New rainbow shark!(:

Finally I got a rainbow shark! I have always wanted one, what do they eat I have algae wafers and flakes, any good?

 

Flakes, frozen foods, etc. Try to vary the diet.

 

they like to live around the bottom of the tank, some nice sinking pellets would be good, some flake and of course they love the frozen foods.

 

My guy used to eat anything. Algae wafers, fallen flakes, brine shrimp, bloodworms, etc. Anything he could attack into smaller pieces that fit in his little mouth.

 

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but unless your tank info is wrong, your tank is not done cycling, and can be very harmful to your fish.

You're going to need to at least do 50% water changes daily until you have zero ammonia and nitrites. Otherwise, you may not have your shark for long

 

it's safe that info is old I tested it yesterday and it's safe

 

Don't rainbow sharks require 55+ gallons?

 

Don't rainbow sharks require 55+ gallons?

Yes, that is the minimum but larger is better for them.

I fed my RTS frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, flake foods.

 

Well, plecoman, I am thinking you should rehome that shark unless you have plans of upgrading...

 

They get...large to say the very least. You need to research your fish before you buy next time. Deffinetly return or rehome while its possible.

 

Good morning,

I have a Rainbow Shark in my 265g tank. It's around 6" long and elderly. The fish was fine for a while when I first purchased it. Actually I didn't see it for about 6 months and then one day it just appeared. It hasn't gone back into hiding since.

While they are young, small and immature, everything may be fine. As the fish ages and gets comfortable with its environment, the aggression issues will more than likely begin.

Right now, my Rainbow Shark gives my Silver Dollars a run for their money. There is some fin nipping but the Silver Dollars have room to escape. In a 30 gallon tank, more than likely in a few months, he will be King of your 30 gallon tank. Keep an eye open for aggression issues. You may have to rehome the fish eventually.

I do not feed my Rainbow Shark any special foods. He/she usually eats what is expelled from other fishes gills during feeding time.

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Thanks and best wishes for your fish!

Ken

 

I got my first Rainbow Shark the other week. He keeps doing this weird thing where he backs his tail up to the corner of the tank and then go up the side of it backwards. Is this a "normal" thing or is there something else up?

Also, right now I have him a 30 gallon tank with a crayfish (they leave eachother alone), I have read that he will need a bigger tank but just how big do they get and what other tank mates will go great with them and what all do they eat?

The guy at the pet store told me any tropical fish food will do.

I am in the process of getting a 55 gallon and 125 gallon tank. All of them Freshwater.

 

I've never heard of the mysterious "tank climbing", if you want to call it that. He will need a bigger tank soon, and they can be territorial about space. Some good tank mates include semI aggressive fish like barbs and gouramis. I wouldn't get any more fish until you get a larger tank.

They are omnivorous so they'll eat whatever you feed them. Tropical flakes are a good staple when supplemented with other frozen foods.

Good luck with him!

 

I would recommend a minimum 55 gallon tank. Aside from flake food, they really appreciate fresh veggies!

 

Mine loooooove bloodworms. I'd drop a whole cube of them in the tank, and he'd be all over it. Didn't like brine shrimp so much, but he did clean them up after the other fish were done with them. He liked pretty much anything that feel into that tank. He was a fatty LOL

 

I recommend the 125g for him. They like a lot of space and it would give a little more room for a few more appropriate bottom dwellers. He will also get pretty big. My lfs had one that was about 6" long and about a 1" diameter in the belly area. He was big! I agree that the 55 is the minimum but you wouldn't be able to keep any other bottom fish except one of the smaller Plecos perhaps. They can get more aggressive as they mature.

Good tank mates would be the larger active schooling fish like Giant Danios, Barbs would be a good choice as mentioned as long as they are the more aggressive ones, not the Cherry Barbs. I've kept my RTS with Pictus Cats and Bronze Corys but in my 125g. I also kept him with Silver Dollars. The Corys worked with my Shark and may not work for everybody. Keep that in mind. I lost him due to sickness about 9 months ago. Dwarf Gourmais and Bolivian Rams he chased. I've never kept him with the larger Gourmais like the Pearl or the Blue GourmaI so can't comment on how that would work but I think he would pick on them but that is the fish's nature.

 

+1 on Barbs, Danios and Gourami.

Mine ate NLS easy mode, also any frozen foods I put in. They also graze on algae and do appreciate algae wafer every so often.

 

I was going to a least put him in the 55 gallon...I was thinking about putting some BIG fish in the 125 gallon.

Thank you for all the info!

 

What were you thinking for the 125g?

 

Guppies!! *L*

 

Columbian shark (maybe), Deff. a Black Ghost knifefish, clown loach, banded leporinus, redfin prochilodus

I also saw some pretty cool fish: Prehistoric Dragon Goby, chinese HI Fin Banded Shark, Fahaka Puffer

I also saw a stingray that would be cool...but I'm not sure!

I like th eguppy idea though... that would be a lot!

 

Columbian shark (maybe), Deff. a Black Ghost knifefish, clown loach, banded leporinus, redfin prochilodus

I also saw some pretty cool fish: Prehistoric Dragon Goby, chinese HI Fin Banded Shark, Fahaka Puffer

I also saw a stingray that would be cool...but I'm not sure!

You deff. want BIG fish. lol

 

You should figure out if you want brackish or freshwater. Half the fish you listed are brackish. The CS will also need full marine as an adult. Mine are in 1.023 SG right now.

 

CS needs full marine water when an adult...I didn't know that! I kinda want to stay away from any other water but fresh!

 

Yup. Sure do! They are my favorite fish. Check out my photo album and videos. Also forgot to mention they need at least three in a group.

 

Yup. Sure do! They are my favorite fish. Check out my photo album and videos. Also forgot to mention they need at least three in a group.

I really like your CS setup! Was that a "prehistoric Dragon Goby" that you have? I am very interested in them, do they make good aquarium fish?

 

Yeah, that one died a few months ago from a tragic rock accident. I do have another one in my brackish community tank. They are very shy for the first few months but will eventually come out usually at night. They swim around in short bursts, its pretty cool. They do get up to 24" though, but they aren't very active so a 75 is minimum imo. They must be kept in brackish water or they loose color and appetite and eventually die.

 

I don't think I would ever get one, but I think they are pretty cool to look at. I think I want to stick strickly to FW. WHat do you think would be some cool Freshwater fish to get?

 

Black Ghost knifefish, clown loach group, banded leporinus, redfin Prochadilis, chinese HI Fin Banded Shark

These are good choices for larger fish, for singray you could get a teacup, motoro, or similar.

I think a school of tinfoil barbs with a stingray and a Chinese HI fin shark would be pretty cool.

 

I like your idea, thank you! I'm not sure if this is right but some sites I look at say that some stingrays can't be bought/sold in the state of florida unless for educational reasons or research! I think the teacup stingray is ok...and cute

 

Oops, I forgot about Florida ray laws...you'll definitely have to look into that.

 

Yeah I know of three that can be bought as a pet...there might be more