Using Red-Tail Shark's tail color as health indicator?

P.S.
Take a look in the Cichlid section on the first page. I posted some pictures of my Gold
Severum there. He is aprox. 5 inches and takes no crap from the shark. I have heard of some people putting RTBS in a Cichlid community of semi to very aggresive Cichlids. Tanks of around 75G or higher so lot's of room to live and hide.

Cheers.
 
I'm moving out of the apartment in march/april... looks like I'll probably be moving back in w/the parents for about a year to save some $$ and hopefully find a house.

Might upgrade to a 75g or larger for the shark + loaches.

We'll see how the loaches feel about the shark coming back tomorrow... might just put them back in the 40g community and let the shark be alone again... we'll see....

The shark is... hmmm... well I bought him in the store as just a little guy... and that was in the spring I think. So he's about a year old I guess? I dunno how old they are when they go on sale in pet stores, but considering his growth since I bought him I can't imagine he was more than a few months old.
 
Those are both fine-looking RTBSs. I don't think that dorsal looks serious at all. Caper, the white edges on his fins look awesome. I have never seen that before. I set up a 20 gal specifically for a RTBS, because my wife and I love them, but I didn't want one in my planted community tank. But, I haven't been able to find a healthy one anywhere. It is very disappointing. Now I have some cories and neon rainbows in the tank, so I don't know how well a RTBS will get along with them. I am hoping a small one will be okay, and as it grows it will be accustomed to its tankmates. If I can find one.
 
20g is too small for a RTS if its going to be a community tank. The shark needs his territory, and in a 20g tank thats pretty much the entire tank.

In my 40g tank the shark was giving all my fish a hard time... after "growing up" around them. I bought him as a small little guy, and as he grew he started harassing the other fish more and more.

In the 20g-long he has chased around everything I've tried to put with him... the only fish he kinda gets along with is Clown Loaches, which will eventually far outgrow a 20g tank.

I mention 20g-long when I talk about my tank cause a 20-long has the same footprint as the standard 30. The footprint is much more important than the gallons, cause the shark will tend to stay at the bottom of the tank (unless he's chasing other fish!!)

I wouldn't keep a RTS alone in anything less than a 20-long, and for a successful community tank you obviously need something larger than the 40 I was using... probabyl a 75, though I'm told a red-tail shark will attack anything that moves in any tank less than 100gallons.

So... just FYI...

This 20-l that I've got the shark in now is only a temporary solution until I get a more permanent residence.
 
As a side note I would not keep moving him from tank to tank as that is probably more stressful to him than anything else.
 
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Eco, thanks for the nice comments on the shark :) I do agree with Pedzola. I would not put a RTBS in that 20G with cories, now the rainbows at max size might be ok, but I would not risk that either. Do not be discouraged at the look of the sharks in your LFS.
Most, if not all that are in a tank with many RTBS will be slightly stressed and not at perfect color. I have never bought one myself that was Jet Black/Crimson Red. Once you get it home to good tank water he will come around in less than two day's or so.
Again, as far as tank mates, I have mine in a 30G with a large Gold Severum who he does not bother at all. In fact, thay swim around the tank together with no problems.
RTBS can go in a community, it just depends on the type of community. For example,
I have heard of people with large RTBS surviving in fact thriveing in a large South American Cichlid community. 75G tank or larger.
As well, I read a thread where A guy was having problems with his RTBS and he finally through in a shcool of fast nippy Tiger Barbs that tamed that shark pretty fast and now lives peacefully in that community tank.

Good Luck, and take care. :)
 
Well, maybe I will move the rainbows and cories to my 55 and keep only a RTBS in the 20. I had wanted to do tetras and angels in the 55, but I prefer rainbows anyway. I also wanted different cories in the 55, but these are neat. Thanks for the advice.

The RTBS I saw was VERY pale, and his fins were pretty ragged. That lfs usually has very healthy fish too.
 
UPDATE

DAMNIT THIS SHARK WILL NOT GET ALONG WITH ANYTHING!!

I thought he loved the clown loaches... they were always buddies... Even when I put the clowns in the tank w/the shark they were schooling together!

The clowns would follow the shark around and hide in the same cave with him... like he was the leader of the pack. And all was wonderful.

Now, after about a week or so, he's suddenly turned on the loaches. He chases them around, and it looks like he's playing hockey when they are in the same cave together - he checks them into the side!

By this morning it looked like the clowns didn't want to be anywhere near the shark.

Looks like I might have to put them back into my overstocked 40g. ugh. I don't want to have to buy ANOTHER tank. :(

Anyone want a totally sweet and cool shark?

All he needs is his own 30 gallon+ aquarium with absolutely nothing living in it except him. ;)
 
You have already resigned me to the fact that I will have to keep mine alone, so I will take him. We probably don't live anywhere near each other though.
 
Well... I don't think I could actually get rid of my shark... He's my buddy.

Even if he attacks anything that moves, he is still the coolest fish I've ever met. ;)

Right now I'm just peeved cause I've got an overstocked tank w/all kinds of fish that all get along w/each other, and a tank that the shark will have all to himself once again....

Maybe I will try to give some of the other fishes away.

.__.

We will see.

If you get a shark you can raise them for several months w/other fish (as long as the other fish were in the tank first). Once he starts chasing the others around, thats when you know you'll have to separate them.
 
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