Hi everyone,
I recently set up a new 46 gallon aquarium. The first fish I added was a redtailed shark, which I thought was a community fish so long as you have only one shark in the tank. I then added two german blue rams, which I really like. They were very curious and always hungry. Then I added a small angelfish. It died after only four days. It seemed great for a couple of days, but the redtailed shark started picking on it, which I think may have stressed it to death. Then I added two boosemani rainbowfish.
So at present I have the two rams, two rainbowfish and one redtailed shark - five very small fish in a 46 gallon tank. As soon as I added the rainbowfish, the shark started picking on all the other fish continuously and the rams now seem totally stressed out. The rainbowfish don't seem to care about the shark. The rams stopped eating and now just hide in the corner. I doubt they will live much longer if I don't do something.
Should I a) take the redtailed shark back (I've since learned that they are more aggressive than I originally thought) or b) just continue slowly stocking the aquarium because with more fish, the rams will no longer be picked on as much?
Long term, I would like a tank with rams, angelfish, and rainbowfish. I just thought the redtailed shark would be a cool fish to add to the mix but he seems incapable of playing nice.
I recently set up a new 46 gallon aquarium. The first fish I added was a redtailed shark, which I thought was a community fish so long as you have only one shark in the tank. I then added two german blue rams, which I really like. They were very curious and always hungry. Then I added a small angelfish. It died after only four days. It seemed great for a couple of days, but the redtailed shark started picking on it, which I think may have stressed it to death. Then I added two boosemani rainbowfish.
So at present I have the two rams, two rainbowfish and one redtailed shark - five very small fish in a 46 gallon tank. As soon as I added the rainbowfish, the shark started picking on all the other fish continuously and the rams now seem totally stressed out. The rainbowfish don't seem to care about the shark. The rams stopped eating and now just hide in the corner. I doubt they will live much longer if I don't do something.
Should I a) take the redtailed shark back (I've since learned that they are more aggressive than I originally thought) or b) just continue slowly stocking the aquarium because with more fish, the rams will no longer be picked on as much?
Long term, I would like a tank with rams, angelfish, and rainbowfish. I just thought the redtailed shark would be a cool fish to add to the mix but he seems incapable of playing nice.