Sharks For The Aquarium

[catfish4ever]

ive been researching sharks for freshwater aquarium of 63 gallons, im really keen on the Tri Colour Shark, however i am aware they need an aquarium in the excess of 100 gallons? I think i could get a RTBS however i really want a cool looking shark like fish too school in the tank, any recommendations?

 

[gh74]

Whatever you do dont buy a RTBS or Ruby shark,i had these and they killed my fish by terrorizing them they wont let bottom dwellers lye at the bottom,once i get my bigger tank set up i will have a school of Bala sharks i already have ones,but there out growing the tank and there really cool to watch,i watch them copying other fish at what they do.

 

[Chad]

I had such a bad experience with a RTBS that I'll never get another. Of course I have read of success and heard from people who love them but I can only go by my personal experience and it wasn't a pleasant one. I found the fish to be aggressive to the point of killing other fish. It had to be removed from my tank. 

 

[Wills]

Generally speaking "shark" fish in the aquarium usually come with consequeses - Bala Sharks are huge and need huge tanks to be kept properly and humanely, dealing with 6+ 14 inch migratory swarming fish is no easy feat... The Tricolour Shark you mentioned are Pangasious and even the smallest species is 4 foot but the common ones are closer to 6 foot which is just ridiculous to even consider or think about in this context. And the Red Tailed Black Sharks and Rainbow Sharks are hard to work out as they are so unpredictable.
 
The only real "shark fish" I would have in that kind of tank or at least the closest to it are Ageneiosus Atronasus http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=4845 They are a type of Wood Catfish. But they are incredibly rare! I have 2 in my tank which is 135 gallon but prior to that they were in my 63 gallon tank, through they day they are relatively inactive and stay in the upper front corners of the tank asleep in the current but in the evenings they wake up and spend the night swimming all over the tank. Feeding times are a real frenzy as well! They have big mouths though for a 4.5 inch fish so be careful with tank mates! They are totally peaceful though and do not cause any issues in the tank what so ever.
 
Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
I got mine from Pier Aquatics which is one of the only retailers I would trust to source the correct fish and not supply me with a monster lol. Where abouts in the UK are you and I might be able to point you in the direction of a reliable source if they are the kind of fish you are interested in.
 
Wills

 

[star4]

What other fish do you have to put with a RTBS?, I have had a few of these (mostly rescue). They are no good at all with smaller community fish, they do well with larger cichlids though. Some can be a right pain with bottom dwellers, my current one though schools with the clown loach. It really is a fish that is the luck of the draw whether you get a mild mannered one or an aggressive one.

 

[gh74]

Hey Willis,i like that shark you have got on that link,would pier aquatics ship to northern ireland? i will have to check with grosvenor aquatics over here to see if they do them etc,there fish are all great not like a LFS

 

[malfunction]

Presuming your tank is long enough, how about denisonii? They have a similar shape to most shark-shaped fish (especially if you squint your eyes!), like to be in schools and are much more peaceful the RTBS.

 

[Ciddire]

I've had good luck with my rescue RTBS. 
 
I've got a pretty populated bottom level w/ corys,loaches, shrimp & B.Rams. He doesn't trouble any of them and will actually swim around with my Roseline Sharks (aka Denison barbs) during feeding time. 
 
Like the others have said, your results may vary with RTBS if you decide to get 1.

 

[Wills]

Hey Willis,i like that shark you have got on that link,would pier aquatics ship to northern ireland? i will have to check with grosvenor aquatics over here to see if they do them etc,there fish are all great not like a LFS

 
Im not sure. They do ship through the summer as far as I know but like I say not sure if they would go over the sea. Like I say they are very rare and most shops will have never heard of them, the other issue is that there are other Ageneiosus that grow bigger 8 - 12 inches that are a bit easier to come across but still rare. Just be careful if you try and source some as like I say there are a few look a likes that can grow very large!
 
Wills

 

[gh74]

 

Hey Willis,i like that shark you have got on that link,would pier aquatics ship to northern ireland? i will have to check with grosvenor aquatics over here to see if they do them etc,there fish are all great not like a LFS

 
Im not sure. They do ship through the summer as far as I know but like I say not sure if they would go over the sea. Like I say they are very rare and most shops will have never heard of them, the other issue is that there are other Ageneiosus that grow bigger 8 - 12 inches that are a bit easier to come across but still rare. Just be careful if you try and source some as like I say there are a few look a likes that can grow very large!
 
