How to Breed Iridescent Sharks

Iridescent sharks are not actually sharks, but rather a species of freshwater shark catfish. They cannot be bred in aquariums, as they are too large when full-sized. These catfish come from the rivers of Thailand and like to be in schools when young, but grow more solitary with age. They make great pets, and, unlike other catfish, do not stick to the bottom of a tank. They will hang out in the middle and have even been known to come to the surface to be petted. Iridescent sharks are notoriously hard to breed in captivity, but there are steps you can take to encourage mating.

Buy a school of iridescent sharks, of both sexes. Place them in a large pond (as in tens of thousands of gallons, or a pond covering at least an acre or more). This large swimming space will be important for mating, since their full adult size can be 3 feet or longer. Create a pond with running water in order to simulate the natural environment for iridescent sharks to spawn. This mimics the rivers that are their natural spawning habitat. To best simulate a river you may consider having two ponds, with water running in between an inlet and outlet for each.

Keep the pond at a tropical water temperature, at least 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Also keep a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Feed your shark catfish every day with fish pellets, brine shrimp and other plants. Either dead or live foods will suffice, as they are omnivorous and not picky eaters.

Look for signs of females carrying eggs in the spring or summer months, once they are fully grown. Males will fertilize the eggs that the females lay.

Observe your pond to see if any tiny, young iridescent sharks have emerged, which means your fish have spawned successfully.