Red tailed black shark

[Ginafish]

Hey guys. Long time no see. I've been very busy lately and also dealing with some personal stuff. But, in an attempt to make me feel better, I went and got more fish today to add to my 9 little danios I had.
One of the fish I got was a redtailed black shark. I just did a huge search on the net and also on here about what to feed it. I know it's a scavenger and I bought some dried blood worms when I was at the store (both for him and the other fish as a treat). But now I'm seeing from different sites that it's either an herbivore or omnivore. So now I'm wondering: what do I feed this thing? I'm sure the small amount of food that makes it to the bottom won't be enough. Should I have bought veggie wafers for it?
Thanks for your help.

 

[fishfreek]

When I had FW tank I had a few of these in different tanks. Dont put more than one in a single tank as they will fight until only one is left if not killing eachother in the process. All I ever feed mine was regular flake food and the occasional alage tablet.

I didnt know much about fish back then so there may have been a better more natural food. I had one that lived many years and when it died it was easily 6"+ in size.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I feed all my fish flakes => he gets flake food
I feed my cories tiny algea tabs and my pleco large tabs => he gets algae
I also put in freeze dried blood worms once a week => he gets blood worms

Hehe
And mine has gotten fat! (not unhealthy fat... but fat in the sense i know he is eating)
So, if you want you can do what I do... and do all three!
(that is assuming you have enough fish to eat what the shark doesn't, that way you don't have too much uneaten food)

 

[smidget]

All mine gets is regular flake food and once in awhile some frozen brine shrimp.

I wouldn't worry too much about food making it "to the bottom" mine comes right up to the surface to feed with my other fish.

 

[Ginafish]

Great! Thanks so much guys. I wanted to make sure I was taking good care of him/her.

 

[StyleUK]

I've got a rid fin shark, it's similar to yours, but it just eats flakes and catfish pellets i put in.

 

[Fresh808]

Red tail black sharks

Aloha,
I just got a pair of these. They moved around the tank a lot and fast and I thought it was a good thing and interesting till I read that one is good, two is bad and 3 or more is okay, but the bigger of the two was chasing the smaller one non stop, but now they seem to swim about the African roots I have together and they are moving my caribsea sand like they are mining for gold. Could they be male female and have paired up? The big one doesn't chase the small one anymore. They swim together casually all over through the caves and passages they have created, but ALWAYS together.
Another twist that's coming their way tomorrow is I am introducing my convicts and one young Oscar to the tank. There's already a med to large pleco in there (he's always hiding in the new tank under the roots). There's plenty of hiding places for them and I am trying to see if some durable plants like the anubias will survive in there for looks and healthier o2 levels.
Any pros and or cons on what I'm doing or input on anything about these sharks?
Sorry and not trying to hijack this thread, but thought adding what they've been up to might help in some way after seeing a post about one killing the other, but if I am outa line, I will remove this post or move it.
Aloha,
Scott
Pearl city, Hawaii

 

[alLexX]

do they have the same requirements(ie-feeding)as rainbow sharks?

 

[siva]

do they have the same requirements(ie-feeding)as rainbow sharks?

I believe they do. I rotate a chunk of cucumber and frozen emerald entree as well as a good quality algea wafer. He also eats what he wants of the flake, brine shrimp, and bloodworms for everyone else.