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Origin: The ancestors of our Rainbow Sharks originally lived in the Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, but now they're raised on fish farms and found living in aquariums throughout most of the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums they can grow to be about 6" long, which is a nice size for bigger home aquariums.

But long-ago a friendly fish farmer in Florida sent the Bailey Brothers, DrTom and Nevin, a box with 6 or 8 giant Rainbow Sharks that were measured at over 9" long.

The Baileys wondered if it might be a similar but different species. They found out that the fish probably were Rainbow Sharks that had grown up in a huge outdoor pond or concrete vat with lots and lots of excellent food, high water quality, and tenda lovin care.

Behaviors: this is a very active swimmer that's aggressive. It's especially aggressive to other Rainbow Sharks and to other fish with a shape similar to it's shape.

It's important to always keep the aquarium tightly covered, because Rainbow Sharks are very skillful jumpers.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include, Rainbowfish, Clown Loaches, Danios, Barbs, Gouramis, and many other medium size aquarium fish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Rainbows can live pretty well from about 70 to 80-degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable at about 75 to 78-degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Flakes when small and Premium Pellet Food when larger.

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Water Conditions: Rainbow Sharks seem to be tolerant of a wide range of water conditions. Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8. We ship them in this water.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: When young and less than 3" long, it's probably best to house one in at least a 30-gallon tank, but more is better.

Later when they grow bigger, they'll need 50 to 60-gallon aquarium.

Decor: Rainbow Sharks do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

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Live Plants: are beautiful and improve the water quality. Click here for more about live Aquarium Plants.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. A Penguin 200B Filter in an aquarium with 30-gallons of water is OK, when they're small, but a Penguin 350B Filter is the right size for a 30 to 50-gallon aquarium.

When Rainbows grow to be 6" long they'll need to live in aquarium with at least 75-gallons of water and have a couple of Penguin 350B filters along the back edge of the aquarium.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Rainbow Sharks live for several years and possible many years with excellent water and premium food.

Gender: It's not easy to tell the males from the females, when they're young and sometimes, even as they mature.

As females mature they often fill with egg and become plumper, which may a clue to their gender.

Breeding: Rainbow Sharks scatter a large number of eggs on plants or special breeding mops made of nylon yarn. But they're rarely spawned in aquariums.

Popularity: Rainbow Sharks have been one of the most popular aquarium fish for many years, and they're still very popular.

Names: The scientific name of the Rainbow Shark is Epalzeorhynchos frenatum.

Variations: There are some variations that may be other closely related species. There is also an albino variation.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Rainbow Sharks, including a picture gallery.

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