Help with Red tail shark

[Jadyx]

I'm a relatively new tank owner, and I need some help with my red tail shark.

From what I've read about them, you can sometimes distinguish between male and female from their stomachs, and mine has a silver stomach which would make it a female.... She's also doubled in size in the last 2 weeks, and I think she might be pregnant. I've been trying to find info online about pregnant red tail sharks but all I can find is how hard it is to get them to breed..

The other fish I have in the tank are:
3 Rosie Barbs
2 tiger barbs
1 catfish

I'm wondering, what do I do with a pregnant red tail shark? I dont want the other fish to eat all her eggs, so would i get her a breeder box? Should I get her a seperate tank?

Any feedback would be really appreciated!

 

[OrangeCones]

Welcome, Jadyx!

Your shark could not be pregnant, as they are egg layers. She may indeed be gravid, which is common in a lot of egg layers if they are cared for properly.

Breeding them in an aquarium is next to impossible from what I've read also. Unless you had a male in there (not advisable to keep your red-tail shark with another), there is no way to get fertile eggs from your female, so no need to seperate her into another aquarium.

Those that breed them do so in large man-made ponds on a commercial scale.

They can get 5-6 inches long, what sized tank do you keep her in?

 

[Jadyx]

Hey, thanks so much for your reply!

I have a 55g tank... I originally did have 2 red tails in there but after reading about them a little I returned one. Thanks for clearing up the egg thing, I didn't realize the eggs don't come out fertilized. That makes me feel alot better

 

[OrangeCones]

Glad you did the right thing by returning one. They will slowly starve the weaker 'sharks' in the tank with them with only the dominant fish getting food.

Livebearer fish such as guppies and mollies give birth to live young, with their eggs being fertilized internally (much like mammals).

The egg laying species need to lay the eggs, with male(s) there to fertilize them quickly after being laid. Your shark may lay the eggs or she may absorb them internally. She may also be overeating and getting chubby!