Rainbow shark: Tank size, tank mates, Guide

Rainbow Shark

Rainbow Sharks, also known as RedFin Sharks or Ruby Sharks, are small tropical freshwater fish native to Thailand.

They are known for their vibrant red fins and being territorial.

• If you’re looking to add some color and attitude to your aquarium this may just be the fish for you.

• In this article, we will discuss how to care for them, dietary needs, tank mates/compatibility, 
• breeding and much more.

Let’s start with a quick summary before we move on to discuss their appearance and compatibility with other fish.

Overview of Rainbow Shark

The Rainbow Shark is a tropical fish cyprinid that is somewhat difficult to keep. 

It would be suitable for fish keepers who have a few years of experience and are looking to expand their aquarium.

They are known for their territorial nature and bright vibrant red fins.

Originating from the warm rivers of Southeast Asia, they were given the affectionate common name of Rainbow Shark,

 due to their upright dorsal fin which gives them the appearance of a shark.

You should expect your Rainbow Shark to grow up to 6 inches in length and have a lifespan of  5-8 years.

In terms of cost, you should be looking to spend no more than $3 per fish, and they are readily available all year round.

If you do intend to keep Rainbow Sharks you should make sure your aquarium has plenty of hiding places for them as this helps to reduce their territorial behavior.

Rainbow Sharks’ Appearance

• The Rainbow Shark is a dark gray fish with vibrant red/orange fins.

• They have a long, flat stomach with a pointed snout and an upright dorsal fin. It’s this fin that gives them the appearance of a shark.

• The Rainbow Shark is a small fish that you should expect to grow up to around 6'' inches.

It is not possible to identify their gender whilst they are juveniles. You have to wait until they are sexually matured.

Once sexually matured females will have thicker bodies, and males will develop small black lines on the tail fin. 

Whilst males will be thinner, they will generally have brighter colorations.

A common variety of the Rainbow Shark is the Albino Rainbow Shark.

Whilst the Albino Rainbow Shark maintains the red/orange fins, its body is white. 

It will grow to a similar size as a traditional Rainbow Shark and matches several of theirs.

Rainbow Shark Fish Tank size:

An adult rainbow shark needs a minimum of 30 gallons of water for life. 

With a PH rate between 6.0 to 8.0. they need big space because of their all-time swim so fast all over the tank.

 It's their nature. That’s why they need a big space. Otherwise, they are not growing properly.

Now someone can say why they need that much of space cause they quit small size in body size.

 Look I said the cause they all-time swim fastly all over the tank. They are like little child play all the time.

If you don’t give proper space and proper environment for any kind of fish they never cant live long they soo die fast.

 And if you really love fish keeping you have to give them the proper environment.

It's not like you keep for show people and your mind wants to keep or pet some fishes that’s why you keep.

 I hope you guys understand what I mean.

So please be care full about the fish tank size and environment. It's like you have to give them enough space.

 where they don’t feel that, that they are in a home where you lock them in jail.

They have to feel your tank like an ocean. 

If it's possible then grow fastly and give eggs and produce a baby. That’s a really very very happy moment for a fish keeper. Right!! 

Compatibility and Tankmates

Let me preface this section by stating if you are looking for a calm community fish, the Rainbow Shark might not be the fish for you.

Whilst they will get along with many other freshwater fish species,

 they are very territorial and this can be overwhelming for more shy species, such as Marbled hatchet fish and Otocinclus catfish.

As mentioned in the aquarium and habitat section above, they like to take possession of an area of the aquarium; generally the small caves and rocks.

We sympathize with any fish that stumbles upon a Rainbow Shark’s territory! 

They will be extremely aggressive and chase the intruders away.

Due to their aggression, you need to be careful when choosing tank mates.

As a general rule they aren’t aggressive towards species that don’t look like Rainbow Sharks. 

As the Rainbow Shark dwells at the bottom of the aquarium, avoid other bottom-dwelling fish such as cichlids and catfish. 

You should also avoid any similar-looking fish, i.e. Red Tail Sharks and Bala Sharks.

When selecting tank mates, look for those fish that dwell in the middle and upper levels of the aquarium.

Don't pet them with the parrot fish:

Blood parrot is very aggressive and because of they are big size fish so they can eat rainbow shark sometime. its very true happen. 

so I suggest you don't do that don't leave  rainbow shark and parrotfish in the same tank

You also want to pick fish that can defend themselves and have a calm but strong personality.

