Unfortunately, when red shiners are released into waters where they are not native, they can deplete the populations of fish native to those waters. They may directly eat the eggs and larvae of endangered or rare fish or compete with them for space and food. Red shiners also hybridize with similar species. Setup and Water Preferences Red shiners tend to live in rivers with moderate current. They are very tolerant of extremes in water quality such as pH 5 to 10.
Red shiners can survive in turbid and moderately polluted waters.
Sexing The breeding males are a silvery blue with dark red stomachs and sometimes a green stripe across their bodies. Their fins turn red, and they have a blue triangular patch behind their heads. The males also get breeding tubercles on their mouth and head. Breeding males may have a black tip on their dorsal fins. Breeding females are fatter and less colorful.