New Member

Posts: 5
From:London, UK
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-19-2004 01:00 PM         

---

lease help - I have 2 red tailed sharks, and while one of them looks healthy - black with orangey/redey tail, the other one has much less colour. Hes a bit smaller and his tail has always had less colour, but now he (she) seems to be brown with a colourless/orange tail.

i'm getting some tests this saturday so i'll have the readings this weekend

he is eating, i think, i just fed them and he seems to enjoy racing around for the food..what could be wrong???

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 200
From:smithtown, ny, usa
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-19-2004 01:32 PM         

---

he may have a parasite or its just the water perimeters also what do you feed him and are you from tropical fish centre

IP: Logged

New Member

Posts: 5
From:London, UK
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-19-2004 01:41 PM         

---

hi, yes i am! you're red texas right? i don't know my water parameters yet but am expecting some kits this weekend. Hes always had a lighter colour tail but he just seems to be losing colour now for some reason...

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 200
From:smithtown, ny, usa
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-19-2004 01:46 PM         

---

probley what your feeding him what are you feeding him

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 146
From:canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-19-2004 02:01 PM         

---

Hi,
it is most likely because you have two red-tails together. They often fight until the death of the weaker one- and in your case, the one with the loss of colour. I have had 2 red-tails together, and the exact thing happened until they are separated. Could you take one back to the fish store and get store credit for it because it will most likely die.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 200
From:smithtown, ny, usa
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-19-2004 02:24 PM         

---

I've had them together befor and that didn't happen to me but they were aggresive to everybody but have you ever seen them show serious aggresion towards one another

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 146
From:canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-19-2004 02:33 PM         

---

yes, like I said, I had to separate the two because one (the stronger one) will force the weaker one in to a corner or place in the aquarium. It will begin to get smaller - my guess is due to stress and because it isnt getting as much food as it needs. It then starts to begin to lose colour- it turns greyish in comparison to the stronger one--which is dark black and healthy. The tail will start to turn orange as opposed to red (hence red-tailed sharks) and will also look a little transparent.
I didnt say that all red tails are aggressive to one another- I am reaponding to Kafifa's post and symptoms. As for your red tail situation, whats not broken...do not fix. Kafifa was looking for answers to his symptoms... I was merely sharing "my" experience with my two red- tails.
go back and read posts from previous days that have the subject of red tailed sharks in the title-seems like this is also many other psoples experience as well.

[This message has been edited by fishybiz (edited 02-19-2004).]

IP: Logged

New Member

Posts: 5
From:London, UK
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-19-2004 04:03 PM         

---

Hi, yes i'm afraid one of my sharks , the healthier one is dark black and red and he does chase the other one around - we bought the sharks together and we weren't told anything about this behaviour..
i thought that our tank would be big enough (100cm) for them to live together, as they are about 1.5inches at the moment but i knwo that they will get bigger
i have been feeding them both tropical nutra fin flakes..
i think i may take one of them back this weekend, poor shark!!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 146
From:canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-19-2004 05:10 PM         

---

Hi,
Same thing happened to me when I went to buy fish. They sold me two together and never warned me- it was through this site that I found out.
I tried everything to get them to "get along" such as getting a lot of plants for coverage and various hiding spaces but to no avail.
Im not sure about UK, but in Canada they will often give you credit when you return fish.
Take care!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 102
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-19-2004 07:13 PM         

---

You know what? I don't get these sharks! When it was at the pet store it was really active and it was swimming. Now here it hides under the rocks and doesn't really get out unless its dark. I am dissapointed because I have enough fish that hide as it is.

NTC

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 146
From:canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-19-2004 08:53 PM         

---

hey NTC
Is the shark you bought a red-tailed shark? I'm not sure why it is hiding a lot. What fish do you have it with?

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 501
From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-19-2004 09:18 PM         

---

I agree, it's probably due to aggression. I used to have 4 rainbow sharks (very similar to the red-tailed ones) in my 55 gallon and eventually they killed eachother until I only had one left. And I did notice that the weaker ones were paler than the dominant one.

-Chelle

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 102
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-20-2004 03:17 PM         

---

My red tailed is in a tank with all gouramis and only one is aggressive. And that one is the paradise gourami. The red tailed doesn't really get picked on though. He started out hiding upside down behind the heater. Then when I moved it so there wasn't a big enough space between the fish tank glass and the heater, he moved somewhere else to hide. He was really active at the petstore and he was in a tank with TONS of other sharks. It was wall to wall. He has room in mine. You would think he would explore more and be out.

NTC

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)