About a month ago my albino shark totally disappeared from the tank and after checking the usual hidey places I gave up hope and put it down to him being eaten by one/some of the other fish in the tank - he was only small, about 2inches.
At the time I bought him I didn't know much about keeping sharks in a community tank and was ill-advised by the sales girl at the aquarium shop, who told me it was ok to keep an albino shark, a red tail shark and a rainbow shark all in the same tank. Yes, since then I've found out it's not a good idea at all and am in the process of setting up a new tank and will separate the two remaining sharks as the Rainbow is a real bully.
Anyway, back to the Albino... it's been a month since the Albino disappeared - so you can imagine my shock when feeding my fish on Sunday I suddenly saw this little head pop out from underneath a tank decoration to grab at a bloodworm! I dropped a few more bloodworms in that area and waited...sure enough out popped the head again to gulp another bloodworm!! And guess who it was - yes, the Albino!
But my joy at him being found alive was dampened when he briefly swam out from under the ornament to eat another bloodworm further away - he looked so anorexic!! His body was pencil thin, like a worm! Poor little chap. I feel so sorry for him. But I can't understand how he's managed to stay alive all these weeks. I mean, I spend literally hours sitting in front of my tank, observing all the behaviour, who's doing what etc and I have not seen any sign of him at all, not even at feeding time. So for him to suddenly appear back on the scene looking so skinny, I know he can't have been eating much all this time.
Anyway, after showing himself briefly for a few seconds he swam back under the ornament and I didn't see him again. Yesterday, curiosity got the better of me so I lifted up the decoration, expecting to see him under there. NOTHING! He's gone again! Vamoosh!
Is this normal behaviour for an Albino? Is it anything to do with tank lighting being on and sensitive to their eyes perhaps? I don't have the lights on continuously - just for half hour in the morning and then a few hours in the evening.
So now I'm back to square one again - wondering if he's been eaten or not!
Sorry this post is so long - I'm such a rambler!
Athena
At the time I bought him I didn't know much about keeping sharks in a community tank and was ill-advised by the sales girl at the aquarium shop, who told me it was ok to keep an albino shark, a red tail shark and a rainbow shark all in the same tank. Yes, since then I've found out it's not a good idea at all and am in the process of setting up a new tank and will separate the two remaining sharks as the Rainbow is a real bully.
Anyway, back to the Albino... it's been a month since the Albino disappeared - so you can imagine my shock when feeding my fish on Sunday I suddenly saw this little head pop out from underneath a tank decoration to grab at a bloodworm! I dropped a few more bloodworms in that area and waited...sure enough out popped the head again to gulp another bloodworm!! And guess who it was - yes, the Albino!
But my joy at him being found alive was dampened when he briefly swam out from under the ornament to eat another bloodworm further away - he looked so anorexic!! His body was pencil thin, like a worm! Poor little chap. I feel so sorry for him. But I can't understand how he's managed to stay alive all these weeks. I mean, I spend literally hours sitting in front of my tank, observing all the behaviour, who's doing what etc and I have not seen any sign of him at all, not even at feeding time. So for him to suddenly appear back on the scene looking so skinny, I know he can't have been eating much all this time.
Anyway, after showing himself briefly for a few seconds he swam back under the ornament and I didn't see him again. Yesterday, curiosity got the better of me so I lifted up the decoration, expecting to see him under there. NOTHING! He's gone again! Vamoosh!
Is this normal behaviour for an Albino? Is it anything to do with tank lighting being on and sensitive to their eyes perhaps? I don't have the lights on continuously - just for half hour in the morning and then a few hours in the evening.
So now I'm back to square one again - wondering if he's been eaten or not!
Sorry this post is so long - I'm such a rambler!
Athena
