Redtail Shark

Name: Redtail Shark
Brand: Brooklands
SKU: TL20
Price: 17.9 NZD
Availability: InStock

SKU TL20

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Redtail Shark

Product Details

Redtail Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor)

NOT AVAILABLE TO SHIP - In-store Only

Overview: The Redtail Shark (or Redtail Black Shark) is one of the most visually striking and dramatic centerpiece fish in the freshwater hobby. It features a flawless, velvety jet-black body contrasted against a fiery, vibrant crimson-red tail fin. Like the Silver Shark, it is not a true shark but a member of the carp family, earning its name solely from its high-profile dorsal fin and sleek, constant cruising style.

Origins: They are native to the floodplains and flowing river basins of Central Thailand (particularly the Chao Phraya River basin). Tragically, due to dam construction and habitat destruction in the 20th century, the Redtail Shark was declared critically endangered (and at one point, extinct) in the wild. Fortunately, they are highly prolific breeders in commercial aquaculture, meaning every single Redtail Shark in the hobby today is captive-bred.

Personality: The Redtail Shark is a beautiful fish with a notoriously fiery attitude. They are intensely territorial, bold, and can be highly aggressive if their boundaries are crossed. As juveniles, they are relatively reclusive, but as they mature into adults, they will claim the entire lower third of the aquarium as their personal kingdom. They will relentlessly chase away any fish that looks similar to them or tries to enter their favorite hiding spot.

Care Level: Easy to Intermediate (Requires careful tank mate selection)
Temperament: Semi-aggressive & Highly Territorial (Mainly toward bottom-dwellers)
Diet: Omnivore (An excellent scavenger. They eat high-quality sinking pellets, flakes, algae wafers, and frozen foods like bloodworms. They also actively graze on biofilm and algae growing on driftwood).
Max Size: 12 – 15 cm
Family: Cyprinidae
Tank Size: 200 Litres minimum. (Even though they aren't massive, they need significant horizontal floor space to manage their territorial chasing behavior).
Temperature: 22°C – 26°C
pH: 6.5 – 7.5
Should be kept in groups? No, strictly solo. You must keep only one Redtail Shark per aquarium. They are intensely aggressive toward their own kind and will fight another Redtail Shark to the death in a standard home aquarium.

⚠️ The Redtail Stocking Rules:

To successfully keep a Redtail Shark without turning your aquarium into a battle zone, you must adhere to two golden rules of compatibility:

1. No Similar Silhouettes: Never house a Redtail Shark with other sharks (like the Rainbow Shark) or similar torpedo-shaped bottom-dwellers (like the Black Line Flying Fox or Siamese Algae Eaters). The Redtail will view them as direct competitors and chase them relentlessly.

2. Choose the Right Tank Mates: House them with fast, robust, upper-water schooling fish that do not look anything like a shark. Excellent choices include Tiger Barbs, Danios, Rainbowfish, or larger, fast-moving Tetras (like Buenos Aires or Congo Tetras). They will easily outrun the shark, who will eventually give up the chase and return to its cave.