If you’ve been thinking about buying a rainbow shark it’s good to learn more about them. You might be curious about how much money you’ll need to spend to get one of these fish.
Of course, the cost of the fish won’t be the only thing to consider. Whenever you buy fish you’re going to need certain things to take care of them.
The cost of the fish tank, the food, the equipment, and the accessories will add up. Will it cost a lot of money to own and care for a rainbow shark?
Read on to learn everything you need to know about the true cost of rainbow shark ownership.
How Much Do Rainbow Sharks Cost?
Rainbow sharks generally aren’t that expensive, but it depends on the size and age of the fish. Commonly, rainbow sharks are sold when they’re between one and two inches long.
They’re in a juvenile state when they’re at this size. It’s easy enough to find rainbow sharks for sale at this size for around $5.00.
Note that the price of these fish will fluctuate from time to time. The exact price of the fish could go up or down based on factors such as market demand.
It’s also important to note that larger rainbow sharks will generally cost more cash. You might find large rainbow sharks being sold for $20.00.
There are even some rainbow sharks that are being sold at higher prices. This isn’t as common as finding small juvenile rainbow sharks, though.
Albino rainbow sharks should be around the same price as standard rainbow sharks. So getting either fish will cost you the same amount of cash give or take a few dollars.
How Much Does the Food Cost?
Buying food won’t cost you too much money when you’re caring for rainbow sharks. You need to feed these fish three times per day when you want to do things optimally.
These fish are meant to be fed as much as they can eat in five minutes. You should feed them things such as algae wafers, veggies, and meaty foods.
Algae wafers can be purchased for less than $10.00 at an aquarium store or a pet store. You can feed these fish veggies as a supplement to their diet as well.
Feed the fish fresh veggies to do things as safe as you can. They like eating veggies such as green beans, carrots, kale, and more.
The cost of vegetables will differ based on prices in your area and even the type of grocery store you shop at. Live meaty foods can be purchased as supplementary food options as well.
Brine shrimp and bloodworms are among the most common meaty foods given to these fish. You can buy frozen or freeze-dried foods for these fish at pet stores if that’s more convenient.
It’s likely that freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp will cost less than $20.00 and it’ll last you for a while. So don’t expect the cost of food to be egregious.
How Much Does a Fish Tank Cost?
The fish tank is going to be a big investment. Understand that rainbow sharks are aggressive and territorial fish.
They need to have a lot of room to be able to thrive. Also, they don’t get along well with each other.
Rainbow sharks are known to fight each other badly in fish tanks. Typically, people only keep one rainbow shark in a tank.
One rainbow shark will need a 55-gallon fish tank. You could probably get away with a 50-gallon tank if it’s wide enough, but you’re better off going larger than you need.
Rainbow sharks get stressed when forced to live in small tanks. A 55-gallon fish tank will likely cost around $150.00, but you might find a deal that will make it slightly less expensive depending on where you shop.
How Much Does the Equipment Cost?
You’ll need various pieces of equipment when caring for rainbow sharks. It’ll be necessary to buy a filter, a heater, and an air pump for the tank.
The cost of the heater, filter, and air pump will vary depending on what you buy. You’ll likely spend more than $100 on equipment no matter what, though.
Sometimes you might find filters or heaters on sale at aquarium stores. Just keep in mind that you want to buy a filter that is powerful enough to help keep the tank clean.
The larger your tank is the more powerful equipment you will need. You’ll want to get a larger tank if you want to keep a rainbow shark in a community fish tank.
Rainbow sharks don’t need special types of lighting. Most people choose to buy standard aquarium LED lights which are rather inexpensive and easy to install.
How Much Do Aquatic Plants Cost?
Aquatic plants should be placed in the fish tank when caring for rainbow sharks. You want to make sure that they feel comfortable in the tank.
Many types of aquatic plants work well for these fish. They like many types of plants such as Java ferns, Jungle Val, Anubias plants, Amazon sword plants, and even hornwort plants.
So you have many different options that you can pick from. It’s easy to find aquatic plants being sold at aquarium stores and online.
Some plants might cost less than $10.00 while others might cost $20.00. It depends on the size of the plant and market demand.
How Much Do Decorations Cost?
Decorations for the tank will cost a little bit of money as well. Rainbow sharks like to have hiding spots in the tank.
It’s good to purchase little caves and other types of decorations for the tank. They’ll appreciate caves, driftwood, and other similar types of decorations.
These decorations can be purchased at low prices. You’ll find them at pet stores and aquarium stores.
Often, you’ll be able to get what you need for $10.00 or a little more. You might spend $50.00 or so on decorations when all is said and done.
How Much Does Maintenance Cost?
Tank maintenance might cost $150 or $200 a year depending on how big your tank is. The cost of tank maintenance is the same as it would be for any average freshwater tank.
You have to consider costs such as water, cleaning materials, chemicals, and aquarium sand. Then you also factor in the cost of electricity.
So tank maintenance costs won’t be a huge concern for most people. It’s still best to consider these costs to make sure that you can afford to care for these fish.
Are Rainbow Sharks Right for You?
The total cost of buying rainbow sharks will likely be between $400 and $600 to get started. It all comes down to which pieces of equipment you buy and how big the fish tank you purchase is.
If you buy a bigger tank the costs might be higher. It’s not unusual for people to keep rainbow sharks in rather large aquariums.
Regardless, it’s good to know that you can take care of rainbow sharks and have them in your home even if you don’t have a huge budget. These fish won’t cost thousands to care for.
The maintenance costs are reasonable and the equipment that you need isn’t too tough to get. You can save up $500 or so and be ready to get the tank and equipment that you need to get things going.
Are rainbow sharks right for you? They might be, but you need to have some experience with aquariums if you want to have an easy time with these fish.
Final Thoughts
You should have a much better idea of how much money you’ll need to buy rainbow sharks now. These fish aren’t overly expensive, but you will need hundreds of dollars to get the fish tank and the equipment that you need to care for them.
So it’s important to make sure that you have enough cash to get everything before moving forward. The exact cost is hard to determine since prices fluctuate from time to time.
Also, equipment will be more or less expensive depending on the brand that you buy and how powerful it needs to be. Larger fish tanks will need more powerful filters and heaters.
So plan ahead and everything will go very well for you. Make good decisions and only buy these fish if you’re truly ready for the commitment.
These fish aren’t great for beginners, but they aren’t so tough to care for that you need to be intimidated. Caring for rainbow sharks can be a fun experience, but you have to be ready for it.
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.