Can I add a Red-Tailed Shark?

[LogJam]

I have always liked the Red-Tailed Shark, but don't want it get it if it means the detriment of my other fish:

46 gallon bowfront

2 swordtails
6 Neon tetras
6 Zebra Danios
2 Blackskirt tetras
4 corys
3 otos
3 Head-and-tailight tetras

Can I safely and non-stressfully add 1 Red-tailed Shark?

Thanks!
LogJam

[pictus5]

i think so but just see what others think

[Puffernewbee]

I recently bought a 72 gallon bowfront from someone that included the fish. I traded in all of the fish except the red tail shark, 1 cory and a dwarf rainbow. I set up the tank and added the resident of my 29 gallon which were pretty much like yours, a peaceful community.
4 cardinals
4 neons
2 otos
2 blue rams
1 guppy
5 harlequins
3 albino cories
The peace ended. The red tail shark proceeded to harrass every fish in the tank. After one week I had to trade him in before he overly stressed my other fish. My shark was a mature one that was 5 inches long. Not sure how a juvenile would behave. I did alot of reading up on the red tail shark to try to find out if he would chill after a while but everything I found is that they tend to be quite aggresive unless you put them up with fish their size or larger. Mine had been in a tank with larger fish before and had kept to himself in that one.

[Kasakato]

IMO they are like Bettas. Some are nice and some are not. You can try it, as it will fit, but be prepared to take it out.

[katt001]

I have had the same problems as a previous poster with my red tailed shark. I had two, and they matured and lived peacefully with my community fish, and then i mistakenly added two more that were given to me as a gift. All were OK except one, who proceeded to harass one of my other sharks to the point where he had gnawed off his entire back fin (this took about 2 days). Needless to say, I got him out of there as soon as I saw what was going on, and luckily my injured shark recuperated. But it just depends on the fish. I definitely wouldn't get one that was mature and fully grown. That was a huge mistake on my part and one I won't make again.

[Holly9937]

You can definately only have one, but I think it could be worth a try. I have a rainbow shark (I think they look almost identical to the redtail shark), and it is very peaceful. If you do give it a shot, just get a couple of good caves/hidng places

[pophead]

I saw a tank where two red tailed sharks were living peacefully with each other and also with the other inhabitance of the tank (tetras and such), but I'm sure that's a rare case and I think usually they shouldn't be kept together. correct me if I'm wrong.

[Holly9937]

I had a rainbow shark and an albino rainbow shark live together well, for quite a while, BUT they were not full grown. From what I understand they get more aggressive with age.

[Chill]

I recently lost a beautiful RTS, he was about 4 inches long. He was very small when I purchased him. As he aged he became more teritorial and would chase fish that would flee from him. He would not chase fish that did not flee and he never harmed any other fish. It would be a brief chase with no consequence and then he would chase a different fish. I have had a couple in differnt community tanks and they are generally peaceful to fish other than other RTS. Of course different fish have different personalities. I would give it a try and see how it plays out. In the short term I would expect no problems with a young fish but you might have to make some changes after a couple of years but again you might be fine in the long term as well.

[TONO]

I would not do it they all become real a$$holes when they get older. Mine at 5 inches was bitting chunks out of my denisoni barbs imaging what would happen to little tetras. Here is a rule I figured out while keeping them, if the fish in the tank are smaller or similar size they will be picked on. I think these guys need at least a 6 foot tank so that any tankmates can get away from their aggression (when older). Also if you give them enough space i've seen one at 7 inches they look so cool at that size. You will be able to keep it in their for awhile maybe 4 months if your lucky before it starts getting really agressive.

[pedzola]

I am having a problem w/my Red-Tail Shark right now. I have 3 tanks.

The shark was raised in a 40 gallon community tank after I purchased him small from the pet store. He was fine for a while, but then my roommate started noticing him chasing around other fish after a couple of months. (around 4 inches long at this point)

We moved him to a 12 gallon tank and he was good for a while again. Then we added some black skirt tetras to this tank and he would constantly chase them around.

We added more plants and decor in the 40g tank and tried to put him back in there - hoping that he would find a spot and not bother the other fish.

Whoever said that this shark will not chase larger fish is WRONG. We have a very large tinfoil barb in this tank and it is SCARED SH!TLE$$ of the shark, who is 1/5 his size. When the tinfoil barb started ramming his head against the tank trying to escape the shark I knew he had to go...

But the shark is SO COOL. He is the sweetest looking fish I own. So rather than bring him back to the pet store i bought a 6.6 gallon bookshelf tank (ie: longer than wide or tall) and put him in it a couple days ago. I am hoping that he will be ok in this tank as the sole fish - people say he needs a 30 gallon tank minimum... but so far he seems to be happy... I got a sweet japanese palace decoration for him to live in, and he hangs out in there... he is emperor of his little tank.

A side note - this fish LOVES to hang out with clown loaches, and will not bother them. In the big tank they were buddies - he was like one of the crew (3 clown loaches). He also didn't bother my swordtails gouramis, or catfish. But the giant danios, tetras, barb... they were always swimming in circles trying to get away.

[fishinAZ]

I've had my RTBS for over a year now. He's gorgeous and a real pain in the a$$. He's the only fish in my beautiful 29 gal because he became so mean and chased all his tank mates. :dog:

They really should be housed with other aggressive fish. I plan on giving him to a friend who has a 100 gal cichlid tank.

Hate to see him go. He's a fun fish to watch when he's alone.

[OrionGirl]

I would go with a rainbow instead. They look very similar, but the rainbows tend to be less aggressive, and if they are given a cave to claim, usually content themselves to chasing other fish away from that area only. Do not plan on moving the fish on it matures--this will cause serious problems. My rainbow was happy with a cave, chased fish away from it but that was all. I tore down that tank and moved the fish into a larger setup, and suddenly he was a terror, harrassing every fish in the tank, despite having a number of potential caves. I moved him into a smaller setup with his old cave, and he moved in and settled down without any problem, ignores everyone else in the system.