Have you recently purchased some rainbow sharks for your fish tank? They’re neat fish that can be so much fun to observe.
Many people have fallen in love with the look of rainbow sharks. You might be having a hard time telling them apart, though.
It’s normal for new fish owners to have difficulties determining which fish are male and which are female. Is there an easy way to determine the sex of rainbow sharks?
Read on to learn about how to identify the gender of rainbow sharks. This should make it easier to determine whether your fish are male or female.
Physical Differences Between Male and Female Rainbow Sharks
There are some physical differences between male and female rainbow sharks. If you learn to look for these differences, it’ll be easier to tell them apart.
You should look at the fish closely to see if they’re different. Male rainbow sharks are known to have thinner bodies than females.
Also, the male fish will have black lines along their tail fins. It’s also likely that the male fish will have bright coloration when compared to females.
When looking at the anal fin, you’ll see that males have anal fins that are much more prominent.
Males are slimmer and possibly more colorful than females. This is the best thing to keep in mind when trying to tell the two apart based on physical characteristics.
Female fish will be visibly larger than the males. You’ll also find that they’re slightly paler when looking at the two fish up close.
Look at the fins of the female fish, and you’ll notice that the unpaired fins are slightly shorter than those that are on the male. Some females also have caudal fins that have a brick coloration.
Male caudal fins are generally red. Sometimes the differences are subtle, but you have to do your best to try to pick them out.
It’s Harder to Tell When the Fish Are Young
Juvenile rainbow sharks can be even harder to tell apart based on sex. This is because juvenile rainbow sharks have colors that are much more similar.
It’s only when the fish start to reach sexual maturity that you’ll notice the physical differences mentioned above. Rainbow sharks take between one and one and a half years to reach sexual maturity.
At this point, you’ll notice that the fish have some physical characteristics that are different based on sex. Males are a bit brighter, and they have the telltale black lines along their tail fins.
So it’ll be rather tough to pick out males and females when they’re juveniles. Most people don’t even bother to try.
Are There Significant Behavioral Differences?
There aren’t any significant behavioral differences to note when looking at male and female rainbow sharks. Both fish are known to be aggressive.
These fish are territorial and can be aggressive toward other fish in the tank. They’re most active at night and will sleep during the day in the tank.
You’re not going to notice differences between how the fish act outside of mating rituals. It’s not that common for people to breed these fish in captivity, though.
Can Rainbow Sharks Live Together?
Since rainbow sharks are aggressive fish, they’re often kept in their own tanks. It’s common for people to put just one rainbow shark in a tank.
Many people recommend not keeping rainbow sharks together in aquariums. They are aggressive toward each other and will fight for dominance.
This can be an annoyance in the tank and will make it tough for you to keep all of the fish safe. It is possible to keep rainbow sharks together in a tank, but you need to take the right precautions.
You must keep them in a tank that is more than large enough. One rainbow shark needs a 50-gallon fish tank, but a small group of these fish can be kept in a 125-gallon aquarium.
It’s also imperative to give these fish hiding spots in the tank. You should put caves in the tank as well as various types of aquatic plants.
Using Rainbow Sharks as Community Fish
You might be surprised to hear that rainbow sharks can be okay as community fish. If you keep them in tanks with compatible fish, it can work out just fine.
Make sure that you choose fish that are safe to keep in the tank with rainbow sharks. There are many options that will work out, such as harlequin rasboras, gouramis, guppies, goldfish, and plecos.
Some fish will get bothered by the aggressive nature of rainbow sharks, though. So you can’t keep them in tanks with bettas, angelfish, cichlids, and many others.
You have to make good choices when trying to put together community tanks with rainbow sharks. Otherwise, you might wind up seeing the fish fight and hurt others.
Rainbow Sharks Aren’t Ideal Fish for Beginners
It’s also important to keep in mind that rainbow sharks aren’t ideal fish for beginners. If you’re new to caring for fish, it’d be best to choose something a little simpler.
These fish have specific care needs, and they need fairly large tanks. Many newcomers to the hobby will have a tough time taking care of these fish.
Most experts say that rainbow sharks fall in the moderately difficult category of care. You might be able to do fine as a beginner if you’re committed to learning about their care needs.
Be an attentive fish owner who monitors the water parameters closely. Make sure that you feed the fish consistently, and they can do well in your tank.
If you’d rather get some experience first, you might wish to go with easier fish to care for. For instance, angelfish are easy fish to care for and are also quite pretty.
Will Rainbow Sharks Eat Other Fish?
It’s possible that rainbow sharks will eat other fish if they’re small enough. These fish are omnivorous, and that means they will eat meat.
They’ll eat a small fish, such as a baby fish, if it appears in the tank. You can’t put fish that are small enough to fit in a rainbow shark’s mouth in the tank and expect them to be safe.
The same can be said when caring for any other omnivorous or carnivorous fish. They’ll take opportunities to get a meal when they’re presented.
Don’t think that rainbow sharks are hyper-aggressive killers in the tank, though. They are territorial and aggressive, but they aren’t that bad when you keep them in a large enough tank with compatible tank mates.
Final Thoughts
You should have a better idea of how to tell male and female rainbow sharks apart now. These fish are very tough to tell apart when they’re juveniles.
It’s best to wait until the fish reach sexual maturity. Males will be brighter in color, and they have slimmer bodies.
You can see that there are other differences when looking at the fins of the fish as well. The differences are easy enough to spot when looking at the fish side-by-side, but they might not be as noticeable at a glance.
The behavioral differences aren’t substantial. Many people don’t keep rainbow sharks together in fish tanks due to how aggressive they can be toward each other.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.