Erik

A friend of mine just gave me his fish tank for me to use since i started out with a 2.5g tank but was looking to start a bigger aquarium with more fish. I believe he is giving me a 30g tank and i really want to put a shark in it that will grow to be 4-6''. I was thinking about a red tail shark but i was wondering how many i should get and what other fish go well in the tank with a red tail shark??

TFA101

possible shark tankmates for RTBS include other semi aggressive fish like the numerous barbs and danio species. Also, you could include species of large tetra like bleeding hearts and black widows. For bottom dwelling movement, corydorases are everyones favorite.

You should only include one RTBS in your aquarium as they like to fight and become far too aggressive with each other as they age. They will also quarrel with similar looking fish like the rainbow sharks, albino variations of both rainbows and red tails, as well as the siamese algae eaters and flying foxes. Only one red tail shark should be added to an aquarium.

Also, i read your aquarium information and it looks like you don't know about the nitrogen cycle. All aquariums must go through this before adding fish. Read up on this article for more information:
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Erik

ok thanks very much i will look at that

Allie

Red tail sharks should be kept in tanks bigger than a 30g. I had one in with m Malawi cichlids in a80g and he rules the tank to the point where I had to get rid of him.
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/10shark_redtail.htm

Red1313

Agression can be an issue. If your tank is at least 30" long then you should be fine. For tank-mates pick fast semiagressive fish or large peaceful fish. (Two speicies I like are Rainbows and Tiger barbs.)
TFA got it right only 1 shark per tank otherwise you'll have a war zone.
Good Luck!

Erik

ya the tank is 30'' long so i think ill just get 1 rts

Red1313

Oh one thing i forgot to mention
get your RTS last. That way he'll be less likely to think that the other fish are "invading" he territory.

Erik

ok thanks, i just finished reading about the nitrogen cycle so im going to do that before i get any of the fish but how long should i wait to get the rts after i get the other fish?

Red1313

Usually the rule is to finish your cycle and add your fish a few at a time with 2 weeks between additions to make sure that your bacteria are able to handle the load. Also a 2 week QT is recommended so if you QT between additions things work nicely. So either add the RTS last or in the last group.
Good Luck!