Red tail shark habits

[Autumnsky]

Here is mine, and 7", this pic is when she was in the QT tank. She has been in the 72G now for about a month. Even in there she looks HUGE. She was given to me 3 months ago, as her owner was shutting down his tank and selling it, was a 110G.

So I am guessing you should have a bigger tank in the future!

Have two big 6+" Siamese algae eaters/SAE and a giant 6" blue Gourami, (came from the same guy/tank) a few guppies, Cochu's Blue Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, couple fiddler crabs, pair of Swordtails, Hillstream Loach, and Snails. I wanted to get a big bunch of Dwarf Cories for the tank, but I think between the three big fish better not, as the shark swims around like a shark, scaring the SAE out of the resting places. I don't think it is aggressive, just clearing out the riff raff from it's crusing ground.

She loves roving around the tank, and I make sure the perimeter floor can be navigated in a "circle" with a space also for the shark to do a figure 8 as well. She has a tree root to hide under...a real DW one, but also the fake one from the QT that it used to hide in, just to keep it feeling safe.

I was really worried she would be an angry meany.

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Here's the new 72G and you can see there are lots of places to hide.

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This pic isn't as good as the first, but you can see her in the front right.

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[Velksfish]

Anyone know if a Rainbow shark will mess with my albino cories.

 

[ReyvinWolf]

In my 10 gal I have a "baby" red tail shark ( maybe 2"), male beta, Cory cat fish, 3 guppies, 3 male mollies, and 2 mystery snails. I had an SAE in there but thought he was being lazy about his job and put him in the big tank. Everyone gets along fine. Eventually the RTS will move to the 55 gal with my angels, or to the 27 gal if I move the VG to the 55. And in the process of moving the mollies to the brackish tank, so the beta and RTS will have more "room."

 

[bshenanagins]

I have a rainbow and when I first introduced him he chased my platties all over the tank if they came near his cave. Now he is pretty mellow and roams about the tank constantly, grazing on my driftwood and plants for algae. Def a looker in my 40 gallon, once they settle they become a nice dark grey with deep red fins. I wanted to get a red tail but I heard how aggressive they were opposed to rainbows.

 

[Velksfish]

Ok. I just want to make sure it will be okay with my stock. And i head people talking about "they need a cave." What exactly does this cave need to be ?

 

[castlerock31]

One of my friends dropped a sponge Bob pineapple in their tank and their rainbow marked it and spent all its time in and around it. It still roams the cage sometimes but it chases away anything that goes near it. My red tail defends a couple stones I set up. Anywhere with a hole or overhang it can live in

 

[bshenanagins]

Well you want to create a dark hiding spot which is most easily achieved with driftwood, rocks, and probably the easiest is slate. You can get it cheap at lowes or Home Depot, you just have to break it apart which isn't difficult. Even a local quarry is a good place to look for rocks but you must be careful about what rocks you choose as some can alter pH etc. ill post a video so you can see what I made. The idea behind it is so the shark can have somewhere to hide and call his/her own, in which will be protected very well!

 

[Darylb]

Do any of you guys have black sharks?

 

[LostInFish]

I have seen this with my redtail and my rainbow sharks it seems to be an act of aggression as long as there eating equally and there color stays good they should be fine. The more hiding spots the better. They are cool fish to watch very active and curious.

 

[abrinn23]

Here is mine, and 7", this pic is when she was in the QT tank. She has been in the 72G now for about a month. Even in there she looks HUGE. She was given to me 3 months ago, as her owner was shutting down his tank and selling it, was a 110G.

So I am guessing you should have a bigger tank in the future!

Have two big 6+" Siamese algae eaters/SAE and a giant 6" blue Gourami, (came from the same guy/tank) a few guppies, Cochu's Blue Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, couple fiddler crabs, pair of Swordtails, Hillstream Loach, and Snails. I wanted to get a big bunch of Dwarf Cories for the tank, but I think between the three big fish better not, as the shark swims around like a shark, scaring the SAE out of the resting places. I don't think it is aggressive, just clearing out the riff raff from it's crusing ground.

She loves roving around the tank, and I make sure the perimeter floor can be navigated in a "circle" with a space also for the shark to do a figure 8 as well. She has a tree root to hide under...a real DW one, but also the fake one from the QT that it used to hide in, just to keep it feeling safe.

I was really worried she would be an angry meany.

[/IMG]

Here's the new 72G and you can see there are lots of places to hide.
[/IMG]
This pic isn't as good as the first, but you can see her in the front right.
[/IMG]

Holy...you weren't kidding she's huge!

 

[bshenanagins]

Here's a vid of my tank with two caves on either side made of slate http://youtu.be/fXWmub602Dg

 

[Velksfish]

Thanks. May have to add another cave if I do decide to get one.

 

[Coyne]

Im wanting a RTS for my tank as well and since Ive heard they can get aggressive Ive been talking to a few different LFS employees that are hobbyists as well. The general agreement with all of them seems to be that Red Tails are one of those fish with some individual personality. Which is to say that some are mellow and some are jerks. Im sure the tank size, setup and care play a big factor, but Ive heard stories of one kept in a larger tank with plenty of cover that still aggro'd on the other fish and stories of one kept in a smaller tank with limited cover that didnt bother anything.
Basically theyve all told me that with the RTS you dont really know until you put it in. Oh, and Ive been advised to add it last so that the other, less aggressive, fish are more comfortable with their surroundings in case it does bully them at bit at the beginning.

On a side note: 7 inches! Thats crazy!

 

[Taiken5968]

One of my friends dropped a sponge Bob pineapple in their tank and their rainbow marked it and spent all its time in and around it. It still roams the cage sometimes but it chases away anything that goes near it. My red tail defends a couple stones I set up. Anywhere with a hole or overhang it can live in

My rainbow was like that, but my red tale just has personal space issues. It doesn't have a spot picked out that it calms. If a fish gets too close for too long it will chase it off.

 

[Autumnsky]

Holy...you weren't kidding she's huge!

I had someone not believing me before and I got a pic with a segmented copy paper with the measurements divided across the top. She is also kinda wide across the front and more grey than black so why I think female. She is my first one too. -a way cool "gift".

Definitely a personality thing for aggression, she is huge so just her swimming makes the other fish move out of the way. lol. The guy fed the fish trout chow since he had so many fish and it was sooo much less expensive. I suspect it that growth enhancers in it, but don't know for sure, as I don't know what brand it was even.

 

[emmygrl2001]

i have 1 raindbow-red tail shark in the tank with swordtails, platy's and guppies. But the shark is very small right now and all it does is chase the other fish away from its "house" but mine never does more than chasing.

 

[bshenanagins]

i have 1 raindbow-red tail shark in the tank with swordtails, platy's and guppies. But the shark is very small right now and all it does is chase the other fish away from its "house" but mine never does more than chasing.

Be careful with the sword tails. When your shark gets bigger it might not be as lenient with them. I introduced a couple clown loaches to take care of a snail infestation and let me tell you, my shark showed them who was boss with unrelenting harassment. I almost took it out but his animosity has simmered down quite a bit. My shark is prob closer to 4-5 inches.

 

[emmygrl2001]

ok thanks for letting me know! : )

 

[emmygrl2001]

is yours a red tailed shark or a rainbow shark?

 

[bshenanagins]

is yours a red tailed shark or a rainbow shark?

If your referring to me I have a rainbow