RTSharkFAQs

Featured
Sponsor:

FAQs on the Redtail Black Minnow Shark

Can Puffers live with Sharks... FW 7/1/08
I just got a new aquarium last week (I caught the water fever must have more aquariums Lol). It is 10 gallons and has been running for the past 3 or 4 days. I have some plastic plants in it and a rock cave. I really like Dwarf Puffer fish and used to have one in a 5 gallon tank. I want to get another one and keep it in my new tank with a red tailed shark. I know that they are both aggressive species so because of that will they tolerate each other. I am not going to put anything else in the tank other than them. If I get them should I get another cave so they can each hide in their own? I have extensively researched both species and still can't decide if they will be compatible. Also will a Dwarf Puffer harm a large snail?
Thanks for any reply! Your website is great and I have found a lot of useful information on it regarding fish and turtles. Keep up the good work.
-Amanda
<Hello Amanda, and thanks for the kind words. The short answer to your question is NO, this combination won't work. The most likely outcome is that the Dwarf Puffers will nip at the Red-tail Black Shark. Adult Red-tail Black Sharks also need MUCH more space than 10 gallons, so unless you (at least) quadruple the size of the aquarium, you couldn't fit one in. Furthermore, Puffers eat snails, and so any snail put in the tank with them will simply be viewed as food. Small snails are eaten whole, big snails a mouthful at a time. The best and most reliable approach is to keep Dwarf Puffers on their own, either singly or in groups, with ~15 litres/4 gallons per Puffer. Hope this clears things up! Neale.>

Red Tailed Shark is Looking Quite Ill 4/5/08
Hello Crew!
My Red Tailed Shark has got some very concerning symptoms I need help with...
1.) Both eye's have a bluish film on them, it appears to be growing from the center and working its way out.
2.) Mouth has a white crust on it.
3.) He is pretty much outlined in white. Like there is a thin white silhouette around him.
4.) He is lethargic, and gasping at the surface...
Now, he did undergo some stress yesterday. I was trying to catch my three Black Tetra's to put them in another tank, and that proved to be a stressful event for the other fish. Also, my wife decided to redecorate the tank the same day (great timing). I added some stress coat, and changed the filter media also.
So any idea what is wrong with him? What should I do?
Regards,
Ben
<Hi Ben. Almost certainly either Finrot, Fungus, or Mouth Fungus, and quite possibly a combination of two or more. There may also be heavy mucous production, and that would explain things like the cloudy eyes. These diseases are all caused by poor water quality almost always, so check that. Treatment needs to be immediate: use something like Maracyn or eSHa 2000. Don't wasted your time with Stress Coat, salt, Melafix, or any of these nonsense products. Make sure you remove carbon from the filter when using medications. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Red Tailed Shark is Looking Quite Ill 4/5/08
Thank you for you quick response Neale! Unfortunately, my Red Tailed Shark didn't even make it through the night, so I couldn't try the medication you suggested.
<Too bad.>
Bummer, as he was the Elder Statesman of my tank. I have NEVER tested my water before, and have had tremendous success over the 5 or so years I've been running my tank.
<We're all guilty of this, at least on the freshwater side of the hobby. But still, I'd heartily recommend buying a pack of "dip strip" multipurpose testing strips. These may not be the best in terms of accuracy but they're economical and useful. It's worth testing the water in a mature aquarium at least once a month, just to make sure everything is ticking over nicely.>
This was the first sick fish I've ever encountered. But I did go out and buy a test kit last night and discovered that my water is quite hard, and my PH is off the low end of the chart.
<So it's hard but acidic? Quite an odd combination; what it essentially means is that the water contains a lot of minerals, but not many of them are ones that raise pH. In other words, the general hardness (degrees dH) is high, but the carbonate hardness (degrees KH) is low. Are you drawing water from the tap or from a domestic water softener? Remember: the water from a domestic softener is not recommended for fishkeeping.>
It's odd, because I felt my tank was very stable. Will adding chemicals be required on a regular basis to build my PH level and drop my water hardness?
<If you can, avoid modifying the pH of the aquarium. If you want to raise the carbonate hardness, that's fine. But changing the pH directly is usually more trouble than it's worth, and not something I recommend. Much better to determine your water chemistry out of the tap (but not the water softener) and then choose fish that prefer or happily adapt to that set of water chemistry conditions.>
Once I have build adequate PH, will it sustain it's level, or will I always have to add chemicals?
<Once you start messing about with pH, it becomes a constant job. That's one reason I recommend against it. Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsoftness.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardness.htm
>
Regards,
Ben
<Cheers, Neale.>

