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GloFish Shark
Epalzeorhynchos bicolor
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii
Variety of Red-Tailed Black Shark · GloFish
📍 Captive-bred (hybrid)
GloFish Sharks are fluorescent variants of the Rainbow Shark, displaying vivid engineered colors that glow under blue or UV lighting. Like Rainbow Sharks, they are territorial and semi-aggressive, especially toward other bottom-dwellers and their own kind. Best kept one per tank in a well-decorated aquarium with plenty of hiding spots.
Care Guide
Diet
GloFish Sharks are omnivorous and should be fed high-quality sinking pellets as a staple, supplemented with frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp 2-3 times weekly. Include occasional vegetable matter such as blanched zucchini or algae wafers. Feed once daily in amounts they can consume in 2-3 minutes.
Behavior
GloFish Sharks are territorial and semi-aggressive bottom-dwellers that establish and defend a home range, especially as they mature. They are most active during dawn and dusk, spending much of their time exploring the substrate and hiding spots. They should be kept singly, as they will aggressively chase and harass other bottom-dwelling fish and their own species.
Breeding
Breeding GloFish Sharks in captivity is extremely difficult and rarely successful in home aquariums. They require very specific conditions including large tanks, precise water parameters, and seasonal temperature changes that are challenging to replicate. Most captive specimens are unlikely to breed, and fry rearing would require specialized setup and care.
Tank Mates
Mid-water swimmers that avoid bottom competition; similar water parameter requirements
Active swimmers that occupy upper water column; less likely to compete for bottom territory
Both are bottom-dwellers; provide ample hiding spots and ensure pleco is similar or larger size
Peaceful schooling fish that stay in mid-water; minimal interaction with territorial shark
Algae-eating snail that occupies different ecological niche; generally ignored by sharks
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, lethargy, rubbing against objects
Raise temperature to 28-29°C, perform daily 25% water changes, use ich medication (malachite green or formalin) following label directions
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, discoloration at fin edges, fin loss
Improve water quality with frequent changes, reduce tank aggression by providing more hiding spots, use antibacterial medication if severe
Bacterial Infection
Red streaks on body, open sores, swollen areas, loss of appetite
Perform 50% water change, maintain pristine water conditions, use broad-spectrum antibiotic medication if infection spreads
Velvet Disease
Fine golden or rust-colored dust on body, rapid breathing, scratching behavior, lethargy
Increase aeration, raise temperature to 28°C, perform daily water changes, use copper-based or formalin treatment as directed
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Water it likes
- ph
- 6.0–7.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- temperature
- 72–79°F (22–26°C)