Can i put a red tail shark in my tank?

[martintanks91]

I have a 80 gallón tank and i really want a red tail shark but i hear it can be agressive tords my fish

13 cardinal tetras
2 pearl gouramis
1 opaline gourami
8 zebra danios
1 pleco
2 corycats
1 swordtail
6 red eye tetra

 

[tangs27]

I wouldn't they are mean. I have one in my tank he's been there for years and a few days ago he started attacking all of my other fish to the point where i had to put him in fishy jail. I'm hoping I will be able to reintroduce him but his attitude is horrible.

 

[Coyne]

You could give it a try if you really wanted. People tend to have better luck with them when they're added last, like your doing. That way they'll only claim a small area as their territory, instead of the whole tank. Just try to get a smaller one rather than one that's already at full size.

 

[martintanks91]

Ya thats what i thought, if i get one its deff a small one, do they get big fast? I have a 80 gal tank héres a pic

 

[tangs27]

Mine was the last thing put in and I got him under 2" he's about 5" now and he attacks everything all over the tank. He used to only do it around his cave but now it's everywhere.

 

[Phillyfan33]

That tank looks awesome! I am looking at getting a red tailed too. The owner of my LFS said something about they need to be with some other semi aggressive fish that won't be pushed around too much and should be put in at a smaller size and with smaller size other fish. I have no experience with them, that is just the advice he gave me.

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[Autumnsky]

My experience is that they are definitely aggressive when they are in too small of a tank.

I kept one for a couple years she passed away when she was about 8+ years old, and she was always cruising around dominating the bottom of the tank, but she was never mean. I made sure there was swimming room around the perimeter of the tank and also a couple areas where she could swim in a figure 8. The tank has a lot of plants, rock and DW.

Presently I have a Rainbow which I understood to be less aggressive, but now at a young age and about 5" he seems to be a little more "in your face" to the other fish. I have recently started keeping an eye on him more, and he may need to rehomed to a more semi-aggressive tank than mine.

I think it is their personality. My old RTS was one of my very favorite fish, so I am a little disappointed about this guy. A friend of mine asked if I wanted a RTS she has and I might just find out what the personality is of it and make a switch.

Your tank is large enough, my RTS was 7" and big, females are slightly larger. So you want to have a nice size tank.

Hope that helps some. I would make sure if it turns out aggressive, you have a friend or lfs who would take it. Many semi aggressive fish are larger when they mature and people would rather have a larger fish to put in there, so trading it or giving it away shouldn't be a problem, if it gets mean.

Here is a pic, even though it is a bad pic, it shows how big she was, we were getting ready to move her to the big tank from our old house.

 

[Gail]

I was going to suggest a rainbow shark also, they are beautiful and somewhat territorial, but he/she gets along with the fish in my community tank.

 

[Strobe.is.Boss]

You are gin do it!! There ne has the world shark in it but they're not mean at all and they don't get big