Bully shark.

Hi all,

first off, Happy Thanksgiving!

So here is my situation. I have a 55 gallon community tank, and a few months ago I added two little sharks. I believe the are red tail sharks, though their body colors differ. Let's call them "black shark" and "peach shark" for easy reference.

In the beginning, they swam around content with each other. But recently, I have noticed "black shark" being a bit of a bully and chasing the other around a lot.

I also noticed that "peach shark" has been positioning himself pretty much upright, hiding mostly behind the filter pipe, and sometimes behind a sponge filter. And he would stay in one place all the time, off in the corner of the tank. SEE PHOTOS. One is during a chase, so they are blurry - sorry!!!

Today, seeing some chasing going on, I put "black shark" in a holding area, and immediately, and I do mean immediately, "peach shark" started exploring the tank. He went from end to end, mingled with the other fish, and seemed generally content. It was like a different fish.

Now I don't know what to do. Take "black shark" to a fish store and give him up? Seems like the only option.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Hugh

 

They're rainbow sharks (one normal, one albino), and they absolutely will not tolerate eachother. The aggression will get worse with age. Your only option is to split them up, or the dominant one will kill the other.

 

Rainbow sharks are a semi-aggressive fish, especially to their own species. You could have one rainbow in a 55g community, as long as the other fish were also semi-aggressive, but probably not two. Unless you have another relatively large tank lying around, I would keep whichever shark you like more and rehome the other. Btw, “black shark” is the natural color form, and “peach shark” is an albino variant.

 

Unrelated; are you having trouble with your dwarf gourami, or is it just the picture making him look like he has a sore?

 

Unrelated; are you having trouble with your dwarf gourami, or is it just the picture making him look like he has a sore?

I didn’t notice that! That does look like a sore.

 

They're rainbow sharks (one normal, one albino), and they absolutely will not tolerate eachother. The aggression will get worse with age. Your only option is to split them up, or the dominant one will kill the other.

Ah, I didn't know that. They were together at the store, and I just decided to keep them together. Oh well, experience I guess.

Thanks!

Rainbow sharks are a semi-aggressive fish, especially to their own species. You could have one rainbow in a 55g community, as long as the other fish were also semi-aggressive, but probably not two. Unless you have another relatively large tank lying around, I would keep whichever shark you like more and rehome the other. Btw, “black shark” is the natural color form, and “peach shark” is an albino variant.

Thank you.

Yeah, the aggressive black guy will have to go. I also saw him give chase to another variety of fish, and that concerned me too.

Thanks again!

I didn’t notice that! That does look like a sore.

Unrelated; are you having trouble with your dwarf gourami, or is it just the picture making him look like he has a sore?

Guys, I bought three of those recently, and it wasn't until I got them home that I saw that mark.

I wasn't sure if it was just a discoloration. The fish seems fine though.

 

Just make sure to keep an eye on it. Dwarf gouramis are susceptible to a lot of diseases.

 

Just make sure to keep an eye on it. Dwarf gouramis are susceptible to a lot of diseases.

Will do, thanks for the heads up.

 

I might even go so far as to say. The red tail will not tolerate a fish that has that same shape in some cases.

 

Ah, I didn't know that. They were together at the store, and I just decided to keep them together. Oh well, experience I guess.

Thanks!

In an ideal world, the store would have warned you. But apparently some stores caring or being knowledgeable about the stock their selling is too much to ask

Edit: dwarf gourami disease starts as sores on the body, so just be on the look out for any strange behaviour or deterioration. Hopefully it's just a minor injury

 

In an ideal world, the store would have warned you. But apparently some stores caring or being knowledgeable about the stock their selling is too much to ask

Edit: dwarf gourami disease starts as sores on the body, so just be on the look out for any strange behaviour or deterioration. Hopefully it's just a minor injury

Thanks for the info.

So a nice gentleman picked up the black shark today. The other one is swimming around the tank, not a care in the world!

 

So glad to hear! best of luck with your fishy friends

 

I hope the other one is happy!