# Red-Tailed Black Shark!!!



## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Local pet shop has a huge not like really huge but big possibly fat red tailed black shark didn't realise they get that big hope too be getting him soon. 5 to 6 maybe 7 inches long amd quite a fat one hope 16.95 will be worth it


Anyone got any?? If so how big?


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

never personally owned one, but in the fish places ive worked we never sold more than one per tank, apparently as they grow large they become agressive.. so yeah, we only ever sold one per customer tank


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

People say they are aggressive too eachother but I've seen in an aquatic shop with like 4 or 5 young ones :/ just thought about getting the one and maybe a few rosy barbs


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

as youngsters they go together well hence often seeing them in group tanks, As they get larger they become territorial and agressive.

Should go ok with rosy barbs  also other sharks that go well are the bala (silver) shark, and one called a denisoni barb, looks like the sharks but with a bright neon pink strip!


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Oooooo silver sharks my fave  is it just the one silver shark or can there be a group and the large red tail shark be ok?? I'm not experienced with tropical fish I've got 3 goldfish 2 of which are 10 years old. I know goIng straight into the tropical side of fish and going for the sharks is a risk but I think I'd be ok I have my old man whose got 40 years experience with tropical marine and cold water fish so should be ok


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

Silver sharks do better as a group - they also get very large, i had one that was a good 20cms when she died, and she wasnt fully grown.

A red tail on his own is fine - he will get big, and MAY try and pick off smaller fish


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Hmmm might just get a smaller red tail shark because it's hard too find larger Bala sharks I've only seen large ones once and I doubt they are still in the place I went


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

dont panic too much over shop size, remember they are all juvanile, in the right size tank they grow very quickly - particularaly them silvers. they grow at a rediculous speed.


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Small bala's and a red tail it is then. And maybe some tiger barbs or rosy barbs in the 17L Nano tank


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

17 litres? im sorry hun thats too small for all of those fish...

Nano tanks are designed for shrimp and inverts, not fish. You could maybe get away with a few little neon tetras or a guppy or two but thats it.


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

I have a bigger tank for the larger fish but with nano was thinking barbs or tetras. Forgot too mention the larger tank


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

hehe how big is your larger tank?

With 17litres personally i would not keep fish in it at all. Its really for shrimp, I have the 30 litre fluval Ebi - also a 'nano' tank. I only keep inverts in it. Its just not enough room for any size of fish ethicly.

You can get some amazing inverts though! cherry shrimp are bright red, tiger shrimp are royal blue, sunburst shrimp are lovely orange to yellow... then you got snails of all different types too. Never fails to get people interested, not many people have ever seen invert tanks.


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Well I hope a Fluval Roma 125 is ok. I've not seen any shrimp in my local aquatic shop well I've not bothered looking properly so maybe a trip tomorrow for a better look would be ok. With shrimps do they need filters and all that. Sounds stupid but I don't know what they need :/


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

fluval 125 is fine 

oh shrimp are amazing, i just started my shrimp tank.

With nanocubes your already set for proper plants, shrimp love plants - i ordered mine off the internet.

then pop them in, drop in some shrimp pellet and thats it, sit back and watch them!

www.java-plants.com is where i get my plants from. I got some java moss, java fern, anubias and water wisteria... 

Most shrimp will just graze of the plants, they need very little food and very little interference


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## INJAF (Nov 12, 2011)

RTBS can indeed quite quite chunky, my mate has one, he's a right grumpy crittur (the fish, not my mate!) and he's bigger than the one you're referring to. There's some more info on them and their requirements here:

Epalzeorhynchos bicolor (Red-Tailed Black Shark) — Seriously Fish

As for bala/silver sharks, small ones grow into big ones  And they really do get big! Have you ever been to the London Aquarium? There are some in the 'tankbusters "donated" by the public' tank. They're big, very big. This is well worth a read if you're thinking of getting any:

Balantiocheilos melanopterus (Silver Shark) — Seriously Fish

Check the max standard length section of that profile "Fully grown at 300 – 350 mm and fully capable of achieving this size in aquaria when properly cared for." Keyword there being 'properly'  Although I'd say the London Aquarium ones are bigger than that. Bear in mind they are shoaling fish so need a group ...

My OH would love some of these, but we only have 6'7" tanks so it's not going to happen any time soon


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

See with live plants are they hard too keep going? I've only had plastic for my cold water so I just want advice, more advice the better. Shrimps don't live long do they I just read 1-2 years :/. I love Bala sharks always want a whole tank with them. I will be taking my time before even buying tropical fish. I'm thinking about uploading a pox of my cold water tank when I clean it and with the new fluval U1 filter and with the air stone and purple light on see if people like it!


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

ok so far my plants are fine. I used 2 inches of fine plant gravel, and just planted them. Every 10 days i add a few drops of aquatic plant fertiliser and the light on all day takes care of the rest.

The shrimp get shrimp pellet every few days, they mostly just graze off the plants. Im actually finding it little different to keeping the usual plastic things.. except it looks 100% amazing now.


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

I read with tiger barbs you can have fake plants they seem too be more my thing because it's less hassle. I dont wanna take on something that I've never looked after and it all dies and then money's gone too waste


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i miss my tank...


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Irishjack1992 said:


> I read with tiger barbs you can have fake plants they seem too be more my thing because it's less hassle. I dont wanna take on something that I've never looked after and it all dies and then money's gone too waste


if you keep tiger barbs, you'll have trouble putting other fish in with them- TB's are nasty fin nippers. some say they're ok in large (10+) shoals, but i'd never trust them. RTB sharks can get snotty to other fish too- especially new additions.


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

Always been a huge fan of tiger barbs and Bala sharks I'd keep both species in different tanks.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

the bottom line is - your Roma tank is big enough for fish, your nano tank isnt. Please dont put fish in the nano tank, its just not big enough for them to live happily. 

Have a go at an invert tank - i always love the challenge of getting things right


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## Scree (Sep 7, 2010)

Ive got a Red Finned Shark or Rainbow Shark.

Wasnt a problem until he got to about 5inch, just used to chase my Tiger Barbs about a bit. 
Now though he's about 6-6.5 inch and will go face to face with my macmasteri and bullies just about any other fish he sees, unfortunately i think its time to give him away


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

I had a Red finned black shark. He was a nasty bugger who ate my tetras. Nice looking fish though.


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

Irishjack1992 said:


> Local pet shop has a huge not like really huge but big possibly fat red tailed black shark didn't realise they get that big hope too be getting him soon. 5 to 6 maybe 7 inches long amd quite a fat one hope 16.95 will be worth it
> 
> 
> Anyone got any?? If so how big?


I had one, it came with the tank I bought, never kept him long as I had a community tank and when I read up on him they are not very friendly with small fish like tetras etc. And you can't have more than one of his kind cause of aggression and be careful they jump 

Lovely looking fish though :2thumb:


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## Irishjack1992 (Jan 11, 2012)

when i get my own place and have all the tanks i like il have a large tropical one with balas and red tailed sharks and a different tank with tiger barbs and all these other different tanks and different fish


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