish, usually denoted by color, depending on where they were caught. I believe this species can be found on Australia and New Guinea which means there are two very distinct "color varieties"- but to some people the coloration is more obvious than to others. You probably will only see a difference in brightness, IME.