Rainbow Shark
A Rainbow Shark is a small, semi-aggressive fish that is often kept in tropical fish tanks. They are good in communities of fish their own size, around six inches, but so territorial that no other shark should be placed in the same tank. The Rainbow Shark is also known by other names--Red-Fin Shark, Ruby Shark, Red Shark, and there is an Albino Rainbow Shark. Their coloring is dark gray/black with red fins except for the albino, which looks pinkish white with red fins and red eyes. You can tell a male from a female by the black border around the anal fin, which belongs to only the male.
The Rainbow Shark is not really a shark but a small, freshwater fish native to Thailand and Indonesia. They live in the sandy bottoms of rivers such as Mekong and Chao Pharaya. If you are going to have a Rainbow Shark in your home aquarium, you should not have a tank smaller than 55-gallons. They need lots of space as they are active swimmers, plus lots of caves, plants and rocks to provide hiding spaces and territory to stake out. They also need lots of plants so it is best to have a planted tank. Rainbow sharks are good at jumping out of tanks and need a very tight aquarium cover for containment. They are aggressive when housed with fish smaller than themselves.
A Rainbow Shark is considered an easy keeper and is an omnivore. They are content to each pellets of fish food and algae wafers, but also like treats of crustaceans, bloodworms, tubifex worms, shrimp or brine shrimp. They like to eat the algae of the bottom of the tank and will keep it pretty clean. They also spend lots of time foraging for the little pieces of food that fall to the bottom of the tank. Water temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees are preferred, with a pH level of 6.5 to 7.5. They need to have sand as the substrate. When kept in an appropriate environment, a Rainbow Shark can live to be between five and eight years of age.
Rainbow Sharks reproduce by laying eggs. Most of the ones found in pet stores are bred in Southeast Asia. It is impossible to breed them at home because they will not tolerate another Rainbow Shark in the tank. Some good community fish for them are loaches, barbs, danios, South American cichlids, plecos and gouramis. Rainbow Sharks can be kept together in the same tank if there are at least a half-dozen of them together. An Albino Rainbow Shark is said to be a little less aggressive than its darker relatives.
Many people say they never see their Rainbow Shark eat. That is because they are a nocturnal fish and most active at night. They can also be shy, especially the first few months when they are new to the environment. It also seems that one Rainbow Shark can have a very different personality than another. Other aquarium owners report that their Rainbow Shark is active during the day and that they are actually very active and lively to watch. Any way you look at it, they are a beautiful fish that makes a fine addition to any aquarium.