The other day my BRTS died and I'm absolutely gutted as it happend only a week after seeing some MASSIVE ones in Bournemouth oceanarium and that made me even more facinated.

I would love to get another one as I'm currently in the process of setting up my 260l tank. He was fine at his size in my 56l tank with 3 Zeb danios and 3 neons. In my new tank I would most likely have 5-8 zeb danios, 2 angels, 1 or 2 pearl gourami, maybe some dwarf gourami or some rams, my 2 male guppies poss more and most likely my neons and hope they reach old age before the angels get big enough to eat them lol.

Anyway, enough of my waffle basically I am a little nervous over the fact some people say red tails get aggressive when older, do you think I will have a prob in a 260l tank, I've set up lots of caves and there will be plenty of plants.

Also I was wondering whether a rainbow is more agressive and less suitable for my tank than the red tail?

Tried to do a bit of research but it seems most websites get the 2 mixed up anyway.

What would you recc for my tank:

RTBS
Rainbow
Neither - Get something else (reccs be good)

Cheers very much

Vicki

I love my Denisons Barbs, they look like sharks( with red stripe and yellow stripes on fins and red noses...aka red line torpedo barbs),are colourful,active and very peaceful.
They like to shoal so you need min 4. They get to about 14cm so your tank may not be quite big enough-we have 6 in a 360l.
Just a thought..have you already got your tank??

ive had both except the rainbow shark was the albino variety (and ive still got him)

When i got my redtail, i put him in the tank and for about 3 hours he was peaceful (getting used to his new home) then he just turned bad! He chased everything around the tank and within 5 hours of being in the tank, he was back at the fish shop.
My albino rainbow shark however, has been in the tank for about 1.5 years now, he only chases a platy that i have and that is not often at all. In 1.5 years he has grown 3 inches which is quite a lot but mine is in a 125l tank and is doing absolutely fine.

With regards to red tails, my friend has 2 in his 500litre tank and they are both at least 7 inches big. They are in there with cichlids and they are not aggressive at all (that may be the fact that everything in the tank is bigger than them though )

if i were you, i would go for an albino rainbow shark the colour is no vibrant and its a lot different to black (you still get a nice contrast of colours and they stand out more aswell)

Hope that helps

Will

i have heard red tailed sharks are exremely aggresive when older, i have had several rainbow sharks over time and i love them, in my experience they are not agressive towards others but will hold there own if picked on, i also belive they look better than the red tailed but thats just my personal opinion

in my experience the RTS is far more the aggressive of the two. even so, its not that bad. at one point i had both in my tank, and had not one problem for about 1 year. then, after a tank rearranging binge, the RTS simply up and killed the Rainbow. most evedence seems to indicate that, particularly an adult, need lots of room, 50ukg to 100ukg. this seems a lot for a fish that rarely gets to more than 7 inches. but could well have more to do with giving it enough territory, to avoid problems with other fish. it is said, and my experience above seems to indicate it, you should not keep two of either of these fish, unless you have a vast tank. as for temperament. the Rainbow seems a much more nervous and cautious fish, than the RTS. spending more time hiding and keeping itself to itself. as for aggression towards other fish, i saw none from my Rainbow, and the RTS plays "catch me if you can", with my bala and pictus. but it avoids confrontation with the Green Terror. and with the exception of it, possibly, taking a chunk out of an angels tail, and the Rainbow incident, that's about it from mine. mine is though only 3 years old, so i have no real advice, through experience, on the older RTS.

I agree RTS are much more aggressive, but don't get as big as rainbow sharks.

I have a rtbs in my tank he is probably about 5-6 inches and he is not a problem at all if anything my catfish chase him. He has plenty of hiding spaces and room to swim and is now best mates with my clown loach. At the end of the day the decision is up to you.