Common Name- Red tailed shark, Red tailed black shark
Scientific Name- Epalzeorhynchus bicolor
Distribution- Originally in Thailand but is extinct in the wild
Habitat- Swamps use bogwood and other driftwood. Give a cave to sort of take over. Gravel is best for this fish. They can live in tannin water (black water)
Size- Males and females 8-10 in (20-25 cm)
Tank Size- 20 gallons for one. If you are going to keep more than one have a large tank and plenty of caves for them to take over. 75 (284L) gallons would be good for two but watch them to make sure they aren't fighting.
Tank Zone- Bottom but may venture to the top of decor and up to floating plants
Temperament- This fish is very aggressive towards similarly colored fish and closely related fish. Any fish of the Epalzeorhynchus genus (Rainbow shark, Siamese flying fox, and flying fox) should not be with this fish. any deep red or really black fish should be kept away as well. Most barbs and many catfish species can live with this fish. larger fish are best
pH- 6.5-7.5 Hardness- soft - hard Temperature- 72-79*F (22-26*C)
Photoperiod- You won't see him much because they will probably hide in a cave or behind rocks
Sensitivities- They are not prone to any diseases but may get normal ones like fungus and ich
Hardness & Lifespan- 5-8 years and pretty hardy
Physical Description- Black with a red caudal fin (Tail fin) Barbels are on the tip of head. may have white on the tips of fins and clear fins. It is easy to tell the difference from its close relative, the rainbow shark from the fact the rainbow shark has a darker red and all fins are red, not just the tail fin. it is often recommended to get these fish instead of red tails.
Sexes- Females have a grey stomach males are jet black
Active Peak- Daylight but may come out at night
Habits- It will mainly hide all day, especially if in a community. It will bully tank mates, sometimes to death. It is not recommended for many tank mates.
Spawning Notes- This fish will most likely not breed in your tank based on its intolerance of its own kind so it is not known well. But it is mass produced at fish farms.
Other Notes- This fish is not really a shark. It is considered a shark because its dorsal fin looks like that of a shark. It is really in the Cyprinid family with barbs, goldfish, koi, and carps. This fish once was very popular but now it is not as popular. That is the reason for its endangerment in the wild. They get there jet black body and blood red tail colors in about 1-2 weeks after birth.
i am wondering if this post was based upon actual experience or taken from another source...if taken from another source ; there should be credit given to that source..
i also believe that some of the information given may be a little inaccurate...
but it does work well as a general guideline on keeping the fish..
in my experience ; they will get to be about 8 inches or so long..therefore they do need a larger tank. depth of the tank is not important ; but length is.they are an open water fish and are extremely fast swimmers.numbers of them can be kept together ; but only in a large tank...i have also found that they tend to like being in odd numbered groups.i.e. 5,7,9 etc...they are not nearly so territorial when they all have places to hide..plants;rocks;caves etc....i use pieces of PVC pipe for species that like to hide.
Epalzeorhynchus bicolor
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