Red-tailed shark in a 10 gallon tank, bad behaviour (quelle surprise) 2/3/08
Hi WWM crew,
I have a 10 gallon planted tank with 5 mature guppies and 4 adolescent ones, and 1 red tailed shark. in the last few days ive noticed that my shark has gotten a lot more aggressive and active so I was wondering if you guys could tell me whats wrong with it, I'm not sure if its a male or female but I've been told that its a female because her dorsal fin is curved not pointed.
<Hello Marco. A Red-tailed Shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor) is completely unsuitable for a 10 gallon tank. Even a 40 gallon tank would be borderline for this fish. It gets to 15 cm, is highly territorial (regardless of sex), and is very active, to the point many specimens die by jumping out of the tank. So this fish needs to be re-homed, ASAP. There is no chance this fish will EVER coexist with Guppies in a 10 gallon tank, period, end of discussion. Please do take the time to read up on a species before purchasing it. Many (most) of the fish widely sold in aquarium shops have special needs of one sort or another, and cannot be randomly added to any aquarium. The advice from aquarium shops is variable, and does rather depend on you being honest to the clerk about your fishkeeping skills and the size of your tank. No reasonably well trained clerk in a fish store would ever recommend mixing Epalzeorhynchus bicolor with fancy guppies in a 10 gallon tank! Cheers, Neale.>

Re: red-tailed shark in a 10 gallon tank, bad behaviour (quelle surprise) 2/4/08
Thank you for the advice. is it ok if I move it with my dads 50 gallon tank? he has 7 goldfish and 2 tank cleaners all over 5 inches.
<A Red-tailed Shark could be kept in a 50 gallon tank without problems. The tank does need to be *tropical* though, not less than 24C, which isn't how Goldfish are normally kept. I'm also concerned about the "tank cleaners" Apart from the point that no fish cleans the tank (that's your job) and all fish make the tank *more* dirty, it isn't clear whether you are talking about a Plecostomus-type catfish or a "Chinese Algae Eater", Gyrinocheilus aymonieri. Red-tailed Sharks WILL fight with Chinese Algae Eaters, and vice versa. As a general rule, all the "shark" type minnows are territorial and mutually aggressive, whether Labeo, Gyrinocheilus, Epalzeorhynchus, Garra, etc. If the Chinese Algae Eaters are bigger than the Red-tailed Shark, they will chase and possibly kill the Red-tailed Shark. Gyrinocheilus aymonieri is one of the least pleasant fish in the hobby, and not recommended for home aquaria. Cheers, Neale.>

Rainbow Shark, Red-Fin Shark, Compatibility
Hi! My name's holly!
I recently bought a shark (I'm not sure what type of shark it is) with red fins (ALL the fins are red) and a red body. I thought it was a red fin shark but I'm not to sure...I was wondering if you could tell me what it is. So when I got it, it did nothing but hide in a little cave of wood that I have in my tank and it wouldn't eat. I got worried so I bought a red-fin shark (I am sure this one IS a red-fid shark) to try to make him come out and eat and maybe be a bit more active. I think it has worked but I'm not to sure. I can see it eating now...should I still be worried? If so what can I do and was adding another red-fin into the tank a good idea? If it makes any difference I have a community tank and I have:
1 x clown loach
1 x snail
2 x neon tetra
2 x white cloud
2 x big sucker fish
3 x tiger barbs
5 x platies
(and the 2 I'm asking about)
<Hello Holly. The fish you bought are Epalzeorhynchos frenatum, also known as the Rainbow Shark. This is an aggressive, territorial omnivore from Southeast Asia. Feeds primarily on green algae and tiny invertebrates in the wild, but in captivity does well on algae, algae wafers, small live foods such as brine shrimp, etc. These fish tend to be pretty belligerent towards one another, so adding two specimens isn't a great idea unless you have a really big tank. So if possible, re-home that fish. Yes, they mostly hide in caves, except when out feeding or chasing rivals. Dissimilar fish are generally ignored. For some reason you aren't keeping your schooling fish in schools. Neons, clown loaches, minnows and barbs all should be in groups of at least 6. With clown loaches, you can get by with fewer, but they're shy. By the way, Clown loaches get big: up to 30 cm. "Big sucker fish" can mean anything, but I'm assuming those are either catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp, which grow to 30-60 cm) or "sucking loaches" (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, to 30 cm, and incredibly nasty and aggressive when mature). Both need giant aquaria (300 liters +). There's plenty more info on "sharks" here -- http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm . Cheers, Neale>

