Red-tailed shark diet?

Maztachief · 10-10-2008, 12:23 PM

From my understanding and what I was told at the fish store, the small red-tailed shark I bought should be accepting flake food and even algae wafers. Im not sure if hes looking more hungry or is more bold because hes more adjusted. My problem though is that he seems to not care for my wafers and my gourami eats them instead and the flake food he bites but doesn't eat unless its a tiny nibble. Do you guys know if theres something he might be more apt or able to actually eat? Im worried about him. I think he might be ok though if they primarily eat little things around the tank, he seems to scavenge quite a bit around. Advice would be much appreciated.

Sea-Agg2009 · 10-10-2008, 02:56 PM

Try some frozen worms, or krill, or something of that sort. He may be too small for the wafers, and may only eat something he can really fit in his mouth. Worms are a good way to get timid fish to eat. Many fish, particularly the semi-Aggressive and aggressive fish, have to be trained into eating flakes. It's not a natural thing for them, so you may need to ease him into flake.

Maztachief · 10-10-2008, 04:39 PM

Gotcha, I figured he may also like a little cucumber or something so i bought one, i havnt given him any, i have a little oto in there too who might appreciate it. Do you think this would be ok to give them to nibble on?

emc7 · 10-10-2008, 05:21 PM

Slice the cucumber and rubberband a slice of it to something heavy. Take it out after two days if nothing eats it. I haven't fed cucumber to RTSs but my plecos, Yellow labs and P. Lombardoi eat it.

FishHead · 10-14-2008, 09:46 AM

my RTS eats tropical granules, shrimp pellets, and veggie crisps.

**lohachata** · 10-19-2008, 07:27 PM

i have about a dozen 4"-5" redtail sharks in a 125 with a bunch of other fish.they eat what i feed..since there are red and gold severums,bushynose plecos,odessa barbs,rams,several species of cories,montezumae swords,and a couple of other species;i don't feed anything special for any single species...but they do get a variety of foods.Plecocaine as a staple.others are algae/spirulina/kelp wafers,color flake,veggie flake,earthworm flake,and frozen bloodworms...
they are fat,healthy and very active...

Maztachief · 11-03-2008, 07:04 PM

Thanks folks, Im happy to report his color has gotten better, hes much more active, and is eating more. He's also accepting some flake! Thanks again.

jones57742 · 11-03-2008, 09:40 PM

Mc:

Ditto lohachata but a few additional comments.

When he says that he has a dozen in a community tank there is a reason for this.

I am certain that you have read in the literature the aggressiveness of the RTS but when in numbers they are "for some reason" much more peaceful.

I have two which are adults, like 7", in my community tank and although they occasionally get very frisky they are typically very peaceful.

Also when they (I am hoping that you will purchase one or two more) attain a length of 2" to 3" (which they will do in several months) you will observe them scrounging the bottom for groceries as well as feeding on algae on the walls of the tank.

TR

Maztachief · 11-04-2008, 02:23 PM

Yep, shes about 2 inches long and I have noticed her going around the glass and the leaves of my plants a lot

10-10-2008, 12:23 PM	#1
Maztachief Fishy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. Cal. - Lincoln, NE for school Posts: 31	Red-tailed shark diet? From my understanding and what I was told at the fish store, the small red-tailed shark I bought should be accepting flake food and even algae wafers. Im not sure if hes looking more hungry or is more bold because hes more adjusted. My problem though is that he seems to not care for my wafers and my gourami eats them instead and the flake food he bites but doesn't eat unless its a tiny nibble. Do you guys know if theres something he might be more apt or able to actually eat? Im worried about him. I think he might be ok though if they primarily eat little things around the tank, he seems to scavenge quite a bit around. Advice would be much appreciated. __________________ 5 gal (hex) 1 black moore goldfish 2 long-finned zebra danios 1 short-finned zebra danio aquaclear 20 filter whisper air pump 80 (haha, I know, its all I had laying around at home, but it is 3 ft below aquarium) 10 gal 1 blue dwarf gourami 2 Mollies (1 black F, 1 white M) 3 long-finned leopard danios 1 dwarf oto 1 red-tail shark (baby) aquaclear 30

10-10-2008, 02:56 PM	#2
Sea-Agg2009 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Age: 21 Posts: 140	Try some frozen worms, or krill, or something of that sort. He may be too small for the wafers, and may only eat something he can really fit in his mouth. Worms are a good way to get timid fish to eat. Many fish, particularly the semi-Aggressive and aggressive fish, have to be trained into eating flakes. It's not a natural thing for them, so you may need to ease him into flake. __________________ 75 gallon - delayed....

