# Columbian Shark doing flips.



## KyAsh (Jul 15, 2011)

Hey guys...we rescued a 4 inch columbian shark from a closing pet store on sunday. We acclimated him to the tank and introduced him. He seems to fit right in with our Balas, ID shark and loaches. He has had two meals of flakes and blood worms (once a day since we got him) and seems to be swimming fine, except for the fact that he goes to the side of the tank and starts doing barrel rolls and flips. I was reading a lot of people think this is a bad sign and he could be sick so I wanted to get y'alls opinion. 

Swims fine back and forth, able to swim in a straight line and up and down. No kinks in his back. Has not been over fed. Had water tested on Sunday and water parameters are great. 

Is he just happy to be in a new home and flipping for joy? Or is something wrong? 

(I know when he is older he will need to be introduced to a brakkish tank and eventually salt water...from what I have read anyways...could he already need to be in brakkish? he was in fresh in the store.)


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## KyAsh (Jul 15, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zr0Jlk_i70

Here is a video of what he is doing. He will do this for a bit then go play with the other fish, rest, and go back to doing this.


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## CyberBob (Jul 22, 2011)

That looks like a bored fish to me, not sick.
My rainbow shark used to do that all day long until he suddenly choked to death on a snail


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

This is not a sick fish. I hve seen this behavior in fish especialy when put in new tanks mostly when the tank is smaller than they were in, it seems to just be checking out the boundries and ajusting to the new tank. Not sure if it is a sign of bordom, but that is a posibility, guessing in this case it is not though.


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## CyberBob (Jul 22, 2011)

The Columbian shark will eventually grow to about 10" - 20", sometimes larger.
It lives in both fresh and salt at different times of it's life. When acclimating him to salwater, do it very slowly. But, he should be fine in a low end brackish tank for now IMO. He needs to be in a 70g tank for now. But, might need bigger as he grows.
If the tank is smaller then 70g, he is crowded and might start attacking other fish.
I doubt he's sick though, either bored or crowded is my educated guess.

here's a lil info on the lil guy in case you need it 
http://www.fishlore.com/profile-columbianshark.htm


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## KyAsh (Jul 15, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys! Glad he isn't sick...figured it was better to ask than risk it!


Right now he is in a 55 gallon, and I knew it would be a little small for him but it is better than the condition they were keeping him in the store! If he get's much bigger before our bigger tank is ready or can't handle the freshwater I will give to my LFS. 

Reading every bit of that info Cyber, thanks for the link.


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## CyberBob (Jul 22, 2011)

KyAsh said:


> Thanks for the info guys! Glad he isn't sick...figured it was better to ask than risk it!
> 
> 
> Right now he is in a 55 gallon, and I knew it would be a little small for him but it is better than the condition they were keeping him in the store! If he get's much bigger before our bigger tank is ready or can't handle the freshwater I will give to my LFS.
> ...


Not a problem, glad it helped


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## platies pwn (Nov 29, 2010)

my id shark did this 100%percent of the time he was alive(died of ick).


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