Redtail

[Davidh]

I have a strainge question, About 3 months ago I got 2 new tedtails and they are in the same tank, yes they chase each other but they are not agressive. One of them became GREY color and his redtail literaly came off within 3 days. He stayed in the bubbles of the airfilter for 2 weeks and now today he is Not BLACK but not grey, his tail is not so bright red but it GREW back. What happened? He also became very timid! It is also interesting that when a few other fishes were not feeling so good he seemed to help them. But really I do not understand what happened to make his tail rott away then grow back.
The other redtail jumped out of the tank and he was with out water for at least 10 minutes, he is very lively today---))))
Thanks to everyone who writes to this forum, you are great people
David

 

[Dangerdoll]

what size tank are these 2 in? You do know that eventually, the tail may not be the only problem. They get more aggressive as they age, mainly towards their own kind.

 

[mandimoron]

My platies have had odd things happen with their fins, too, though nothing so severe as losing an entire tail. Every now and then the boys get riled up while they chase each other, and one will take a chomp on another's fin. Usually this leaves a huge tear in the fin, and a very panicked Mandi. Oddly, though, they always seem to grow back by the next day. How do fish fins heal so quickly?

 

[Holly9937]

I'm willing to bet there is alot more aggression going on than what you are seeing. Changing colors and missing fins are good signs of harrassment, as well as fish jumping out of tanks. I kept two rainbow sharks (fairly similar to redtails in terms of temperment, a bit less aggressive) in a 50g tank before I knew any better and I also had one jump out

 

[Raskolnikov]

Redtail.....catfish? They'll also eat anything that can fit in their mouths, and attain sizes far too large for most private aquariums.

 

[Dangerdoll]

I was assuming these were redtail black sharks

 

[ghinksmon]

As always, what are you're water parameters? Red tailed sharks Epalzeorhynchos bicolor in my experience don't tolerate poor water quality or acidic water well. Often turning gray with a nearly clear tail. Fins usually regrow slowly, are you certain it was missing and not just clear enough not to be noticed? What size tank and how many fish?

 

[Raskolnikov]

I was assuming these were redtail black sharks

Yeah, I was just excercising my right to be facetious. Common names are bad enough without shortening them.

 

[Dangerdoll]

I thought you might have been, but wanted to clear it up as well

 

[fishinAZ]

One RTBS to a tank! The more "timid" fish probably got his tail bit off and the crap beat out of him. As RTBS get older they will be even more intolerant of each other and the other fish. Would be wise to give the other one a new home.

I have ONE in a 29 gallon. It is gray with a pale tail when I turn the lights on in the morning. He gets black and his tail gets nice and red after a few minutes of adjusting to the light.