10-10-2008, 04:39 PM	#3
Maztachief Fishy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. Cal. - Lincoln, NE for school Posts: 31	Gotcha, I figured he may also like a little cucumber or something so i bought one, i havnt given him any, i have a little oto in there too who might appreciate it. Do you think this would be ok to give them to nibble on? __________________ 5 gal (hex) 1 black moore goldfish 2 long-finned zebra danios 1 short-finned zebra danio aquaclear 20 filter whisper air pump 80 (haha, I know, its all I had laying around at home, but it is 3 ft below aquarium) 10 gal 1 blue dwarf gourami 2 Mollies (1 black F, 1 white M) 3 long-finned leopard danios 1 dwarf oto 1 red-tail shark (baby) aquaclear 30

10-14-2008, 09:46 AM	#5
FishHead What are you looking at? Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NJ Age: 28 Posts: 599	my RTS eats tropical granules, shrimp pellets, and veggie crisps. __________________ 13 barbs (4x tigers, 2x greens, 3 odessas, 4 albino) 5 australian rainbowfish 4 buenos aires tetras 1 angelic pim catfish 1 pictus catfish 1 Spotted Hifin pleco 2 opaline gouramis 2 blue gouramis 5 panda cories 1 red tail shark 9 cherry barbs 2 Lionhead goldfish 1 black moor (saved from walmart) 7 peppered cories 3 swordtails 1 bristlenose pleco

10-19-2008, 07:27 PM	#6
lohachata Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cleveland,Ohio Age: 63 Posts: 652	i have about a dozen 4"-5" redtail sharks in a 125 with a bunch of other fish.they eat what i feed..since there are red and gold severums,bushynose plecos,odessa barbs,rams,several species of cories,montezumae swords,and a couple of other species;i don't feed anything special for any single species...but they do get a variety of foods.Plecocaine as a staple.others are algae/spirulina/kelp wafers,color flake,veggie flake,earthworm flake,and frozen bloodworms... they are fat,healthy and very active... __________________ if we ignore nature;maybe it will go away 10 gallon..nothing but air 10 gallon...just more air 10 gallon...stale air just don't ask about the rest

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10-10-2008, 05:21 PM	#4
emc7 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Johns Creek, GA Posts: 3,621	Slice the cucumber and rubberband a slice of it to something heavy. Take it out after two days if nothing eats it. I haven't fed cucumber to RTSs but my plecos, Yellow labs and P. Lombardoi eat it.

11-03-2008, 07:04 PM	#7
Maztachief Fishy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. Cal. - Lincoln, NE for school Posts: 31	Thanks folks, Im happy to report his color has gotten better, hes much more active, and is eating more. He's also accepting some flake! Thanks again. __________________ 5 gal (hex) 1 black moore goldfish 2 long-finned zebra danios 1 short-finned zebra danio aquaclear 20 filter whisper air pump 80 (haha, I know, its all I had laying around at home, but it is 3 ft below aquarium) 10 gal 1 blue dwarf gourami 2 Mollies (1 black F, 1 white M) 3 long-finned leopard danios 1 dwarf oto 1 red-tail shark (baby) aquaclear 30

11-03-2008, 09:40 PM	#8
jones57742 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Age: 56 Posts: 771	Mc: Ditto lohachata but a few additional comments. When he says that he has a dozen in a community tank there is a reason for this. I am certain that you have read in the literature the aggressiveness of the RTS but when in numbers they are "for some reason" much more peaceful. I have two which are adults, like 7", in my community tank and although they occasionally get very frisky they are typically very peaceful. Also when they (I am hoping that you will purchase one or two more) attain a length of 2" to 3" (which they will do in several months) you will observe them scrounging the bottom for groceries as well as feeding on algae on the walls of the tank. TR __________________ Hook Em Horns ... Keep Austin Weird

11-04-2008, 02:23 PM	#9
Maztachief Fishy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. Cal. - Lincoln, NE for school Posts: 31	Yep, shes about 2 inches long and I have noticed her going around the glass and the leaves of my plants a lot __________________ 5 gal (hex) 1 black moore goldfish 2 long-finned zebra danios 1 short-finned zebra danio aquaclear 20 filter whisper air pump 80 (haha, I know, its all I had laying around at home, but it is 3 ft below aquarium) 10 gal 1 blue dwarf gourami 2 Mollies (1 black F, 1 white M) 3 long-finned leopard danios 1 dwarf oto 1 red-tail shark (baby) aquaclear 30

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