Red-tail shark care
Epalzeorhynchos bicolor · Chao Phraya basin, Thailand
Red-tail sharks are velvet black with a bright red tail and defend a patch of the bottom.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one per tank)
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 6 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 8 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep red-tail sharks
Red-tail sharks are velvet black with a bright red tail and defend a patch of the bottom. One per tank in a 55 gallon or larger works; the species is critically endangered in the wild, so aquarium fish are farm-bred.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets, algae wafers, vegetables. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Red-tail shark tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Rosy barb
6 in · 29+ gal · 64–77 °F
Denison barb
6 in · 55+ gal · 64–77 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Electric blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Silver dollar
6 in · 75+ gal · 75–82 °F
Scissortail rasbora
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: red-tail sharks need 72 to 79 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by red-tail sharks.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with red-tail sharks.
Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with red-tail sharks.
Flowerhorn cichlid: Flowerhorn cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
What a red-tail shark tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon red-tail shark tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon red-tail shark tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 150
Red-tail sharks need 72 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding red-tail sharks.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank · Heaters for a 55 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common red-tail shark problems
- Territorial towards other bottom dwellers.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Epalzeorhynchos bicolor. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Red-tail shark Astellar87, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Denison barb Anandarajkumar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue acara 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Silver dollar Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Scissortail rasbora Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red zebra cichlid Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Flowerhorn cichlid Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow shark MerlinSenger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bala shark H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Iridescent shark Melanochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
