# Advice on a Tank Mate



## 1421Truck (Jun 11, 2008)

I have a 8 Gallon Bio Cube with several different types of fish in it, long story short. Yesterday I added 2 Red Platties and 2 Sun Tail Platties, since this time my rather tame Ruby Shark has become a very aggressive tank mate towards his new tank mates and these new mates only. So my question is, is there anything I can do to decrease this behavior or should I start looking to get a bigger tank?

Prior to this, I had 2 Dalmation Mollies, 2 Cory Cats, 1 Male Betta and 1 Ruby Shark with plants and a hiding place for the Ruby Shark and Cory Cats.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

Sometimes rearranging the decorations helps the fish, they are more busy deciding on new home turf than to pick on each other defending their favorite place in the tank. Make everything look different... sometimes this helps.


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## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

8 gal. tank is not that big..... So I guess that if you are thinking you want a bigger tank, it time to look at a bigger tank. Just going ny my own way of doing things if I think I want a bigger tank generally i searching for a way to justisfy a bigger tank. 

Beside rearanging the plants and DW, you can try if and take the the troublesome fish out for 24 hours and then placing it back in. This works most of the time as will.


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## Kogo (Mar 14, 2008)

the above posts are good advice. i would also add that leaving a tank dark for 12 hours or so when introducing new fish is also helpful.

of course, if your the type that likes to buy new fish from time to time then you need to think about a larger tank. when choosing a new tank, get the biggest that fits in your budget or your house... whichever comes first


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

Yes, agreed... turning the lights off is a good idea as well.


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## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

I don't know about anyone else but when I add new fish to a tank, I always turn the light off. It makes it less stressfull on the fish. I have found this to be the difference on less shock death. When your ordering 200.00 dollars worth of fish online for a species tank, it very important. If your ordering it most likley you can't get the fish locally or the LFS will not order or stock the fish. So it important to take all precautions, even drip acclumation.

Anyway here the info on the ruby shark:
Scientific Name: Epalzeorhynchos frenatus
Other Names: Red Fin Shark, Rainbow Shark, also come in an albino form
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: Northern Thailand
Adult Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Social: Can be aggressive
Lifespan: 8 years
Tank Level: Bottom, Mid dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 20 to 30 gallon
Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
Breeding: Egglayer - rarely bred in captivity
Care: Easy to Intermediate
pH: 7.0
Hardness: up to 15 dGH
Temperature: 72-79 F (22-26 C) 

Ruby sharks are very teritorial fish. They are primarily territorial fish and are best kept as a single fish in the aquarium, do not pare them. Breeding is rare with this fish in captivity. They need a hiding spot. Here are some things you could get for them, of course a fake or real plant, a rock, maybe a hollow hidding place like some drift wood or a tube.


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## Kogo (Mar 14, 2008)

nice job richie, way to go the extra mile!


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