Fish rescue rainbow shark

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Looking at rescuing some fish from a small tank being sold on gumtree, want to rescue the cories and otos they have especially, and the blue gourami is apparently elderly and they don't think has much time left, and without many top dwellers myself, shouldn't be a problem.


But it also includes a large rainbow shark. I'm aware they ideally shouldn't be with other bottom dwellers, never wanted one myself. But I might have to take the lot in order to rescue the others, and house it at least temporarily until I find someone/somewhere for it. It was already living with corydoras and otos(!), so is it likely to attack my own cories and two plecos if I put it with them?

Urgh, also just realised, three of my cories are babies, only small, so much more at risk.... thinking a temporary emergency tote might be a better plan at least for that one...

Any advice/warnings/tellings off wanted, please

 

[GaryE]

I have a semi-rational hatred of barb/sharks. They have such a sneaky way of wrecking a tank and making all their tankmates miserable.

It's like rescuing puppies and having to take a hippo with them. Frankly, it's a tote and begging a store to take it, or buying a tank just for a fish that gives real sharks a bad name.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I have a semi-rational hatred of barb/sharks. They have such a sneaky way of wrecking a tank and making all their tankmates miserable.

Totally rational. I'm sure they could be cool and interesting fish in the right set up. They're just so rarely in the right set up...

Super appealing to beginners when they see the juveniles in the store, cool looking fish and colours, and it's a shark! (I know not really a shark, but they don't usually know that). Told by store staff that it's fine in their tank, fish grows and terrorises tankmates. Nightmare.

It's like rescuing puppies and having to take a hippo with them.

It really is. I almost bought a second hand tank with a few fish once, until I spotted something almost hidden since it was lying along a piece of driftwood and semi-hidden by plants, and sure enough, common pleco. I skipped that ad in the end.

Frankly, it's a tote and begging a store to take it, or buying a tank just for a fish that gives real sharks a bad name.

Fortunately, found two stores willing to take it. Hoping I can talk them into letting me take the other fish then them take it to the store themselves, rather than me bringing it home and having to do a temporary set up before taking it to a store, so much extra stress for it that I'd rather skip for the shark's sake as well as my own.

 

[betta4ever!]

Can't help, but I wanted you to know how glad I am that you're rescuing those poor fish!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Can't help, but I wanted you to know how glad I am that you're rescuing those poor fish!

Agree....well done, @AdoraBelle Dearheart

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Can't help, but I wanted you to know how glad I am that you're rescuing those poor fish!

Agree....well done, @AdoraBelle Dearheart

I appreciate this, but don't thank me yet! Haven't rescued anything yet, and the seller has gone quiet... hoping that doesn't mean someone has agreed to buy the tank with fish so they're gonna with them, but maybe she's just busy.
I can't buy the tank as well, I already have too many tanks that I'm struggling to sell on gumtree. But if someone else buys them, hopefully it'll be a decent owner that researches them and sorts the stocking out.

 

[betta4ever!]

I appreciate this, but don't thank me yet! Haven't rescued anything yet, and the seller has gone quiet... hoping that doesn't mean someone has agreed to buy the tank with fish so they're gonna with them, but maybe she's just busy.
I can't buy the tank as well, I already have too many tanks that I'm struggling to sell on gumtree. But if someone else buys them, hopefully it'll be a decent owner that researches them and sorts the stocking out.

What matters is that you're doing your best to help those fish, and I really appreciate you for that

 

[DoubleDutch]

I have a semi-rational hatred of barb/sharks. They have such a sneaky way of wrecking a tank and making all their tankmates miserable.

It's like rescuing puppies and having to take a hippo with them. Frankly, it's a tote and begging a store to take it, or buying a tank just for a fish that gives real sharks a bad name.

Strange isn't it. Same thing here.
A fish I will never buy or adopt.

 

[itiwhetu]

The good news is that Rainbow Sharks are only half as bad as Redtail Sharks.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Looks as though I should be getting these fish this afternoon! Including the rainbow shark...
But I've set up a 22g QT tank for them, so the rainbow won't be going in with my other fish! I am wondering though, since it's always lived with cories and otos, whether it might be just fine in with my fish once I've upgraded their tank to the 4ft. Cory from Aquarium Co op in a short vid said they can be okay with cories, that it's other torpedo shaped fish that they're likely to cause a problem with. The ones I'm concerned about it potentially causing a problem with are;

1. my three baby black Venezuelan cories, since they're still small
2. My plecos. L181 plecos, big enough that I doubt it could kill them outright, but would they look similar enough/share territory enough for the shark to hassle them?
3. Shrimp! Can move the shrimp to alternative tank, but that would be a real hassle to do for sure.

 

[Naughts]

From Seriously Fish:
"Other bottom-dwelling fishes including cichlids and most catfish are best avoided as they may too be picked on. "
Why risk losing your much loved and wanted fish when the store will take it.

After successful quarantine and adding new fish it might be good to do extra water changes as your batch of fish won't be used to the pathogens of the new batch and vice versa.

 

[GaryE]

Cory is wrong. Wait. Cory on Corys... confusing. The man should change his name.

The Corydoras will take most of the aggression from the barb with the nice dorsal fin. They will be in misery. It's moving things the barb hates. Nothing is allowed in its territory. I think I dislike them more because they wear tankmates down with constant small attacks. They have abusive ways, and they remind me of a type of person I can't stand. If they were an equal sized Cichlid that charged out and demolished in one attack, we'd see it and not buy it. But a rainbow or redtail shark sits there all day like some pinch faced accountant in his cubicle, barely moving. Then, when everyone's guard is down, the rat *&*^ gets to having his fun.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Why risk losing your much loved and wanted fish when the store will take it.

I definitely do not want to risk my much wanted and beloved fish, and I won't! But I wanted to at least consider all the possibilities since to get the rest of the fish, I need to take in the rainbow. They'll all be in the quarantine at first, but rainbow will be staying in there until I can find a suitable home or take him to the store. It's not like I ran out to buy a rainbow because I want one! Just wanted to explore the possibilities with people who know more than I do.

After successful quarantine and adding new fish it might be good to do extra water changes as your batch of fish won't be used to the pathogens of the new batch and vice versa.

Good point, thank you.

Cory is wrong. Wait. Cory on Corys... confusing. The man should change his name.

Yeah... I like a lot of his stuff, but I'm sure he isn't right about everything!

The Corydoras will take most of the aggression from the barb with the nice dorsal fin. They will be in misery. It's moving things the barb hates. Nothing is allowed in its territory. I think I dislike them more because they wear tankmates down with constant small attacks. They have abusive ways, and they remind me of a type of person I can't stand. If they were an equal sized Cichlid that charged out and demolished in one attack, we'd see it and not buy it. But a rainbow or redtail shark sits there all day like some pinch faced accountant in his cubicle, barely moving. Then, when everyone's guard is down, the rat *&*^ gets to having his fun.

Well that decided it for sure, thanks! Good point that being nocturnal, especially since the plecs are too, I likely wouldn't see any aggression, but doesn't mean it's not happening.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Dang, the fish arrived in white buckets where the water is yellow, so I just tested nitrAtes, and the test tube is a really deep red, like off the chart red. Drip acclimate? I don't know what else I can do...

 

[Naughts]

Generally no, get them out of the toxin quicker, but what is the pH, ammonia, and nitrite?