I wanted to ask if I can keep a shark (never had any experience with them), I was thinking about the red tailed black shark, with a group of petricolas and 2 bn plecs? (of course they're not real petricolas but noone seems to call them by their real name...I still love them ).
If not, why not? Thanks.
I know this is a catfish forum, but has anyone had any experiences with them jumping?
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Red Tail Sharks (Labeo or Epalzeorhynchus bicolor) are fiercely territorial and react to fish with a black triangular dorsal fin (!).
unfortunately, the synodontis lucipinnis or S petricola have such a dorsal and you can count on the fishes quarreling
if the tank is roomy and there are many caves (Tanganyikan Syno's love rock piles), it's not likely to lead to dead fish, but it can take quite a while before something resembling normal behavior ensues
I had exactly that in my tank, but scaled up:
a group of Synodontis granulosa (very quarrelsome in their own right) and then I added a juvenile Labeo cyclorhynchus (better known as the Variegated or Harlequin Shark or Labeo variegatus).
World War III happened as soon as the little nutter grew!
by now that has settled, but not before he also managed to kill 2 adult Arius seemanni within the space of 12 hours while I was gone for a weekend.......
there's also another thing you should know:
Epalzeorhynchus are good algae eaters and they like to graze.
but you already have the best algae eater in our hobby in there: the Common bristlenose (Ancistrus)
Epalzeorhynchus and Labeo do not starve to death when there are no algae as they readily accept all other food;
but in my experience grazers who cannot properly graze will spend their energy harassing other fish!
so there's a food issue as well.
if you really like the Red Tail Shark, best skip on the Bristlenoses.
but I'd advise to keep the Bristlenoses and Syno's and skip the Shark
).
