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I have this Rainbow Shark that freakin attacks everything in sight just to hide under his little shack we've built for him. We built the shack for our old eel, but the poor thing just died recently. Anyway, he's occupied the thing for a good two weeks, and he just won't come out; except, of course, to fight away the wondering fish. He even attacks the Bala Sharks, which is a funny thing to watch sometimes. I just wanted to know if this is very common or anything. Also, what should I do about this problem? Should I wait till the Bala Sharks are freakin huge and watch them jump the Rainbow Shark? Maybe The Great Sirbooks can help me on this one, eh?

What size tank do you have them in? What else is in the tank?

We need a little more info please.

*Kristin*

Rainbow sharks are very territorial, so that behaviour is pretty common. I agree with girlie, a smaller tank with less real estate will only help to fuel this behaviour. Increasing caves/hidey holes/structure on the bottom of the tank will help break the line of sight during an attack. If the other fish start to show signs of being beat up (torn fins, missing scales etc) it might be wortwhile to upgrade the tank or bring 'em back.

I have heard that mixing sharks (rainbows with balas) is not a good idea. I may be wrong though. I know that like Fallout said, keeping them in a small tank doesn't help the problem. Give us a little more info so we can help you better.

*Kristin*

Rainbow sharks are usually peaceful when they are very small, but as they grow they get more aggressive. I don't think mixing sharks is a good idea either, since bolth species are territorial.

Inky

Seperate them immediately, it might look funny to you, but I can assure you it isnt at all funny for the fish. I doubt youd appreciate living under the same conditions, never knowing if someone is gonna take a shot at you, its like living in prison. I cant believe you actually suggested waiting while the other fish take abuse and then turn round once grown up, and potentially slaughter the aggressive fish. Thats just insanity. A little empathy wouldnt hurt. Sort it out asap.

Some territorial behaviour with certain species is expected, and is normal for the group dynamic, a few fish actually need a little aggravation for a fulfilling life and to have breeding success. This is however, not one of those times, this is cross-species territorial aggression, and they need to be seperated.

There are no evil fish, and psychotic specimens are mega rare, there are however, many keepers who misenterpret normal behaviour as evil and dont make allowances and suitable arrangements for the keeping of their fish.

agreed... territorial behavior should be prevented at all costs... try re-arranging the placements of plants and ornaments in the tank, to help break up previous territories.... also... i would definately seperate the aggressive fish.

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

I have a 150 gallon tank. I believe they have enough space to swim around normally without much agression. People take things out of proportion by assuming my fish fight all day. This isn't the truth, though. They "Fight off" the fish. I don't mean that they bite chunks of fish off or rip scales. they chase, come back, and all is back to normal. I just wanted to know if this is a normal thing for these kinds of fish to be doing. Also, I added the "jumping" of the Rainbow Shark to add a bit of humor. People with no sense of humor are often not fun individuals to talk with. Thank you all for the help, and I may consider separating them as I have done in the past, but I think this is a normal thing,as you guys have pointed out. And, if I'm correct, 150 gallons should be enough for three Bala Sharks and a Rainbow Shark. Also, I have plenty of areas for the fish to "hide" around. A little sunken ship in the middle, three aquatic rocks, a shack made of shale, and other various plants and hiding spots. Again, I reiterate, I just wanted to know if the Rainbow Shark's behavior was normal. If this kind of behavior wasn't, I'd have rushed to remove the fish immediately.

-End-

I believe it is normal and as long as they aren't physically hurting each other it should be fine to leave them in the tank together.

*Kristin*

Reread your original post. You make it sound like genuine injuries and sustained aggression is going on in there. If you have a flare for the over-dramatic as far as descriptions are concerned, then you have to expect a proportionate reaction. If you feel no damage is being done, why ask about it in the first place? All you had to do was look up a species account and it would probably tell you all that stuff.

Its not about having a sense of humour, its perhaps more about being accurate. Fighting can still stress fish even if they arent actually injured. I suspect humans are the only species on earth who ever consider fighting funny.

Fighting can still stress fish even if they arent actually injured

Yep and stress leaves your fish more susceptible to diseases. If a fish gets stressed out too much...it could die. Just like humans....stress can kill. So keep a close watch on the sharks.

*Kristin*