RT shark comp... incomp... 7/11/07
Hi
<Ave!>
I am writing to ask about my red tail shark I have him in a tank with an angelfish 3 neons and one guppy. He is a lovely fish but he bully’s the tetras and guppy a lot chasing them and nipping their fins and tails, the guppy’s tail is starting to look a bit of a mess.
<Unfortunately absolutely normal. Red-tail Sharks are legendarily aggressive given their fairly modest size. In a 55 gallon tank they're usually fine, and burn of their energy swimming about, but in anything smaller they tend to become little tyrants. There's nothing, unfortunately, you can do. Guppies, neons, and angels are all fairly docile, slow-moving animals and they just can't swim away from the RTS fast enough. If you're choosing tankmates for an RTS, you want high-performance animals like barbs, rainbowfish or silver dollars. They also work well with semi-aggressive but non-predatory catfish such as Plecos, Synodontis, Hoplosternum, etc.>
I’ve recently managed to get a smaller tank my plan was to move the tetras and guppy into it and then add a betta, to give them a bit of peace.
<Sounds a good idea. Do be careful about the Betta though: neons have been known to nip at Bettas. I'd tend to suggest you buy a *female* Betta as they tend to work better in community tanks, having shorter fins and so being able to swim more efficiently.>
The only thing I was worried about was if I remove them will the shark have nothing to realise his aggression on and will he become aggressive to the angelfish?
<Entirely possible. On the other hand, when the Angelfish matures, it'll view the neons as food, so keeping them together might not be an option, either.>
And also my second question is that if it would not be a problem removing the smaller fish please can u recommend a medium sized fish that will not bother my angel fish and will not be bothered by the shark.
<Depends what you want. If you want midwater, schooling fish, then Australian rainbowfish are hard to beat. They are very very hardy, totally peaceful, and live for years. So while a bit more expensive than barbs or tetras, they work out as very good value. If you're looking for something a bit more characterful, then a catfish like Hoplosternum littorale is hard to beat if you have the space. They're ugly as heck, but easy to tame and can even be hand fed. Practically indestructible animals, that short of being baked in the over for 20 minutes will survive most things. But they're quite big (around 8 inches) so not for the small aquarium. If space is tight, then Corydoras would be a good call. A group of these will coexist nicely with your fish and should be ignored by the RTS. The main thing is to avoid anything that *looks* like a shark, i.e., no Flying Foxes, Loaches, Torpedo barbs, etc.>
Thanks
<Cheers, Neale>

Red-tail shark, Repro. beh.- 03/25/07
Hello,
I have just recently found your site and have found it helpful.
I have a 125 gallon tank.   I have lots of live plants and some large fake plants,  a large wood root and some other items...  I have lots of cover and hiding some large open areas.  ok my questions.   I have 6 red-tail sharks, 6 tin-foil barbs, 2 clown loaches, 3 algae eaters, 2 Plecos, 8 tiger barbs, 1 peacock eel, 10 misc platys, 3 silver-tip sharks, 4 pictus cats, and one other not sure of the name but is really cool looking....   ok everything gets along believe it or not...  all has there own little areas.   I have tried to do a lot of research on red-tail sharks breeding, but have only found that there is not much known on the breeding habits.
<Actually... are cultured... brought into readiness by environmental and hormonal manipulation (injection)... More of a trade secret than unknown>
I have found lately that 4 of my 6 have seemed to pair off about once a month and will seem to have a little aggression toward each other by a little fin nipping and chasing each other around the tank,
<Typical behavior for the species>
then they will touch bodies with each other facing the same direction just a little offset (one just slightly back so their fins stack on each other).  then while pointing at about 45 degrees,  they start waving back and forth while touching each for about 20 to 30 seconds and then it starts all over again...  this happens for about 5 days from what i have noticed.  I haven't seen any eggs in the tank, however with all my fish they could quickly be eaten.    I have been wanting to video this action...   just not sure if they are trying to breed or not.....       thanks for any info you may have
<Does read like spawning behavior... are these fish large? Like six inches or more? Perhaps just a "teenage" phase at this point... Bob Fenner>
Brad A. LaRose

