long fin sharks

[clueless]

HI i have just bought 2 long fin sharks and 2 red tail sharks for a new 50 gallon tank they are in with a school of 9 zebra dannos anybody know anything about them are they livebearers or egg layers what are their habits special foods they may like etc any advice would be usefull

thanks clueless

 

[CFC]

The sharks are barbs so will be egg layers although i know of no "shark" species that can be bred in a aquarium.Do you realise that redtails cant stand the sight of others of their own kind and will fight continualy until one dies ?
Being barbs they are omnivors and will accept almost any food you throw at them, i would recomend bloodworms at least twice a week as well as flake and pellet type foods, blanched courgette or cumcumber will be enjoyed too.

 

[clueless]

thanks for that i will leave the red tails for the moment as they seem to be quite frendly with each other and were in the same tank at the shop but will watch them closely and will put one in the other tank if they become aggresive

 

[saltydog]

CFC, good advice on the "REDTAIL' I have a 8" redtail in w/my 12"irridesent sharks, an he always makes a run at them trying to scare them BUT never hitting them, they seem to care less when he run at them, they turn an he turns at the same time. like there playing w/ each outher.
'GOOD LUCK GOOD FISHIN"

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> The sharks are barbs

Labeo's. Cyprinids, yes, not barbs.

 

[CFC]

I was more reffering to the long fin sharks which unless im greatly mistaken are members of the barb family as are bala, cigar and diamond sharks to name but a few.

 

[Lateral Line]

Cyprinidae is a family. Barbus is a Genus within that family and contains the true Barbs. There are many genera within the family - each genus is related to the others by virtue of the fact they are within the family cyprinidae, but that is all.

The Bala Shark for example, is in the genus Balantiocheilus, (specifically B. melanopterus), and thus is certainly a cyprinid, but not a barb.

Long Finned Shark is in yet another genus, Labiobarbus, (L. leptocheilus), again, a cyprinid but not a barb.

 

[CFC]

I stand corrected i have always thought that balas were in the same group as barbs, well you live and learn.

 

[Lateral Line]

You're not the first.

People would look at you in horror if you said say Apistogramma and Tilapia were the same, no, they say they're cichlids. Correct, Cichlidae is the family that contains the genera Apistogramma and Tilapia.

Similaly if you said Rasbora and Danio, well, they are Rasboras and they are danios, but in fact, rasbora and danio are also members of the very large cyprinidae family, and thus, with barbs, should be referred to as cyprinids.

 

[clueless]

yes well all nice to know but does not really help with looking after them