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THE RAINBOW SHARK

The Rainbow Shark is a very popular freshwater fish that looks like a shark but isn't one at all. It has a streamline shaped body much like a saltwater shark and is a quick swimmer. It's body is grey colored while it's fins and tail are red. It also has a black patch towards the end of it's body near it's tail. A very hardy fish, the Rainbow Shark will accept a broad range of water conditions. The aquarium should have one or two caves for the shark to hide in and use as a shelter. Other than that they are not picky about plants and gravel in the aquarium. Preferred water temperature is between 72 and 79 degrees. Make sure the tank is cycled before adding a Rainbow Shark. The Rainbow Shark swims mostly in the lower level of the aquarium and spends it's time eating algae of gravel plants and aquarium decor. They are very fond of algae but will also eat flakes and even small fish that will fit in their mouth. These fish are great for cleaning up scraps of food that fall to the bottom of the tank.

To tell the male Rainbow Shark apart from the female the male has a black lined anal fin and is thinner. However, breeding them is very difficult because of their intolerance towards other Rainbow Sharks. Two Rainbow Sharks are more likely to fight than spawn but they could spawn if water conditions are optimal. If you like sharks and want to keep one of your own this is a great aquarium fish to keep. They are territorial and may chase away other fish but they will rarely cause damage. In a good sized tank one Rainbow Shark is a great addition for its shark like appearance and ease of keeping.

THE TIGER BARB:

The Tiger Barb is a very popular aquarium fish. They are short, round shaped fish with tiger like stripes on their side. They grow to be about 3 inches long. They are a very lively schooling fish. Tiger Barbs have a reputation of being aggressive and nippy. They have been known to nip at the fins of tank mates. They are not suitable tank mates of Gouramis, Betas, Angelfish, and other fish that have long fins. Keeping them in medium to large schools will keep the aggression level down. Tiger Barbs are not recommended for a community tank. A tank that is going to hold Tiger Barbs should be completely cycled before adding them. They are also prone to a parasite called Ich. It is a good idea to have some kind of treatment on hand when first adding any Tiger Barbs to a new tank. A good tank setup will have some hardy plants, a soft gravel bottom and a nice open area for swimming.

Tiger Barbs will pair up and breed if water conditions are right. Soft and slightly acid water with a temperature of about 80 degrees will encourage spawning. A spawning pair will scatter up to 200 eggs over the aquarium gravel. The parents should then be moved to prevent them from eating the eggs. The eggs hatch in about 3 days. Tiger Barbs will eat all types of live foods and flakes. They are very active and fun to keep. Tiger Barbs can be found in several color variations, 2 popular ones are the green and albino morphs. When kept in a school of 6 or more they make a great choice for a freshwater aquarium.