Sharks

[Aqua Man]

Hiya Guys

I spent a good few hours today travel around LFS, checking out the fish they have available. Some of the ones i was most attracted too were the various kinds of sharks available. I saw red tails, silver and albino sharks (these are what i remember anyway).

I just wandered if anyone has ever set up a tank with these fish as the 'base' breed if you know what i mean.

Would there be any special requirements and would the different types get along together?

Also, what other types of fish would be able to put up with them and what food would they need.

Just a query running through my mind thats all.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[StiX]

Hi Aqua, If u want sharks as the 'center piece' of the tank, then a school of silver sharks would look good, only downside is they get big, so a school of them requires a fair size tank! Red-tails should only be kept one to a tank as they will fisht eachother and are generally little devels! The albino is just the same as the red-tail but albino colour. You could have a school of silver sharks and 1 red-tail, that would work ok

Hope this helps

 

[CFC]

Since all the mentioned fish come from Southeast Asia you could set up a biotope of this region using only fish and plants from there ie silver sharks clown loaches and tiger barbs (and of course the red tailed shark) and using cryptocorynes for the plants.

Oh and welcome to the forum

 

[Aqua Man]

Thanks for the info so far, its been great!

Would i be right in saying that to set up a biotope (ive just found out what that means lol) tank id use fish from the 'Cyprinid' family?

Ive been scanning the net and found some of the 'cryptocorynes' plants.....they look ace!

What size of tank would be ok? I have been interested in a 180L ive seen at my LFS. Ideal or not? And how many fish?

Sorry for all the questions but im excited! hehe

Any more info would be appreciated.

 

[lilmolly]

Just wanted to throw in a quick tip. Don't buy a irredecent shark, which is actually a catfish but looks and acts like a shark. They can get up to 4feet long and need a 600gal tank.

On another note-since no one answered your question about food I'll to say a very genreal statement good for if you already bought the fish and want something heathly to drop by and pick up at the lfs till you find all the info you need for all the different types. I would get some freeze dried blood worms or frozen blood worms and feed acople of those with the flake food, but do not over feed. I know my fish I tend toward the over feeding side which I'm working on not doing. It's hardnot to feed them when you see them come up to the glass and want a treat. I got my one molly that I can hand feed. I love doing it.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Aqua Man,

I moved this topic here from "newbie".

CM

 

[CFC]

To set up a biotope you could use other fish that are native to SE Asia ie Gouramis but you would have to for go any nippy fish such as Tiger barbs,a 180 (which i think is about 50g)is probably the smallest you could get away with for the Balas (silver sharks)and preferably you would want something a little larger when full grown,they can get to 13".

 

[tdnp]

I've two red finned sharks in my 4 foot tank I think the eldist is a female because she has a rounder belly and the younger one(who I bought as a mate for the female) I know they won't mate because thats what every one tells me but they get on quite well. they are stunning fish I think every tank should have they are really ellegant fish they also come up to me at feeding time. As for the irredesnt shark or PANGASIUS which is a cat fish I also keep one of these in the same tank hes about 6 years old and about 15inchs long these also are top fish, When I've got my hands in the tank he always swims into my hand and will let you stroke him gently with no sunden movements which I think is top