 Species such as Gouramis, Barbs, Danios, and Rainbowfish are all compatible with Rainbow Sharks.

Finally, a little compatibility trick you can use is: make sure the Rainbow Shark is the last fish placed in your aquarium. 

This will prevent it from trying to claim the entire aquarium as its own and should reduce territory problems.

Keeping Rainbow Sharks with other Rainbow Shark

As a general rule it’s recommended that you only keep one Rainbow Shark in an aquarium at any time. 

 should also be added to this rule.

 Rainbow Sharks will not tolerate living with its own kind.

In the wild they generally lead a solitary lifestyle and are very territorial.

 In a normal aquarium, there just isn’t enough space and the larger Rainbow Shark will chase the smaller Rainbow Sharks relentlessly until it kills them.

This territorial nature develops with age, so if you get two juvenile Rainbow Sharks they could very well start out getting along,

 but their relationship will decline rapidly as they mature.

If you insist on keeping more than one Rainbow Shark follow these guidelines:

§  You should keep a group of them (5 or more). This way the dominant Rainbow Shark has multiple fish to chase.

§  Never keep just two Rainbow Sharks.

§  If you intend to introduce more than one Rainbow Shark make sure each has at least a meter of separated territory.

Diet and Feeding Requirements

As mentioned during the overview, Rainbow Sharks are Omnivores which means they eat both plants and meat.

In the wild they generally consume decaying plants, algae, insect larvae, and small chunks of meat, they find in the river such as 

They aren’t fussy eaters and will consume most things; providing it sinks to the bottom of the tank!

This is good news if you plan to keep Rainbow Sharks in aquariums.

 They will eat flake food, frozen food, pellets, vegetables and live food with no complaints.

You should aim to keep their diet varied and feed them a variety of food sources, 

similar to what they would eat in the wild. 

For instance: algae (tablets or wafers), insect larvae, crustaceans (frozen or live), and zooplankton. 

To keep their diet varied you can also offer them plenty of vegetables such as spinach,

 lettuce, zucchini and peas; this will keep their immune system strong.

If you want to make sure their red/orange color is a vibrant shade, 

regular meals of life and frozen meat should be given to them  frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp will be fine.

This is even more important for juvenile Rainbow Sharks. If you want your juveniles to grow large with vibrant colors,

 make sure their diet is varied and never overly restricted. Lack of variation can cause stunted growth and poor color expression.

As for their feeding regime, you should aim to spread their food out over 2-3 sessions a day. 

The total length of feeding time should be around 5 minutes.

If food is left after this time, you are feeding them too much and it will impact you.

 and it also will be the cause of ammonia in the water which is very dangerous for every type of fish. 

and it's also a sign of overfeeding. be careful about that cause if your fishes are overfed they cant swim easily and properly and 

they have a risk for falling in diseases and it can take your fish to the die

Overfeeding Rainbowfish

Behavior

Rainbow Sharks are a pretty active breed and enjoy swimming, 

so you should seek to house yours in a tank that is large enough for it to move around comfortably (more on that later).

• Although they may approach the middle and top of the tank – occasionally even jumping 

• they are primarily bottom dwellers and spend much of their time hanging around the aquarium floor.

As bottom feeders, these fish feast on algae and food left behind by other breeds,

 which makes them a popular choice of tank cleaner among experienced aquarists.

These fish aren’t the most aggressive breed in the underwater world, but they aren’t the most peaceful either.

Generally speaking, they can be housed in a community aquarium if the other fish in the tank spend their time towards the top of the water.

When they encounter other bottom dwellers, they may become territorial and aggressive and attempt to assert their dominance through chasing and biting.

Keeping more than one male Rainbow Shark in a tank is asking for trouble as males in the species are particularly aggressive towards each other.

 and will almost certainly disturb their more peaceful tankmates with their fighting.

Rainbow Shark Breeding

In the wild, Rainbow Shark’s tend to mate, which is when they also reach their sexual maturity.

 However, the exact month can be impacted by changing seasons and depends on the length of the day and temperature.

Rainbow Sharks reproduce through egg-laying.

 The female will lay eggs and the male will then fertilize them by spraying the eggs with his milt.

 From here the eggs will hatch within the week.

Unfortunately though breeding Rainbow Sharks in an aquarium is extremely challenging and we are yet to hear of any success stories.

Again, this is more than likely because of their aggressive and territorial nature in confined settings.

"please comment below if you have any problem. or if you have any queries. I will fix and reply to you as soon as possible."

HAPPY FISH KEEPING