Care
It is rather unfortunate that this Red Finned Cigar Shark continues to be so readily available in the trade. Its inclusion here is for information purposes only, as there will be very few aquarists capable of housing these fish in a suitable set up long-term. They are best left to public aquaria or, better still, left to the tropical rivers, streams and lakes which they inhabit in the wild. Juvenile fish grow very quickly, so a good sized tank will be needed from the outset. Bear in mind that adult fish will need a tank of mammoth proportions for these fast, powerful swimmers. It is often commented that Red Finned Cigar Sharks are skittish, but this is normally because they are being confined in far too small an aquarium and just do not have the space to swim at speed before reaching the sides of the tank, and also because they are often maintained in too small a group and become nervous. If appropriately sized housing can be provided, this vast aquarium will require oversized filtration, fast water movement provided by XL powerheads, and a high level of oxygenation. These fish are voracious eaters and do not tolerate accumulated nitrates very well, which can all so easily escalate in a tank with fish of such large body mass and huge appetites. Frequent partial water changes are a must. The tank can be furnished with some big pieces of driftwood and rocks, but a large open swimming space must be left along the front of the tank. Red Finned Cigar Sharks are a shoaling species and must be maintained in groups of at least 6 specimens, and preferably more. An aquarium to properly house these fish long-term represents quite a commitment in terms of money, time, and space. This species has been misidentified in the trade as L. hoevenii for many years.
Feeding
Red Finned Cigar Sharks are not fussy eaters and will take a huge variety of foods ranging from flake, granules, pellets, to meaty frozen foods, and plenty of vegetable matter.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
