Red Tailed Black Shark Behaviour...

[sophos9]

Hi,

I bought a red tailed shark, it seems happy, good colouration and no marks. He spends alot of time hanging around the surface then exploring the tank before going to the surface again

All the other fish are fine and not at the top, is this normal behaviour?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

When you say he goes to the surface is he gasping/rapidly breathing or anything like that? Have you provided him with any decent cover in the tank like a pile of driftwood or something for him to take cover under? What temp and size is the tank and what are you keeping him with?

 

[sophos9]

When you say he goes to the surface is he gasping/rapidly breathing or anything like that? Have you provided him with any decent cover in the tank like a pile of driftwood or something for him to take cover under? What temp and size is the tank and what are you keeping him with?

Hi, thanks for the reply....

Ok, questions questions

No gasping or rapid breathing, its like he is pushing the riccia around

Lots of decent cover, the tank is planted out and has rock caves and bogwood to hide under

Temp is 27C, params are all fine - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, CO2 @ 30ppm in a 180ltr tank

Others are tetras, clown loaches, american flag fish, ottos and an assortment of plecs

What you think?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Sounds pretty normal then, my RTBS mostly hangs out in her piles of wood in the tank but i do remember her spending more time in the upper levels of the tank when i first adopted her a couple of years ago .
Edit: is the shark a strong black colour with a vibrant red tail? When RTBS are stressed their colour will start to fade out.

 

[sophos9]

His colours are great!

Just put a power head in the tank, not oxygenating but moving the water around and now he is in his favourite bog wood place?? Do sharks need a current in the tank as my spray bar is positioned against the tank as not to ruin the plants?

 

[raptorrex]

my RTS patrols all over the tank, but spends most of its time, behind the castle decoration above the air stone. it is not good with other sharks, but gets on fine with my mix, plecos, gurami, cory, silver dollars, CAE and even Crayfish!

 

[Gatorbait]

I agree with Tokis-Phoenix. Normal behaviour especially with topwater plants, he's looking for food is all.

 

[sophos9]

I agree with Tokis-Phoenix. Normal behaviour especially with topwater plants, he's looking for food is all.

Excellent, thanks!

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Asides from just looking for food (my redtailed shark was a greedy pig, hehe), they also play around sometimes. The sharks I've had always end up rolling the marbles along the bottom of the tank; it's really cute. ^^ So he might just be having fun pushing around the riccia like you said.