Scientific Name: Epalzeorhynchos frenatum
Common Name: Rainbow Shark
Adult Size: 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 8 years
Habitat: Southeast Asia
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
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Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F
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pH Range: 6.5 - 7.5
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Water Hardness: 2 - 29
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; a flake-based diet is usually recommended which will cover their base needs. In addition, include live food as well to meet their protein needs. Options include bloodworms, brine shrimp, worms and feeder fish
Breeding & Spawning: Challenging due to the conditions required. Breeding rarely occurs in the aquarium due to their aggression against their own species. Both the male and female need to be at least 4 inches long to ensure maturity. It is an egg layer, and the spawning season depends on much cooler temperatures and day length.
Gender: Males tend to have brighter red or orange fins than females do. Males will also have thin gray lines on their tail fins, while females will not have any lines. Females will tend to be thicker and have more rounded bellies.