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sharks as community fish

16K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  rgs1975 
#1 ·
is there any type of shark that would do well in a community aquarium? red tailed black sharks and rainbow sharks are meant to be alright with other fish as long as they are similar size or the other fish are larger but i wanted to check as sometimes i feel fish stores will tell you anything to get a sale.

the fish i would possibly be keeping the shark with would be:

pleco (definite)
pictus catfish (definite)
angelfish (likely)
black widow/skirted tetra (possible)
cories (possible)
mollies (possible)

thanks :)
 
#3 ·
sorry, i should have said that i had ruled them out because of the size of tank they would need. ive been researching them (rainbow and red tailed black) and tbh i just dont think id trust them so am going to give them a miss. thanks though.
 
#4 ·
A barb that almost looks like the shark which is a Puntius denisonii also makes a good community fish. They reach 5-6 inches but can be costly.
 
#6 ·
A small shoal will make their colors appear at their best. I noticed some people though keeping a lone torpedo barb. I've never kept them but I've been planning to get them when vacation comes.:) A long tank is better than a tall tank so there would be enough swimming space for a shoal.:)

Good luck and hope you can come up with pictures of them.:mrgreen:
 
#10 ·
Hi there,
i've currently got both Redtailed and Rainbow sharks as pairs in a community tank with Discus, Black widow Tetras, Angelfish, Clown Loach , Bristlenose Catfish anf Blue Platies.
Everybody seems to be gettting on well, and before they jumped tank on me, I also had Silver Sharks in a similar setup. The tank is, however, well laced with cavey rocks and plants as hiding holes, which all except the Black Widow Tetaras seem to use.....
I found the forum advice about getting 5 Black Widow Tetras very useful, as once I had reached this number, I found them fitting into a tight school, looking happier and giving the bigger fish something small to chase (with no harm done!).....
Thanx for this advice, as I now have a full and happy community tank to admire and relax to..........
Cheers Jewels
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#19 ·
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.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I've got an adult Red Tail Shark in a community tank with Cardinal Tetras, Zebra Danios, Bloodfin Tetras, Ghost Shrimp and a Pleco. Before I added the Cardinals and Zebras the shark would harass the Bloodfins. I took a que from Tyyrlym and re-arranged the tank to offer the shark a smaller and more defensible territory. He took to it immediately and now has claimed and guards the hollow base of the fallen tree in my 25 gallon tank (back right in the pics) and does not harass any of the other fish. Previously he had basically claimed the entire bottom third of the tank as his. Since the changes he's extremely mild mannered and his tail is BRIGHT red which leads me to believe he's happy with the changes.

If you're set against the Red Tail you might look at the Silver Apollo Shark (Luciosoma sp.). They don't get huge and are a schooling shark so you can have multiple in one tank. They are supposed to have less "attitude" than most other sharks although I've never had any so I can't speak from direct experience.
 
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