Black Shark - Gold 5cm

Black Shark

The Black Shark is one of the coolest species available in the aquarium hobby. It gets to gargantuan sizes, has a daily mean demeanor, and is an amazing addition to a large predator fish aquarium. Though there are lots of fish in the aquarium hobby that have bright and flashy colors, the most striking thing with this fish is that it is jet black but has a typical shark-style body shape. This fish would be a great fish to add to a predator fish tank to ensure that the substrate is well turned and algae stay minimal.

The reason this fish would be perfect in a big predator fish aquarium is that the black shark gets to around 2 feet (60cm) long and their personality is extremely dynamic where some black sharks are fairly peaceful but others can be quite aggressive.  The main thing to note is that because of their size, many predator fish will not pick a fight with these fish.

Trying to find the males and females in this species is very difficult but it can be noted that males are skinnier while females are plumper. There are no other distinguishable sexual differences. They are highly unlikely to breed in an aquarium. The wild habitat of the black shark is in the rivers and streams of Malaysia and portions of southeast Asia.

Tank Recommendations for your Black Shark

The Black shark is a very large growing fish so I need a tank that is at least 125 gallons (470 liters) and around 5 feet minimum width. The ideal tank size though for an adult however would be a 6-foot-long aquarium with 2.5 feet of width and height. A sand substrate is advisable as this fish actively will sift through the sand looking for food. They will also appreciate large smooth rocks that they can graze algae off and will also love large pieces of driftwood where they can hide. This species depending on the individual fish can be both active at night or during the day. 

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Black shark is 60% of the time an aggressive fish and is best suited to be kept with other large, boisterous, and aggressive fish. It would be a good addition to a predator fish community.

Usually Compatible

Large South American cichlids like Oscars, Jaguar cichlids, Black belt cichlids, and Severums.

Sometime Compatible

Medium size, semi-aggressive species such as Uaru, fire mouths, convicts, and species of a similar sort

Rarely Compatible

Shrimp and nano aquarium fish like neon tetras, ember tetras, and rasboras

Feeding your Black Shark 

The black shark is a very easy fish to feed. It is an opportunistic feeder and will readily eat a wide range of foods both dry, fresh, and frozen. Their diet should contain good quality sinking pellets with frozen food that have high protein such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, and daphnia. Feeding should occur once a day and it is best to do so during the afternoon.