Are you looking for a beautiful bicolor fish for your aquarium? If so then Epalzeorhynchos is a perfect choice for you! Epalzeorhynchos – also called The Red Tail shark! The bicolor shark is an appropriate fish for your freshwater aquarium. Before going into the details about the conditions to keep the red tail sharks in the aquarium, let’s go through a short portfolio of the red tail sharks to know who they are!
Who are Red Tail Sharks?
Red tail sharks – as the name indicates that they are only of 2 colors – black and red! The shark’s species are native to Thailand but are listed as endangered species! They prefer the warm water of the tropical zones. They can grow to an average size of 5 to 6 inches in length. They are hostile and cannot be kept in the community because they are extremely aggressive towards other fellows. The life expectancy of these species is about 5 to 6 years. They are mostly bottom dwellers and hide themselves behind the caves and rocks during the daytime whereas, at night, they are very active explorers, swimmers and keenly drift along the water waves in search of food. They are omnivores – feed on plant materials, small insects, crustaceans and algae!
By knowing about red tail sharks, is it possible to keep them in the artificial environment – the aquarium? Let’s see if there is any possibility?
Can we keep red tail sharks in aquariums?
Yes! You can!
The red tail sharks are one of the most favorite species of the fish keepers because of their small size and fascinating appearance. Although, it is quite difficult to keep the sharks in captivity, as they require special tank conditions to survive in aquarium tanks. Moreover, their aggressive nature towards other members makes them difficult to handle. Once they get adapted to the surroundings, it makes them feel secure, happy and comfortable!
If you are really planning to keep the small shark species in captivity, you must provide them with suitable environmental conditions.
Requirements for keeping the red tail sharks in the tank
Being a small size creatures, the red tail sharks are fast swimmers and prefer to live in the heavy and dense vegetation, along with hiding substrates such as rocks and caves. Other than that, they need a large amount of oxygen dissolved in water for breathing in artificial surroundings:
Conditions necessary for tank maintenance
Following are the necessary conditions to keep the red tail sharks in tank:
Water type: Sharks require freshwater for living, keep on changing the water from time to time to keep the tank clean.
Tank size: As the shark is only 6 inches in length, a tank of 55 gallon water is enough for them.
Temperature: Normally a temperature of 72 to 79 oF is preferable for sharks.
Substrates: They need objects such as rocks, pebbles and the dark hued substrate makes sharks feel happy and comfortable.
Tank decoration: to make the tank look like the natural habitat for the red tail sharks, decorate the tank with plant leaves, driftwood, caves so that they may hide them behind it. Moreover, floating plant material such as water wisteria, java moss, and hornwort should also be needed to provide shades to sharks while roaming.
Acidity: The pH of water should be maintained in between 6 to 8.
Filtration system: The filtration system produces strong water current in air which makes sharks swim in opposite directions by releasing large amounts of energy.
Blubber: It is a large, heavy stone which helps in diffusing the air in the tank.
Light conditions: As they are nocturnal and swim actively in dim and dark conditions, so avoid strong light and sunlight.
Water Heaters: Red tail sharks prefer to live in warm waters, a water heater must be provided to keep the temperature of the water warm.
Diets: The red tail sharks feed on live and frozen foodstuff such as daphnia, bloodworms, and vegetables like zucchini and blanched peas. Algae wafers are the nutritious and favorite items of the bottom dwelling creatures.
Final words
The bicolor fascinating creature – the red tail sharks have attracted people’s attention because of their color combination, red and black! The sharks are only 6 inches in length and thus are the apple eye of the fish keepers. You can definitely keep the sharks in an artificial environment under specific conditions, to keep them happy and comfortable in the tank! If you want to keep the red tail shark, then follow the guidelines provided in the article: keep the sharks in your aquarium!