Re: Red-tail shark, Repro. beh. 3/26/07
No only about 2 1/2 some still have the white tip on the dorsal fin.
<Ahh... still juveniles... need to be about four inches Standard Length (w/o the tail, ending at the hypurals)... about 4.5 to 5" Total Length before sexually mature... BobF>

Gouramis and Red Tailed Black Shark   1/19/07
Hi! Pip from Worcester England here!
I'm just curious as to why my Red Tailed Black Shark keeps eating the slime off my Blue and Red Dwarf Gouramis?
<Nutritive>
She doesn't do it all the time, but more often than she used to. Will she stop it?
<Unfortunately not likely... and is destructive>
The reason I ask that is I have a Male Betta in the same tank and he used to pick on my Gouramis when they were first introduced, nipping their fins and displaying to them, and when I asked at the aquaria shop what I could do about it, the gentleman I spoke to told me not to worry, that it would stop.
<Mmm, generally not a problem... as the smaller gouramis are aware of the Betta kin's propensity to do this... will/can avoid it>
Sure enough, it did and they've been fine ever since. It's a 36 inch tank, so it's not exactly small and there are plenty of plants and hiding places, and they are all fed a varied diet, though the gouramis and shark do like the algae tablets that I put in, and I notice the slime eating happens more at meal times, especially when there is an algae tablet in there. Could she be trying to get them to leave it alone?
<Mmm, not really... as stated the minnow-shark derives nutrition/food from such activity... May also be a bit of an agonistic/territorial display... but whatever the "reasons" this activity damages the Gouramis... if too much... I would at least try adding some "dither-fish"... perhaps some small grouping of barbs, danios... to "draw off" the attention of the RTS here. Bob Fenner>

Red tailed sharks and Goldfish tog.
Dear Sir,
<<Hello, Lara. Tom with you.>>
I read your article about red-tailed sharks online. It was very interesting and informative!
<<Wish I could take credit for that one, Lara. Glad you liked it, though.>>
I used to have a red-tailed shark in a regular aquarium years ago.
<<A very nice fish, to be sure. A little tricky to get appropriate tank mates, however.>>
I was wondering if I could keep one in a tank with goldfish?
<<The problem here, Lara, is that it might work and it might not. Seems a bit noncommittal, I’m sure, but I’m from the “school” that doesn’t believe in mixing other species with Goldfish. The “safe” answer would be, “No”, but sometimes one can be too conservative. Red-Tails are territorial and can be a bit nasty with small fish. Goldfish don’t pose this problem, size-wise. Red-Tails aren’t “fin-nippers”, per se, though their behavior can leave you with this impression. You don’t mention what type of Goldfish you have (and, I assume you already have these) so I would advise the following. If you have a “fancy” variety of any sort, don’t go with the Shark. These Goldfish would be slow swimmers and, perhaps, the subjects of aggression from the Shark. If you have Commons or Comets, it might be worth a try. These will grow large and Red-Tailed Sharks do better, behavior-wise, with larger fish. A lot of this will depend greatly on the size of your tank, the number of fish in it, the water temperatures (should be mid-70’s F. if this is to be successful) and, ultimately, what you’re prepared to do if things “go South”.>>
I heard that goldfish need to be in aquariums full of goldfish only.
<<By and large, Goldfish have different requirements than other fish do. They’re adaptable to much colder temperatures than tropical fish are, for one. They require much larger tanks than the majority of hobbyists think they do. For example, I wouldn’t place a single Goldfish of any variety into a tank of less than 30 gallons. They’re “messy” and place a very sizeable bio-load on a tank which is a big reason for large quarters. Small tanks simply don’t provide enough “stability” where water conditions are concerned. Diet is another factor. Goldfish don’t process proteins well. A huge reason for problems like Swim Bladder Disorder and constipation. Red-Tailed Sharks, though scavengers by nature, are omnivorous where Goldfish are largely herbivorous. Something to keep in mind if you go through with your plan.>>
Thank you for answering!
Lara
<<I think I’ve given you enough to go on, Lara. If you have anything specific to ask, I’ll be here. Best regards. Tom>>

