Rainbow Shark Size?

[biggerfish]

I have a rainbow shark that is in a 4000 gallon pond (I live in south florida with a heater for the winter), and I have owned many rainbow shark before and I know average adult size is 5-6 inches. Well my little guy is around 6 months old and already 5.5 inches, has anybody else ever had a rainbow grow so fast, and will he keep on growing this fast. The way I see it in a couple of years im gonna have a 10 inch rainbow shark which I have never seen or heard of one even get close to that.
 
heres my pondfor anyone who wants to know
 
1 rainbow
1 pleco
1 jack dempsey
1 adult female ( and about 10 baby) convicts
3 african butterflys
2 fancy gold fish
about 10 common goldfish (hottest days of summer have gone by and they did fine)
4 adult( and 6 baby) mollies
12 tiger barbs( and about 20 babys)
2 balas
3 neon tetras ( wanted some color)
and about 20,000 guppys (bit of an exageration but I have alot lol they breed like crazy)

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I'm sorry, but I don't know much about rainbow sharks, however, I'm going to comment on your stocking...
 
1. Neon Tetras like to be in a school of at least 6. In a pond that size you could have lots! Maybe even a 100 or so.
 
2. Goldfish are coldwater fish and should not be mixed with tropical fish.
 
3. The Jack Dempsey isn't going to work out well with the other, smaller fish. A JD will eat almost anything that will fit in its mouth, which means, its bad news for the Neon Tetras, Guppies, Mollies and Tiger Barbs. 
If you want to keep the other fish, I recommend that you re-home the JD.
 
4. Bala sharks need to be in a school of at least 6, 10 is better, you could probably have more if you wanted.

 

[biggerfish]

meant to say electric green tetras and the store only had 3 lol getting a dozen more soon ( same for the balas should end up with like 4 total not 6 but hopefully they will still do good) and I know jds are supposed to be aggressive I have owned them before but this one the store actually kept with goldfish and mollies for 6 months and couldn't sell him so they gave him to me for free. I have had him in there for about 5 months not a single fish has died in that pond lol shes just an exception. but I appreciate your concern not very often you can say your jd gets bullied by a fancy goldfish(no joke) its the cutest thing I have ever seen, and for some reason the tiger barbs always follow him around, not nipping or anything just following like they think hes there leader lol.

btw how do i change my username? new to the forum.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

to the forum then
Send a PM over to Tcamos (our administrator) telling him what you want it changed to and he should be able to change it
 
Okay, well keep an eye on them and be prepared to move any fish should something go wrong.

 

[biggerfish]

thank you and will do, put way to much money into this pond ( decided to expand it after years of having it) for it to go bad on me lol. Ever expanded a pond without removing a single fish from it, its not easy. thanks for the help again.

 

[TallTree01]

Maximum size is 6 inches. Most maximum sizes are not based on record sizes but rather on average sizes so your's may get bigger.

 

[biggerfish]

looks like it lol only 6 months old and already almost 6 inches,

 

[TallTree01]

Fish sure do grow quick when treated right

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Maybe you have not got a Rainbow Shark, but a similar looking shark-minnow?
 
Recently someone in my area has been advertising some rarer species...
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail51_321556.php
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail51_321558.php
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail51_321557.php
 
Another species that jumps to mind that will exceed 15cm SL by some margin (30cm SL or more seems more typical in good conditions) is Labeo cyclorhynchus, the Harlequin Shark from the Zaire/Congo River in Africa.

 

[biggerfish]

Its a rainbow I have had a good 10 rainbow sharks throughout my life and I know the fish quit well, just never had one in a 4,125G pond with enough algae and fish fry in it to feed him 5 lifetimes lol, never had one grow so fast.looking forward to seeing the monster full grown, wanna be able to say i'm the proud owner of a 10 inch rainbow shark lol, a man can dream.

 

[raptorrex]

we will talk in a year or two. then you can tell us how well your 7-8 inch rainbow is doing.

 

[biggerfish]

TY for crushing my dream lol, I know he will prob max out at 8 just hoping to get lucky end up with the "andre the giant" of the rainbow shark world.

 

[biggerfish]

just wanted to give an update my rainbow shark is now 8 months old and seven inches he is as long as my 1.5 year old jd.