Wills
 

Thanks for the info Willis,i will contact the 2 guys i get my fish from and see if they could get a few of that specific type you mention and not the ones that are similar etc....Cheers

 

[catfish4ever]

Generally speaking "shark" fish in the aquarium usually come with consequeses - Bala Sharks are huge and need huge tanks to be kept properly and humanely, dealing with 6+ 14 inch migratory swarming fish is no easy feat... The Tricolour Shark you mentioned are Pangasious and even the smallest species is 4 foot but the common ones are closer to 6 foot which is just ridiculous to even consider or think about in this context. And the Red Tailed Black Sharks and Rainbow Sharks are hard to work out as they are so unpredictable.
 
The only real "shark fish" I would have in that kind of tank or at least the closest to it are Ageneiosus Atronasus http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=4845 They are a type of Wood Catfish. But they are incredibly rare! I have 2 in my tank which is 135 gallon but prior to that they were in my 63 gallon tank, through they day they are relatively inactive and stay in the upper front corners of the tank asleep in the current but in the evenings they wake up and spend the night swimming all over the tank. Feeding times are a real frenzy as well! They have big mouths though for a 4.5 inch fish so be careful with tank mates! They are totally peaceful though and do not cause any issues in the tank what so ever.
 
Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
I got mine from Pier Aquatics which is one of the only retailers I would trust to source the correct fish and not supply me with a monster lol. Where abouts in the UK are you and I might be able to point you in the direction of a reliable source if they are the kind of fish you are interested in.
 
Wills

im pretty sure that looks like a pangasius, if you know what that is? or is that a smaller catfish with similar characteristics

 

[Wills]

....Yes I know what a pangasius is....
 
And yes, they look like a young pangasius - thats what I was saying...
 

Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
Wills

 
Hence my repeated warnings about buying them, but they are a totally unrelated species, Pangasius are from Asia and Ageneiosus are from South America. Pangasius have barbels, Ageneiousus do not. The Ageneiosus I mentioned above grow to 4.7 inches and some Pangasious grow to a terrifying 98 inches!! The fact they are so alike and being traded in such vastly different quantities is frankly criminal...
 
This is the profile for one of the more common species of Pangasious http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=268 as you can see a totally different family of fish, unrelated in any way. It is purely a cosmetic similarity - Planet Catfish is the most reputable website for information on catfish so you can trust what it says, the profiles are collated by Icthyologyt experts on a scientific level - much more than your mere visual guess work exhibited above.
 
I can also 100% say that the fish I have are Ageneiosus Atronasus as they are now approx 3 years old and under 5 inches in a 6 foot tank.
 
Wills

 

[catfish4ever]

....Yes I know what a pangasius is....
 
And yes, they look like a young pangasius - thats what I was saying...
 

Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
Wills

 
Hence my repeated warnings about buying them, but they are a totally unrelated species, Pangasius are from Asia and Ageneiosus are from South America. Pangasius have barbels, Ageneiousus do not. The Ageneiosus I mentioned above grow to 4.7 inches and some Pangasious grow to a terrifying 98 inches!! The fact they are so alike and being traded in such vastly different quantities is frankly criminal...
 
This is the profile for one of the more common species of Pangasious http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=268 as you can see a totally different family of fish, unrelated in any way. It is purely a cosmetic similarity - Planet Catfish is the most reputable website for information on catfish so you can trust what it says, the profiles are collated by Icthyologyt experts on a scientific level - much more than your mere visual guess work exhibited above.
 
I can also 100% say that the fish I have are Ageneiosus Atronasus as they are now approx 3 years old and under 5 inches in a 6 foot tank.
 
Wills

very similarr looking, are the agaeneious common in the trade?

 

[Wills]

Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
Wills

 

 
Please at least read my posts, your almost dismissive attitude is very rude...
 
Wills

 

[catfish4ever]

 

Like I say though they are incredibly rare DO NOT buy a fish that looks like them without having got them from a reputable retailer who know their rare fish. If you see something in a shop that is unlabled that looks like them they are probably Pangasious.
 
Wills

 

 
Please at least read my posts, your almost dismissive attitude is very rude...
 
Wills
 


how am i rude