Red Tail Shark is acting weird --Please help!

[LadyofAtlantis]

Hey everyone,

My redtail shark has been cruising the tank and showing everyone who is boss like he loves to do but this afternoon he is acting kind of funny. He's sitting behind one of my big plants and vertical on the heater or near the heater. He'd been this way for a few hours and isn't as mobile as he was.

It's a 56 gallon tall aquarium with a few planted live plants and some fake with decorations.

I did a 10% water change today but I didn't do anything different. I treated it like I always do.

I cleaned the algae off the front sides of the tank.

The tank has already cycled.

Is this normal behavior? I know my red tail sharks in the past have been attracted to the black tube of the filter and the black heater. Oh, and my temperature is right where it should be if that's a factor.

All my other fish seem spunky like usual.

 

[lozt]

Even though its already cycled, did you do a water test just to be sure?

 

[dhvService]

Agreed, first check should always be water quality.

I can say from my own experience with a red finned shark that is now three years old and nearly five inches long is that it is a very territorial creature. He prefers the solitude of his own cave. He only emerges to find food or defend the area around the cave. Funny enough, he gets along very well with the half dozen corydorus. Picture is of him guarding his cantaloupe. He won't even let me near it. He is my favorite fish in this tank. Maybe yours will also benefit from a good sized cave like structure.

 

[OrionGirl]

Agreed--that is pretty normal behavior for sharks. I had a rainbow and he was lovely, but seldom seen. Spent all of his time hiding out in some wood work, coming out only to feed. But as younger fish, they are more social and active. So possibly yours is just now hitting maturity.

Other option...verify that there weren't any changes to your water. This time of year, a lot of nitrates/runoff contamination start showing up in some water supplies, and that can mean the companies dose with more chlorine/chloramine. That means you have to treat more.

 

[LadyofAtlantis]

Thank's everyone! I checked the water to double check and I guess he was just being himself. He's grown a lit and it spunky and still rearing to go when chasing the occasional fish out of his spot. Everyone is doing well.

 

[lozt]

I'm glad to hear he okay!