Silver Sharks

[720510]

I have two medium sized silver sharks in my tank. They have always been very good and fairly playful, but as of late, I noticed two things:

1. One of them almost overnight doubled in size
2. The smaller one really chases the bigger one around A LOT, especially at feeding time

They've always chased each other, but I wrote this down to just playing...however more and more the smaller one really chases the bigger one, and drives him into hiding behind a plant in the corner. Yesterday I observed that the bigger on could not get out of this corner.

Is this normal? I don't notice any bite marks on the bigger one, and generally he does not seem hurt. The smaller one also now occasionally has a go at the angel fish.

I got so annoyed with the smaller one last night that I put him in a breeding net as a bit of "dog box" treatment last night just to give the bigger one some peace and quiet.

Any advice / comments on this much appreciated.

Thanks
Riaan

 

[Miss Wiggle]

how big is the tank they are in?

they can get to 12" so it's no great surprise if one of them has grown significantly from when you got them. they also do best in groups, in a pair it's possible one of them feel threatened and therefore attacks. if the tank is big enough you should try and geta few more

 

[720510]

how big is the tank they are in?

they can get to 12" so it's no great surprise if one of them has grown significantly from when you got them. they also do best in groups, in a pair it's possible one of them feel threatened and therefore attacks. if the tank is big enough you should try and geta few more

Hi

Yeah I suspect my tank is too small for more; it's a Fluval Duo 800 that is 125 litres only.

When I let the aggressive one out this morning he was markably whiter but soon got dark again (?) and he played with the other one for 30 mins (they kept swimming together, lightly biting each other) and now it's back to normal. Soonest the bigger one is out in the common area of the tank, the small one chases him back to behind the plants.

Riaan

 

[Miss Wiggle]

tanks too small for silver sharks full stop. they aren't happy because they are crowded and in a pair. you need to re-home them to someone with a significantly bigger tank (think 125 gallons, not 125 litres, about 4 times the size of your tank as a minimum) where they can be in a group and then they will be happy

 

[Straydum]

i would say playing. i have a pair too and thats what they do most of the time. but yeah. definately too small a tank for silver sharks.

 

[vinylman]

Sorry, I wouldn't even put one in a 125l on it's own. You either need a MUCH bigger tank to have a group, or swap them for something else. I know how tempting they look at a couple of inches in a shop tank, though.

 

[720510]

Wow, ok. I'm starting a new tank this weekend and will move them there.

In the meantime, here's a video of them

http/uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzoIKGQ8Qo


Thanks
Riaan

 

[kewskills]

nice vid stunning fish

 

[720510]

nice vid stunning fish

Thanks! I am a bit gutted now since I went round to my local shop and they offered to take them back, and give me a credit for something more suitable for my tank.

I guess it's a happy ending for them but I was sad to see them go, they were such fun.

Anyway, thanks for all the comments / advice. I'll probably get a few bottom feeders now.

Riaan