[xDoctor Bob]

Red Tail Sharks!!

I have had them before and they are awesome and friendly

[Burninator]

I have a Rainbow Shark with 6 tiger barbs, 6 green barbs, 3 cherry barbs, and a plec.

That being said, the shark ignores the tiger and green barbs but HATES the cherry barbs. He will chase them all around the tank

[Tyyrlym]

Red tailed black sharks can be kept in a community aquarium. I have no experience but I believe this experience can be applied to rainbow and albinos as well.

First the environment for the shark. Have some caves, some hidey holes where the shark can feel secure and stake out her (mine's female) territory. She'll pick one and make it her own. Next, have plenty of cover in the tank. You want to break up the sight lines from the shark's cave. The less she can see the smaller the territory is. If the shark can see clear across the tank don't be surprised if she decides the whole bottom of the tank is hers and she has to defend it. Take a look at my 48 gallon corner tank. Tons of bottom cover. My shark has staked out the slate cave on the right as hers and her territory isn't much larger than it. Next, no other territorial bottom dwellers, one shark per tank and avoid things like Rams or convicts or fish that will get territorial. In a large enough tank you can have more but be ready to intervene if they decide their territories overlap.

Second, how to add the shark. Add your shark to the tank last. If the shark arrives in a tank already full of fish she's more likely to keep her territory small and defensible. If the shark goes in first she'll rule the roost and likely decide that the whole tank belongs to her. Get the youngest healthy shark you can. If the shark starts off small as just another fish she won't get in the habit of throwing her bulk around later in life.

It's not impossible to keep sharks in community tanks, it just takes some planning and management of the environment with your shark's habits in mind.

[Burninator]

i agree with that guy ^

[ID SHARK RULE]

in my tank i have to red tailed sharks 3 rainbow sharks including 1 albino Rainbow Shark and there fine with each other always near each other sometimes they chase each other but there is no harm done

[iam1ru12]

My Rainbow Shark lives with an Asian bumblebee catfish, two peacock eels, a blue Assam snakehead, three rosy barbs, seven arulius barbs and six tiger barbs. It practically ignores the tank inhabitants except the arulius barbs, which it chases every so often.

[Tyyrlym]

Originally Posted by ID SHARK RULE

in my tank i have to red tailed sharks 3 rainbow sharks including 1 albino Rainbow Shark and there fine with each other always near each other sometimes they chase each other but there is no harm done

Five sharks in the same tank is an extraordinarily bad idea unless the tank is several hundred gallons.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Tyyrlym

Five sharks in the same tank is an extraordinarily bad idea unless the tank is several hundred gallons.

eventually there will be someone who can keep them successfully. However, the odds are extremely against it happening very often.

so now everyone will buy multiple sharks thinking it will work and many will die.

[Tyyrlym]

I don't doubt that it will happen, someone will luck out and get 5 incredibly mild mannered sharks. A lot of people survive lightning strikes too, doesn't mean I play golf in the rain.

[NirV]

Bala or silver sharks (Balantiocheilos melanopterus), if in a large tank and in a small group, are great community members generally.