Q&A for How to Care for a Rainbow Shark

No! Goldfish and koi are cold water fish, whereas rainbow sharks are tropical. They need completely different temperatures to survive and thrive.

If you have other fish in the tank that are bullying him, remove them. Check for injuries.

Don't be alarmed, they love to hang out in one or two spots. This keeps them low-stress, as they feel safe and secure. Always make sure to check on them when feeding, as this is when they should definitely leave their spot to get their energy for nocturnal swimming.

You may be able to put two in a tank if there is a lot of space and places to hide, but be aware they may fight with other members of their species since they are fairly aggressive fish.

Rainbows are omnivores and therefore require a varied diet. Supplemental foods like krill, small shrimp, mosquito larvae and bloodworms are all acceptable. Be careful with prepared tuna, as it may have oils that can make things hard on your filter and aquarium walls. Try different foods and take notice of what he likes. Some fish can be very finicky.

Now way, piranhas will eat all other fish! Put them in a separate tank or don't buy them at all.

Possibly, depending on the other fish. Add hiding spots and caves to the tank, as the shark can be bullied by larger fish. Small fish like guppies won't hurt it, but will also be hurt by it once it gets older.

Yes, depending on the size of the tank. Rainbow sharks are aggressive towards any fish with the same shape or coloration as them. As long as there are plenty of hiding places for them not to have to see each other as often, they should be okay.

The short answer is no. Rainbows are a semi-aggressive species while Oscars are a very aggressive species. Although both are territorial, Oscars have the upper hand, eventually growing larger than their tank mates and devouring every living organism in sight. If you still want to push the boundaries, be sure to have a tank greater than 100 gallons with many hiding places for both species. The addition of foliage can also serve to provide cover and protection, but it's secondary to solid defenses such as stone and wood. Given enough space and environmental values, just about any two species can live in the same tank, but even with the most careful planning, success is still not guaranteed.

You can buy cheap water temperature meters. You should get one of those or a proper aquarium heater. You can never put too high a price on keeping good stewardship of a life.

Care wise, everything would be alright. The only problem that could occur is if one of the fish begins getting aggressive with the other. As long as you keep an eye out and don't see any aggression (constant fighting/fin nipping/etc), you should be fine.

That's a bad idea. Rainbow sharks are very solitary and become aggressive when placed with other fish.

If it's going to be by itself or with compatible small fish, a 40-gallon tank will work out. If it's with larger or more aggressive fish, you'll need at least 55 gallons.

It could be a fungal infection. Give it the medicine that treats fungal infection form your local store or order it online.

Health-wise, they will do fine, but they won't be very active after they have fully explored the tank.

This is probably because the tank is small. You should also try other foods that help your fish to grow.

Yes. Rainbow sharks are very solitary and do not tolerate another of their species in the same space.

If what you mean by temporarily is 1-3 hours, sure. This may stress your shark a bit, but it is not uncommon when needing to move a tank or do some other kind of maintenance that may cause a greater amount of stress. A "bowl" may be a bit small, however, so try to get something that holds a minimum of 2 gallons and can utilize an air pump. Make sure when returning the fish to it's normal environment you follow normal acclimation procedures. Anything longer than 3 hours, and you should really be using a quarantine tank or something specifically set up for that purpose with conditions mimicking his normal environment.

They live, on average, 5 - 8 years. With proper care, you could have many more years with yours!

Check the water quality. One of the main reasons for fish not eating is poor water quality, often caused by uneaten food or other debris not being filtered properly out of the tank.

It's a tricky one. It really depends on the fish. As a general rule of thumb, no. Rainbow sharks are aggressive and territorial (as can be the Betta) and will attack other fish that have this temperament, especially if they are colourful. The least you should expect is fin nipping. However, if you had two really laid back fish, or even a docile RS and a territorial Betta fish, you might be okay. But give them plenty of room, put other community fish in the tank and create lots of hiding places.

Yes, it is likely. Rainbow sharks get along with other semi aggressive fish but if the barbs were in his space, or were harassing another fish that he was planning on harassing himself, they may have been eaten.

Angelfish do well as long as the tank is big enough. Giant danios, harlequin rasbora. Even the odd semi aggressive gourami will be fine (something like a pearl of dwarf).

Sure! These fish are versatile feeders and quickly adapt to feeding environments. Some will even learn to feed upside down to get at the floating pellets, but be sure to feed them other types of food also. Making it difficult for them to feed may also lead to them being competed out of food.

Yes, but be careful; rainbow sharks are very aggressive to other fish. If they do fight, you could put a divider between them.

Bettas and rainbow sharks are quite aggressive, so they may try to fight each other, creating stress among them. However, if you wish to put a lot of hiding spots for them and you have a large tank, you can try at your own risk.

That is ich. Treat, and if possible, quarantine the shark. It is highly contagious. Follow the instructions exactly as on the product you buy. Too much, and the oxygen can be depleted, and other fish will die, and quickly too.

No, they need at least a 50 gallon tank. They are very active and territorial and can grow 6 inches long.

Rainbow sharks live for about 5-7 years if you have the correct water and a big tank size, like 125 gallons and have a average length of 6 inches.

Possibly. Rainbow sharks require a lot of places to hide, while Bala sharks like room to swim. Bala sharks are pretty passive and get big, while rainbow sharks are semi aggressive and are territorial. If you have like a 50 gallon, I would say no but if you have a bigger tank, like a 70 or 80, then it should be fine.