How Do I Care for My Striped Rainbow Shark?

Many aquarium lovers enjoy a "shark" in their tank, and the rainbow shark, sometimes called a "striped rainbow shark" in recognition of the distinct stripe like a slash across the shark's mouth and gills, is an attractive choice. Vivid red to orange fins and a habit of hiding make rainbow sharks an interesting community aquarium fish as well. Of course, they aren't really sharks, but a minnow native to sandy-bottomed rivers and basins in Thailand. Just watch the shark in motion and observe the dorsal fin arising erect from the rainbow shark's back and you'll understand how the fish was named.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium -- 30 gallon minimum
  • Plants, caves and similar decorations
  • Aquarium lid with light
  • Aquarium thermometer
  • Vegetable matter, flake food and live food choices
  • Community fish tank mates such as loaches, danios and gouramis
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Instructions

    • 1

      Float the bag containing your rainbow shark inside your own aquarium for at least 20 minutes, not exceeding about 45 minutes. This prevents the development of "Ich" -- a disease caused by sudden water temperature changes -- by allowing the water inside the bag to adjust to the tank water temperature.

    • 2

      Release the rainbow shark into your aquarium, puncturing the bag carefully to prevent injury to your shark. Allow him to find his own way out of the bag, gently encouraging by moving the bag to make the hole obvious to him if needed.

    • 3

      Choose an aquarium large enough for your rainbow shark. Consider a 30 gallon tank the minimum, although a 55 gallon tank or larger is ideal. In addition, plan to keep only one rainbow shark per tank unless your tank is extremely large with plenty of hiding places. Rainbow sharks are very aggressive with their own species as well as some other species -- especially fish smaller than them.

    • 4

      Provide plenty of caves, plants and other hiding holes such as decorative sunken boats and even stable ledges and rock formations inside your aquarium. Rainbow sharks are characters that like to spend part of their time either prowling the tank like a shark on the hunt, darting hyper-actively around the tank in random, or hiding unseen. Hiding places also reduce some of the shark's aggression.

    • 5

      Keep a lid on top of the aquarium at all times. Like other species of active fish such as danios, the rainbow shark can and will jump out of an uncovered tank when you least expect it.

    • 6
      Suitable tank mates include gourami, loaches, plecostomuses and danios.

      Adjust the pH levels, as needed, to maintain the water between 6.5 and 7.5. While rainbow sharks are fairly tolerant of less than ideal conditions, their health proves best at optimum pH levels.

    • 7

      Monitor your aquarium thermometer as needed to make sure the temperature stays between 72 and 82 degrees. Avoid temperatures below this as it encourages the formation of Ich.

    • 8

      Feed your rainbow shark with vegetables, commercial food and live food as desired. Your shark eats lettuce and spinach along with fresh or frozen brine shrimp, insect larvae purchased at a pet supply store, tubifex worms and blood worms along with vegetable-based flake food. With a down-ward turned mouth, rainbow sharks are adept at eating off the bottom of the tank, allowing them to eat food that drifts down as well as algae, although algae wafers and pellets are good supplements.

    • 9

      Populate your aquarium with suitable fish to join your shark. Danios, plecos, loaches and gouramis, for instance, do well with rainbow sharks. In general, fish of equal or greater size are safe. Smaller fish are generally picked on and chased until they die. Rainbow sharks like to prove dominance if allowed by the other fish.