Saltwater & Freshwater Fish Tanks - Aquariums

Popular Small Aquarium Sharks

August 25th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

When setting up an aquarium people soon discover that there are many tropical fish to choose from. There are school fish such as tetras and guarmis and more aggressive fish such as cichlids and oscars. In addition to these types of fish small aquarium sharks are now becoming more popular and readily available for the home aquarium hobbyist. If up are interested in adding small sharks to your aquarium this article will provide some background information.

Red Tail Sharks

The red tail shark is a popular small aquarium shark. This small shark is a semi-aggressive fish, however unique beauty is a great addition in an aquarium. They have a solid black body with red tipped tail that stands out well. These sharks are not very sociaable and it is recommended that you only keep one per tank.

Red tails love hiding as it provides them with a sense of security and safely, so provide them with plenty of hiding places in the tank. Do not try to keep them in too small a tank as their aggressive nature will cause them pick on other fish. You’ll need a tank that is large enough to accommodate all the fish

The red tail shark likes to search the bottom of the tank for food. They will eat most fish flakes, live food or other food that drifts to the bottom of the tank and they like to eat at least once per day.

Epaulette Sharks

The Epaulette shark is an ideal small shark for a home aquarium as they like to live in small confined areas. They are usually white with brown spots all over their body. Unlike most sharks they do not swim around the tank but prefer to swim on the tank floor where they will search for food. At times, their slender bodies make them look like eels and they easily slip around the rocks and other aquarium decorations.

Although they are not the smallest of the aquarium sharks, they are also not the largest. Epaulette sharks can grow quite large, an adult can grow up to eleven inches long. So when selecting one ensure that your tank is large enough for them to move around when they grow.

The Epaulette shark feeds mainly on small crabs and worms. They may also eat shrimp and other small fishes. Their teeth are quite small so avoid larger types of food.

You will find a variety of sharks to choose from at your fish supplier. The red tail shark and the epaulette shark are two of the most popular varieties of sharks and they make rewarding additions to many aquariums.

You’ll find information on setting up your aquarium here.