Red tailed shark as babysitter? - 05/13/2006
Hello!  Before I ask my questions, let me just say that I'm really enjoying your site...I've been reading through the FAQ's and find them very informative.
<Thanks for stating so>
  I recently set up a 20 gallon aquarium (for it's calming effect)
<Heee! Aquariums are (or seem to be) only calming to non-owners!>
and everything (plants, snails, fish) is thriving.  I woke up one morning to discover fry...and thought "How cute!".  Then one fry was eaten.  Needless to say, the relaxation part of fish-keeping flew out the window as I couldn't catch the fry to remove them to a smaller aquarium (they hid in a cave and among the plants). So, I boiled aquarium rocks to make more fish caves, bought more plants for the fry to hide in, etc.  I also bought a liquid fry food, which all the fish seem to love (they're all still quite small).  I don't know how many fry there were as I only ever saw two at a time, but two have survived... because of the red tailed shark.  He's become the fry-sitter.  Have you ever heard of this?
<Mmm, no... Neat!>
The little shark took over a large cave, and he allows the fry to 'hang out' with him.  He chases the other fish away whenever they come close,
<This part is very common though...>
thus keeping the fry from being eaten.  At first I thought he
(or she) might be keeping the fry for his own dinner, but no.  The 2 fry are about 4 weeks old now, and they're getting quite big.  They swim about freely...with the shark.  I've Googled 'red tailed shark' as babysitter but needless to say, found nothing.  Is this weird, or does the shark think the fry are his/hers?
<Don't know... but these "minnow sharks" don't display parental care behavior with their own in the wild or captivity...>
Also, I just bought a 35 gallon hex tank, and I'm going to transfer some of the fish there. If I put some of the filter material  and water from the established aquarium into the new filter and aquarium, will it cycle more quickly?
<Yes. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above re>
  I'm just wondering how many fish at a time I should transfer after the water is ready.
<Try a few, test the water... move a few more in weekly intervals...>
I also have a large tank, 80 gallon, I think, so if these fish keep reproducing I'll be ok.  I haven't set up the large tank yet though...I can't lift it by myself to put it on the stand.
<Do get some (strong) help here... watch your back!>
Sorry for going on so long!  I look forward to hearing from you.
  Take care!  Kathy
<Thank you for writing, sharing. Bob Fenner>

Suddenly aggressive Red-tailed Shark 10/17/05
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a 20 gallon tank with 1 male Betta, 2 spotted Corys, 1 red-tailed shark and recently added 3 gold barbs. I had never had any aggression with my red-tailed shark but when I brought home the 3 gold barbs the shark has grown more aggressive.
<Yes... happens... and more often with interaction with other cyprinids>
He constantly chases the barbs until he himself is exhausted or bored and occasionally gives a brief chase after the Betta and Corys.
<Can't likely harm the barbs or Corydoras, but the Betta...>
The barbs hang around the bottom of the tank gasping from swimming so much and hide in corners until the shark comes by for another round. Everything I have read says red-tailed sharks are normally compatible with barbs so I'm rather shocked to see him act this way.
<As stated... happens.>
He has plenty of caves and cave like areas to call home and the barbs are not normally in these areas unless the shark chases them there so I'm not sure why the shark is doing this. He doesn't appear to be actually biting them just chasing them and occasionally when they all get bundled up in a corner he accidentally "or for all I know purposely" rams them. How can I fix this problem and what may have initiated it?
Thanks in advance
Lynette
<Likely "breaking up the environment" a bit more will reduce this apparently agonistic behavior (if the tank itself is large enough... at least 29 gallons let's say). I would provide some floating "bunch" plants... these are listed on WWM, for the barbs to hide in, all to eat at their leisure. Bob Fenner>
<<These fish have been observed living quite comfortably (holding their own) in tanks with very aggressive Neo-tropical cichlids. Marina>>

Red tail shark swimming funny 9/1/05
Hello.. I have a fairly new tank (almost a month) and have had the water levels checked, and everything appears to be in order. I have 2 Dalmatian
mollies (new to fish so not sure of the sex), and a male betta, and a red tail shark (again not sure of the sex), I started with the mollies, 2 weeks
later added the betta and then the shark. The red tail shark hides in any caves he can and stays there ALL THE TIME. He doesn't come out to eat. I
just fed the fish and noticed that he wasn't coming out of his cave, so I picked up the cave and shook it around (he usually comes out when I do this,
but doesn't eat), today he didn't come out and was swimming on his head upside down and would roll around so he was right side up and is continually
moving around in this manner with all fins moving. Should I be worried?
<Yes>
It was almost like maybe I made him dizzy when I was trying to shake him out of the cave to feed him . Please help. Would you suggest that I buy another
so he has a friend?
<No... too likely to fight>
He is the shy/ anti-social bunch. The other three seem to get along fine. There is some chasing, but they seem happy. I think I have a female molly and the betta and other molly I think are males. I was going to go to the fish store where I bought them and have them check my water levels again. Any idea what is happening to my shark??
<Possibly just getting used to the tank... maybe doesn't like the type of food you're offering... perhaps is eating when you're not observing... I would just be patient here. Bob Fenner>
F.Y.I. I finally got the shark out of its hiding place and noticed 2 small dark spots (like another set of eyes ) near the head of the fish. what does
this mean? Is this why he/she is swimming funny??
Jenn
<Likely just the natural markings of this species... easier to see when the fish is frightened or when the lights have been off for a while... Bob Fenner>

