The minimum required tank size for Rainbow Sharks is 50 gallons (200 liters). They are migratory species, during the flood seasons they migrate to flooded areas, and when it dries up, they move back to the sandy rivers.
They are bottom dwellers and feed on algae and plankton. Rainbow sharks are active swimmers and they live in the water with sandy substrates. They inhabit the rivers and floods of the Mekong, Chao Praya, Xe Bangfai, and Mae Klong river basins. Rainbow Sharks are tropical fresh-water fish from Southeast Asia and Thailand.
While choosing an aquarium tank, you should make sure to have a long one for them to swim a full length. They are active swimmers and spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank nipping at the algae grown at the bottom of the tank. They are generally peaceful with the species that dwell in the middle to upper levels, they are aggressive with other bottom dwellers including with other rainbow sharks. This demarcates their territories and reduces unnecessary aggressions. This behavior you can minimize by providing ample hiding place with plants and tunnel-like, cave-like decors. A large Rainbow Sharks will continuously chase the smaller one till they die. Such behaviors include, head and tail butting, biting, etc. Rainbow sharks are territorial, in the small aquarium tank fightings between the sharks are common traits. As they grow they will become increasingly assertive with age. Rainbow Sharks Behavior and Temperament:ĭon’t be fooled by the shy appearance of juvenile rainbow sharks in the aquarium store. Since they glow they can be added to the neon aquarium tank with right plants and decorations. Now, you can find Glofish rainbow sharks in additional 2 colors Blue and Green.Īll four colors come in fluorescent colors just like jellyfish. They grow up to 4 inches in length.ĭuring the initial selective breeding, there were only 2 colors magenta and orange. Glofish Rainbow Sharks are of the minnow family, but they are not sharks. They tend to grow a little smaller than the common rainbow sharks, while their temperaments remain the same as their common relative.Īlbino Rainbow Sharks require the same care level and ambiance as the common rainbow sharks. They are commonly available in the aquarium markets.
They have the same fins coloration is orange-reddish just the same as common Rainbow Sharks, while their body is in white with a hint of pink undertone instead of grey or blue or black. The Albino Rainbow Sharks are also known as the Albino Ruby Shark or Albino Red-Finned Shark.Īlbino Rainbow Sharks are the result of selective breeding. The male’s fins colorations are brighter than the female of the species. The sexually developed female has a broad and rounded stomach while the male has a narrow body. It is difficult to identify their sex when they are young. It will take about a few months for them to come to their full size. In general, rainbow sharks can grow about 6 inches in length, it is quite likely, that they may not reach their full potential length in aquarium tanks. Rainbow sharks have erect dorsals, a flat stomach with flat and spiked nose makes them resemble the marine sharks. The dark body with orange-reddish fins makes their body look longer and slender. While their fins remain orange-red their body-color varies from dark grey, dark blue to black. Rainbow Sharks are small ray-finned genus Epalzeorhynchos of the family Cyprinidae. The inappropriate ambiance and water conditions along with stress results in their premature demise.įor the Rainbow sharks to live to their fullest potential, provide them with the right ambiance and water conditions. Unfortunately, in the aquarium tanks their lifespans from 5 to 6 years. Rainbow Sharks’ lifespans for more than 10 years in their natural habitat or the right ambient aquarium tanks. Rainbow Shark calls for fairly experienced aquarists to house them due to their territorial and semi-aggressive nature. They receive their common name Rainbow Shark because of their warm-water origin and upright dorsal fins. They are known for their territorial nature and their colors. They are beautifully colored fish with dark gray to black body and orange or red fins. Rainbow Sharks are semi-aggressive community aquarium fish.
They are also known as redfin sharks, ruby sharks, rainbow shark minnow, green fringelip Labeo, whitefin shark, and whitetail shark minnow. Rainbow Sharks live in flooded regions or rivers with a good flow. The rivers in these regions have a sandy substrate. The Cyprinidae is the most and the largest vertebrate animal family with about 3000 species, of which only 1270 in existence. Rainbow Sharks are native to the basins of Mekong, Chao Phraya, Xe Bangfai, and Maeklong and part of the Cyprinidae family.