# Red-tailed shark diet?



## Maztachief

From my understanding and what I was told at the fish store, the small red-tailed shark I bought should be accepting flake food and even algae wafers. Im not sure if hes looking more hungry or is more bold because hes more adjusted. My problem though is that he seems to not care for my wafers and my gourami eats them instead and the flake food he bites but doesn't eat unless its a tiny nibble. Do you guys know if theres something he might be more apt or able to actually eat? Im worried about him. I think he might be ok though if they primarily eat little things around the tank, he seems to scavenge quite a bit around. Advice would be much appreciated.


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## Sea-Agg2009

Try some frozen worms, or krill, or something of that sort. He may be too small for the wafers, and may only eat something he can really fit in his mouth. Worms are a good way to get timid fish to eat. Many fish, particularly the semi-Aggressive and aggressive fish, have to be trained into eating flakes. It's not a natural thing for them, so you may need to ease him into flake.


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## Maztachief

Gotcha, I figured he may also like a little cucumber or something so i bought one, i havnt given him any, i have a little oto in there too who might appreciate it. Do you think this would be ok to give them to nibble on?


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## emc7

Slice the cucumber and rubberband a slice of it to something heavy. Take it out after two days if nothing eats it. I haven't fed cucumber to RTSs but my plecos, Yellow labs and P. Lombardoi eat it.


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## FishHead

my RTS eats tropical granules, shrimp pellets, and veggie crisps.


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## lohachata

i have about a dozen 4"-5" redtail sharks in a 125 with a bunch of other fish.they eat what i feed..since there are red and gold severums,bushynose plecos,odessa barbs,rams,several species of cories,montezumae swords,and a couple of other species;i don't feed anything special for any single species...but they do get a variety of foods.Plecocaine as a staple.others are algae/spirulina/kelp wafers,color flake,veggie flake,earthworm flake,and frozen bloodworms...
they are fat,healthy and very active...


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## Maztachief

Thanks folks, Im happy to report his color has gotten better, hes much more active, and is eating more. He's also accepting some flake! Thanks again.


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## jones57742

Mc:

Ditto lohachata but a few additional comments.

When he says that he has a dozen in a community tank there is a reason for this.

I am certain that you have read in the literature the aggressiveness of the RTS but when in numbers they are "for some reason" much more peaceful.

I have two which are adults, like 7", in my community tank and although they occasionally get very frisky they are typically very peaceful.

Also when they (I am hoping that you will purchase one or two more) attain a length of 2" to 3" (which they will do in several months) you will observe them scrounging the bottom for groceries as well as feeding on algae on the walls of the tank.

TR


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## Maztachief

Yep, shes about 2 inches long and I have noticed her going around the glass and the leaves of my plants a lot


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## Hydr0 JoE

i have 2 baby ones also, they seem to eat blood worms the most, they also nibble at the sides of decorations, plants, side of the tank and tropical flakes.


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## lucarox123

Maztachief said:


> From my understanding and what I was told at the fish store, the small red-tailed shark I bought should be accepting flake food and even algae wafers. Im not sure if hes looking more hungry or is more bold because hes more adjusted. My problem though is that he seems to not care for my wafers and my gourami eats them instead and the flake food he bites but doesn't eat unless its a tiny nibble. Do you guys know if theres something he might be more apt or able to actually eat? Im worried about him. I think he might be ok though if they primarily eat little things around the tank, he seems to scavenge quite a bit around. Advice would be much appreciated.


try feeding him sinking tablets or sinking pellets they enjoy those and they will eat those beacause there bottom feeders and as a treat you could also feed them frozen dried bloodworms once a week only cause if you feed them to much they can get constipated or have a hard bladder to swim they wont eat flakes because there not high in protein for them and also they want something more filling something that tastes good too and also there omnivores so they wont eat the gourmai to.


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