Rainbow Shark Or Red Tailed Shark

[Carley_]

We've just upgraded our tank from a 43litre to a 200litre so have to start a new community. We got this tank on the condition that my husband could have a Rainbow or Red Tailed shark (men eh?) We've always kept livebearers as these are my favourite and i would like to continue to do so.

Just wondered if livebearers are compatible with these sharks? Is there a list somewhere with compatible tank mates?

Cheers!

 

[Davo86]

Hi, the two species in question like to patrol the bottom of the tank and will 'source' the best caves in the tank in which they will become quite aggressive over,
In a good sized tank livebearers will be ok as most tend to stick to the middle and upper levels of the tank.

As long as you avoid tiny or fragile species and don't add too many other bottom dwellers it peace can easily be achieved.
Also go for a rainbow shark over the RTB, these are generally a little more relaxed.

Feel free to post suggested stockings so that people can double check the compatibility and point out if/where problems may occur

 

[Carley_]

We were thinking about

Definites:
1 rainbow shark
1 pleco
1 male betta
Either endlers OR swordtails (a group of 6 - 10)

Maybes:
gouramis
barbs
clown loach
cardinal tetras - might be too small though?

Or any others that are pretty and compatible!

 

[Davo86]

We were thinking about

Definites:
1 rainbow shark
1 pleco
1 male betta
Either endlers OR swordtails (a group of 6 - 10)

Maybes:
gouramis
barbs
clown loach
cardinal tetras - might be too small though?

Or any others that are pretty and compatible!

The Male Betta will not thrive in a community tank and really live much better in their own small tank
(and tbh your 43 litre tank would be perfect for him along with a few dwarf cories or otos or even shrimp and dwarf frogs).
Bettas would most likely be territorial to endlers and gouramis and their fins would get shredded by barbs/tetras/loach.

provided the pleco you choose isn't a common or sailfin then that should be ok in the 200 litre for life, (the two mentioned would require a tank upgrade)
clown loach would be ok for a while but would also need a tank upgrade eventually.

in general barbs, gouramis, tetras and livebearers all usually co-habit fine but you need to be careful not to mix species like tiger barbs with guppys/endlers for example as the tiger barbs like to bite off their tails.

 

[Carley_]

The Male Betta will not thrive in a community tank and really live much better in their own small tank
(and tbh your 43 litre tank would be perfect for him along with a few dwarf cories or otos or even shrimp and dwarf frogs).
Bettas would most likely be territorial to endlers and gouramis and their fins would get shredded by barbs/tetras/loach.

provided the pleco you choose isn't a common or sailfin then that should be ok in the 200 litre for life, (the two mentioned would require a tank upgrade)
clown loach would be ok for a while but would also need a tank upgrade eventually.

in general barbs, gouramis, tetras and livebearers all usually co-habit fine but you need to be careful not to mix species like tiger barbs with guppys/endlers for example as the tiger barbs like to bite off their tails.

What about..
A rainbow shark, pleco, swordtails (not endlers), gouramis, tetras and barbs?

It's my husband who wants the loach, i have explained to him that they grow very big, maybe he will listen now that someone else has also said it.

 

[21rm]

Hey Ive a Black red tailed that gets on great with most his tank mates except for darker ones.
He constantly chased two green tiger barbs that I had, and now he chases 2 dark platys I have. Funny thing is, my pearl gourami seems to copy him. I read that pearl Gourami are peaceful, but mine chases the same fish that the shark does.

i also wouldnt advise the barbs with gouramis. They really are fin nippers that plagued my platys, guppys, gouramis and even the snails

 

[Carley_]

Getting there! What about swapping the barbs with rainbow fish?

 

[21rm]

soz, not sure bout the rainbow fish. Never had any of them

 

[Davo86]

Getting there! What about swapping the barbs with rainbow fish?

Totally depends on barb species you choose, Gold barbs or cherry barbs would be ok,
as would rainbows but these do get pretty big (6 inches) and wouldn't be suitable for keeping with really small fish

 

[joshjames]

as we are on the subject would a rainbow shark b ok with clown loaches
i no they will both be near the bottem and will probably fight or will they b ok?

 

[Davo86]

as we are on the subject would a rainbow shark b ok with clown loaches
i no they will both be near the bottem and will probably fight or will they b ok?

They're usually ok together provided tanksize is adequate

 

[foley69]

the best way with these fish is too get one when they are small and put them in with the fish u have now that are bigger than him, and then he should be fine i know they get aggressive as they get older but if he is in from the start with fish that were bigger than him he will tolerate them i have my RTBS with a jack dempsey,severum, convict and a blue acara and he swims around like he is the only fish in the tank doesnt bother any of my cichlids and they dont bother him i might be lucky and got some peaceful fish but IMO if you get him when he is young with a nice little cave to call home then he should be fine

 

[Athena]

I have both a rainbow shark and a RTBS. Right from day one, at juvenile size, the rainbow shark was a real terror, bullying every fish around him - EXCEPT my two pink convicts and a female guppy! (When I temporarily moved him into another tank with the female guppy it was quite funny to see them swimming around together like best buddies. Was very strange!)

But he then had to go back into the larger tank and began his bullying again. So, gradually I have had to move his bullied tankmates out into other tanks and have left him in the 3ft with the two pink convicts (who, at approx 2", are smaller than he is but for some reason they rule the roost!). The rainbow is about 5" now so almost fully grown. He doesn't bother the convicts but they do chase him about when they have spawned.

In another tank I have a RTBS. Have had him from very small size - and he was so docile I named him Shy Boy. BUT, in the last few weeks (he is now about 4") he has started throwing his weight around a bit and been chasing his tankmates (causing one molly to get stressed out and she got pop eye). I think it started up when one of the platys had fry and the fry kept devouring the food from his cave! (I've since moved the fry out but the experience has left him with this aggressive streak).

It's stressing me out just watching him chasing and head-butting all evening, so I am going to have to return him to my LFS soon as I don't have room for yet another tank. Sad to see him go as he's lovely - but I can't afford for my fish to get sick from stress.

For the last 10 months, he was the perfect tankmate for mollies, platys, guppies and female Betta - but not any more.

The lady at my LFS has (in her personal tank) a green severum, a plec and a RTBS - and they don't bother each other at all (all fully grown with clear territories).

So, I would say that if your hubby wants to get either of the two, there's no reliable way of saying which of the two would be more peaceful as I think it all depends on the personality of the fish, the tank set-up, the size of the tank, the other tankmates and quantity etc. And, as you can see from my experience, they can switch from being placid shy boys to raging rambos and vice versa!

Oh, I also had an albino red tailed shark for a while - but he was extremely nervous and hid away under a tank ornament for so long that when he did finally show his face he was thinner than when I brought him home! So I had to rehome him.

It's just a case of trial and error. Go with the suggestions made on this thread to begin with but you may, at some later stage, need to re-jig things depending on how it all pans out.

You might strike lucky and find a really friendly shark!

Regards - Athena

 

[LongS]

Hi there, just thought i'd say that my friend keeps a RTBS in with 6 guppies and is fine. He hides away in a cave most of the time. This is a 30 litre too so you would probably be fine.

Also about the tiger Barbs. There is (i believe) a less aggressive lookalike called the Pentazona Barb. These are not as nippy, and may be an alternative.

If you do want to keep a Betta a suggested tankmate might be a shoal of White Cloud Mountian Minnows. I have 6 of them and are nice and lively. Can also be kept at a range of temperatures like the Betta but i keep them at 26 degrees.

I'm no expert but mabye this helps a wee bit?

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