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Red-tail silver shark

Hypselobarbus kurali

Also known as Kurali barb

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
13.8 in
35 cm
Minimum tank
211 gal
800 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Western Ghats rivers, Kerala, India

Overview

The red-tail silver shark is a big, fast river barb for a very large aquarium or an indoor pond rather than a standard tank. Its size and space needs make it a specialist fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The red-tail silver shark is the Western Ghats' own answer to the Southeast Asian bala shark. It is a large, silver, red-tailed river barb that fills the same fast-water niche. The two fish are unrelated and live on opposite sides of the Bay of Bengal.

Caring for the red-tail silver shark

Keep red-tail silver sharks in a group of five or six or more, never as a lone fish. They power up and down the middle of the tank all day and need real length to turn. Plan on at least 211 gal (800 L) as a starting point, and more for a full group.

Give them strong current, high oxygen, open swimming space, and a substrate of sand and water-worn rock. Keep the water warm, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Keep it very clean too, since this fish suffers in stale or crowded conditions.

Feed a varied diet of sinking pellets, wafers, vegetables and meaty frozen foods. The red-tail silver shark is mostly peaceful with fish too large to be seen as food. It will bully or swallow small tank mates, so match it with other large, calm species. Captive breeding is not recorded in the hobby.

Good to know

Hypselobarbus kurali belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae, and was described by Menon and Rema Devi in 1995. It has a silver body under a red-flushed tail, and it is one of the larger barbs of India's Western Ghats. It is a food and game fish in its range, and it is also known as the Kurali barb.

In the wild

The red-tail silver shark is endemic to the southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India. It lives in large, clear, fast-flowing streams and rivers below the hills.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red-tail silver shark is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a red-tail silver shark need?

A red-tail silver shark needs at least 211 gal (800 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a red-tail silver shark need?

A red-tail silver shark is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a red-tail silver shark eat?

A red-tail silver shark eats a varied diet of sinking pellets, wafers and vegetables, along with meaty frozen foods.

How big does a red-tail silver shark get?

An adult red-tail silver shark reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).

Does a red-tail silver shark need a group?

Yes. A red-tail silver shark is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species