Red Tailed Black Sharks

[Pugwinkle]

I have a 29 gallon with 6 head and taillight tetras. I would like to add a bristlenose pleco and a red tailed black shark. Would they all get along?

 

[Pugwinkle]

P.S. Sorry for posting this twice but I thought maybe some that don't frequent the tetra forum would have some experience with the red tailed sharks.

 

[Colisa lalia]

Probably not RTBS can be highly aggressive, and they are always at least slightly aggressive. Your glowlights might suffer. The pleco would be fine with the glowlights.

 

[Opcn]

RTBS Rainbowsharks and flying foxes are all basicly the same fish but with different colors they all react the same if you havgee 5+ together then they will be fine and not bug the other fish but chase ea/o around like mad they are good fish when they are young but become more of a problem as they grow up and do best in a tank with lots of teritory markers. Your tetras would probably be fine until the fis reached about 4.5 inches seeing as how he would have plenty of space to himself on the bottom but the tetras might not get much sleep (seeing as how most of them sleep on the botom 2 inches of the tank) and the pl*co would be bullied alot. but if you were to plant it super hevily (and have some broadleaved plants for the rtbs to rest on) then it might work but you would realy be better off with something like an SEA.

Opcn

 

[G_Sharky]

Do not have 2 RTBS on the same tank or they might kill each other, I think you would be fine with the shark as long as there's space for him to mark his territory, I used to have one and it did fine with neons, pleco, angels. However, it might depend on the fish personality that you got. It's your call, I'd try it and find out if you were me....

 

[modernhamlet]

While we're on the subject...

Can people suggest some good "shark-like" alternatives to the RTBS? Most of the obvious ones seem to get either too aggressive or too large over time.

Is there such a thing as a "community shark"?

 

[Joviella]

While we're on the subject...

Can people suggest some good "shark-like" alternatives to the RTBS? Most of the obvious ones seem to get either too aggressive or too large over time.

Is there such a thing as a "community shark"?

i would love to know this too as much as i love my rtbs he is a sod!!

 

[darksheep]

i had a rtbs, was my fav fish til he died had him in a 3 ft tank with guppies and a few neons, and never worried them. but if ur gunna consider tiger barbs or fish with stripes in general, from my experience he'll chase them madly, i had tiger barbs and every time i feed them he chase that hard they would be swimming on there side so had to get rid of them.

 

[Opcn]

for the hijacker.

if you want sharky fish in your tank you should get several and let them keep to themselves. They will never fit into a peaceful comunity however.

Opcn

 

[x-router]

My RTBS will chase everything, even stuff bigger than him so a nice 'happy' tank could get a shock from one. If you don't like to see anything chase anything then don't get one.

However from what I have seen and been told they rarely actually damage other fish (unless it's another RTBS). I would never have a fish that would actually cause unrest to the point of stressing fish or causing damage.

They are basicly very territorial so space is an issue but you seem to have a plenty of room. You will need a cave he can call his own, he will hang out in there mostly and anything that ventures in his 'space' will get chased away.

As he gets bigger he will get more agressive but as a general rule it won't get nasty. They will never persue a fish around the tank, just warn them off. Also for some reason mine never pays any attention to my pleco, the pleco can even share his cave when he wants despite having his own.

Make sure you have a nice established tank and also they like some sand in the tank.

 

[Loopyness]

ive got a red fin shark and he's just taken a chunk outtta my bettas fins and took some scales off him, he's going back to the shop on saturday.

 

[modernhamlet]

if you want sharky fish in your tank you should get several and let them keep to themselves. They will never fit into a peaceful comunity however.

That's pretty much what I figured. For example, I'd never put a "shark" in my current tank.

Frankly, It's too bad they're so popular. I imagine few RTBS get the opportunity to thrive in appropriate aquarium conditions for them.

 

[Ferris]

My RTBS who is mature and fully grown is certainly the boss of the tank but only ever chased my silver shark and even then only playfully. He is a wonderful looking fish and I would recomend them to anyway, although you do need to be aware of their agressiveness and may be unlucky with a particular fish.

 

[MAM]

i must just have a weird rainbow shark. he's very passive. i went against my own better judgement and got him along with some gouramis all when they were small juvies and started them all together. they have sort of "grown up" together and get along fine. the shark is quite passive, little surprised by that, and only territorial of his cave, which the gouramis have learned to stay out of. i had plecs with him for a short time without issue. i think it kind of depends on the fish. at the stores they are usually acting quite aggressive. guess i just lucked out

 

[Curtiss]

Maybe I'm just crazy or maybe I have some really passive fish. My 30 gallon currently has a mature RTBS and a mature bristlenose pleco along with a couple of otto's, 8 neons and a South American puffer. None of these fish interact with each other. I did make the mistake of adding a Flying Fox to the tank. I figured that since it wasn't a rainbow or rtbs that things would be fine. The RTBS was very aggressive towards the smaller flying fox and I ended up moving the flying fox to another tank.

My RTBS is among my favorites. He's large, beautifully colored and doesn't bother anyone who isn't "shark like". Of course, I was also told the South American puffer would be aggressive towards other fish and he is amont the mellowest in my tank. He has his staked out territory near a plant and rock and only wanders when its feeding time or in the evenings when all the other fish are sleeping.

Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe its because my 30 gallon is densely populated with plants, ornaments, caves, etc that break up line of sight. This has been my experience though.

-Curtiss