More than one red tailed shark? 9/1/05
Hello again. Quick question. I have a 108 gallon and have among other fish six "flying foxes". I just purchased a red tailed black shark about 1.5 inches. Settling in ok but have found him to be chasing the foxes now and then. Being similar in shape I understand why. Everything I've heard about this fish is to keep one specimen. This tank is heavily planted and I was wondering if I could or should keep a small school to stop the aggression toward the foxes? Could this work and what would you consider to be an acceptable number in this particular tank? Leave as is or more sharks? Your advice is the best out there!!!............Tanks a lot..............Craig P.
<It is a very territorial fish, that will be more aggressive as it matures. You can keep the sharks in a small group when they are young, but it will be increasingly difficult as they mature. I would stick with one, unless you want to add 3 more and remove them as they get older and more aggressive. Good Luck, Oliver >

Red tail sharks
I have three red tail sharks 1 is big and the other small, My smaller ones are doing fine but my big is unusually is has a dark coloration nears it gills and for two days it was extremely big and no it is thinner but has a blackish colour by its gills all of my other fish are doing fine except for these one.
<Alas, the symptoms are not very specific for diagnosis...please test overall water chemistry and look for deficiencies. Feed medicated flake food for precaution if you feel it is pathogenic. Anthony Calfo>

Red Tailed Shark
A few days ago we noticed that our red tailed shark’s bottom lip is protruding grotesquely and is bright red, he is hanging vertically
headfirst at the top of the tank. He obviously is not feeling good.
Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, we have a bacterial infection running through our angels right now, which has resulted in 7
deaths since Saturday. We are treating them, since Monday, with Nitrofurazone. Any ideas as to what the problem may be, and should we
euthanize him and put him out of his misery? Thanks. Zak Barrett :'(
< Do a 30% water change every day before treatment and make sure the filter is clean and the carbon has been removed . This will make the medication more efficient. You shark does indeed have a bacterial infection and the medication should have some effect. If the mouth does not heal properly then he may not be able to eat. If he survives the treatment watch him to see that he gets enough to eat. If the mouth is damaged beyond repair then put him in a glass and add a couple of Alka-Seltzer tablets. The co2 in the tablets will displace the oxygen in the water and your fish will slowly drown.-Chuck>

Unusual behavior or RT Shark
I have a guppy tank with 10 half inch guppy fry. My red tailed shark (2.5 inches) seems to be acting very strange. He sort of chases the guppies from his cave but he does this flicking thing, like he bolts for about 4 inches very quickly, turns sideways then swims to the bottom. also he does this when there's no other fish to chase. My red-tailed shark also seem to like to
be cleaned by the guppy fry. He'll lay on the bottom and the guppy fry will well pick on him like cleaning him. Is any of this behavior seem strange to you or the "flicking thing" unusual?
<Not unusual... normal... but there is a concern going forward re compatibility... the Shark will likely cause your guppies trouble as it gets larger>
P.S. my tank for the freshwater barracuda (Ctenolucius hujeta) is 49 gallon tank that my cichlids used to be in. will this tank be ok and do I need to make any water adjustments?
<Likely will be fine. Bob Fenner>

Colorless minnow sharks
I have a 30 gal tank with 3 balas and 3 redtails (1/2 in each) and two of the three redtails actually are lacking color in their tails. Is there any particular reason for this?
<Three principal possibilities (or a combination thereof)... Genetic... some are just not from colorful stock Nutritional... not fed enough of what it takes to color up Environmental... water conditions don't suit them. Likely yours are just young... will color up given your good care, a mix of foods (some fresh, some green) and regular maintenance (water changes...). Bob Fenner>

Featured Sponsors:

Amazon Honor System