Iridescent shark problem.

[JDC]

ID sharks are cool looking fish. I've got 3 in a 55 gal.
sad to say they spend most fo the daylight on the bottom ( good work if you can get it) A ten gal is way too small, go for a 55 asap.

 

[Dwarfs]

A 55g is way too small too, these cats will grow as long as the 55 is!

 

[GTP2002]

A 55g is way too small too, these cats will grow as long as the 55 is!

I have heard from many people they will only grow according to their enviorment.
Is this true or not, and if so to what extent?

Also, if there is nothing I can do, anyone interested in providing a good home for an Iridescent Shark?

 

[Dwarfs]

A 55g is way too small too, these cats will grow as long as the 55 is!

I have heard from many people they will only grow according to their enviorment.
Is this true or not, and if so to what extent?

Also, if there is nothing I can do, anyone interested in providing a good home for an Iridescent Shark?

That is called stunting, and will usually result in a dead fish, and i've heard that some fish can't even be stunted and will just keep growing.

 

[big mick]

I would say mine grows about an inch every 8 weeks, he is a very good eater, the tank he will end up in is one 7 foot by 3ft which will double up as the serving counter when I open my own aquatics shop next year.

 

[zukowski]

Iridescent sharks will eat cichlid pellets ( the stick like ones) a algae wafers and will also eat plant matter and are even partial to the odd fry.
Make sure to have a slow flowing current and plenty of swimming space.
I have one in a four foot tank. he is around 15cm. I took him off a friend who had him in a 4ft tank but it waas filled with ornaments and the current was too strong the poor fish would stand upwards or lay on the floor and rarely swim or eat. Since being in a more spacious tank with plenty of plants he has started to swim around and show character, i have even seen him eat which is rare.

They are really cool fish just hard to keep. but if you can look after an iridescent shark then you can look after most community tropical fish.

Subdued lighting might help aswell.

 

[andywg]

Hate to say it, but 7 by 3 is not really big enough for a fish that can get past 3 feet. It will barely be enough space for it to turn around in. You really have to be looking at 10 x 6 as a minimum for these.

 

[big mick]

The oldest pangasius Ive seen was almost 4 years old, it was little over 15" and was kept in a 5 foot tank quite happy, I know they can reach 4 foot but mine is about 9-10" now and quite happy in a 4 foot and will be upgraded soon but if anyone on the forum has a pangasisus could maybe say how big theres is, what size tank its in and how old it is.

 

[Kenno]

The oldest pangasius Ive seen was almost 4 years old, it was little over 15" and was kept in a 5 foot tank quite happy, I know they can reach 4 foot but mine is about 9-10" now and quite happy in a 4 foot and will be upgraded soon but if anyone on the forum has a pangasisus could maybe say how big theres is, what size tank its in and how old it is.

I've got one ) I bought a new tank 5ft x 1.5ft X 1.5ft around the 5th of March, and he came with it he was about 11ins when we got him but now he's about 12 and a half inches or so he's growing really fast, don't know how old he is.

I think it's cause we must feed them more than the previous owner did, he's quite active during the night when the lights are low or off, but most of the day sits in the corner with the silver dollars, and occasionally goes and has a patrol up and down the tank.

We're currently in the process of looking to rehome him we have a guy in sheffield who's kept them before and has a 7X2X2, not ideal but at least he'll have more room to swim.

heres my post to find out what he was http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=131218

 

[big mick]

Its nice looking one in the pictures in the other thread. Anyone seen one in captivity bigger than 15"?

 

[steelhealr]

These fish will grow quickly and will also outgrow the average home aquarium keepers tank. At the size they are now, your large tanks will be OK, but, in the long run, they require tanks in the hundreds of gallons range. Considering that it can reach 3-4 feet, you figure they will need probably 2-3 times that size in tank length minimum.

These fish tolerate a wide range of water condtions and have ravenous appetites. I made the mistake of buying two when I was a 'newb'. They are both at about 5- 6 inches right now and will eat a sinking pellet whole. SH

 

[fishfishfish]

i would look around for some1 who has a pond and can hold him till u get 1 or suttin(just a thought)

 

[Katana]

I have a pond in the back that would work for these things. Would love to have em. But the pond isn't working, and my parents want to tear it out. It's a 2,000 or so gallon pond, forgot the exact gallons, but they would love it in there. If I ever get the pond working again, I'll start an Iridescent Shark rescue program =D

 

[steelhealr]

Sorry to say 55 gallons is way too small also. They grow to 3-4 feet long and a small tank doesn't 'stunt growth'. As they get bigger and their nutritional demands increase, any fish that can fit in that maw of a mouth is going to get eaten. Iridescent sharks are the quintessential error in freshwater aquarism: they should NOT be purchased unless you have a 7-10 foot tank. SH

 

[cichlidtank]

My girl and I had 3 midsized young (about 6 inches each, midsized for young) Iridescents in a 135g. Shortly after they were given to us, we had to medicate them in a 40g. The poor guys couldn't adjust and ended up bumping into the walls of the tank. We have alot of small fish in the 135, so it became a hard decision whether to relocate them back into the 135 or to trade them back into a lfs. We eventually did get rid of them, hoping that they would find a home with someone with a comprable tank (or larger) that wasn't stocked with food. Too bad, since they are awesome fish, not only are they brave little buggers (they would handfeed and swim into our fish nets when we would try to net other fish), but they are also active while still peaceful fish.