Guidelines

What size tank does a Bala shark need?

What size tank does a Bala shark need?

125 gallons
Bala Shark Habitat and Care As previously mentioned, the key factor in the bala’s environment is tank size. An aquarium of 125 gallons is needed to keep a school of adult bala sharks, and since they are active swimmers, a longer tank is recommended. These are active fish that startle easily.

What fish can you put with bala sharks?

They are relatively peaceful fish and can be kept together with other peaceful large fish. Other bala sharks, Corydoras, rainbowfish, gourami, rasbora, char (Salvelinus), tetra, minor tetra would make good tank mates.

Can a Bala shark live in a 20 gallon tank?

Can a Bala shark be placed in a 20-gallon tank? They may be able to when they are quite small, but it won’t be long before they will be too big for a 20-gallon, let alone a school of them. No, bala sharks have to be placed in a bigger tank (120 gallons or more) because they can outgrow a small aquarium.

How big will a Bala shark get in a 75 gallon tank?

The largest specimens of this species can reach a length of 4 feet and a weight of 96 pounds. That is the length of a 55- to 75-gallon tank and the weight of a small human packed into a torpedo-shaped, well-muscled fish.

Why do my Bala sharks keep dying?

Bala Sharks Will Jump Out of the Tank One of the leading reasons Bala Sharks die prematurely in home aquariums is their tendency to leap out of the water. Balas are graceful, powerful swimmers but when they get spooked, they would jump in a blink of an eye. In the wild, jumping makes for an excellent defense mechanism.

How big will a Bala shark get?

Appearance and anatomy. These fish have a silver body with black margins on their dorsal, caudal, anal, and pelvic fins. They have big eyes to find and catch their prey. The bala shark will grow to a maximum length of 35 cm (14 in).

Why do Bala sharks swim upside down?

The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. When affected by Swim Bladder Disorder fish will often lose the ability to properly swim. They will float uncontrollably to the top of the aquarium, turned upside down, while still being alive.

Can a Bala shark live in a 10 gallon tank?

Next to the betta fish, the Bala shark is possibly the most abused aquarium fish out there. They start out as cute little three-inch fish and end up in some kid’s 10-gallon tank because they are so cool. But Bala sharks grow a foot long and need to be kept in schools.

Is my Bala shark dying?

Are Bala Sharks Extinct? Thankfully, they aren’t. Still, the Bala Shark has been on the IUCN Red List since 1996.

Are bala sharks hard to keep alive?

Most experts agree that Bala Shark care is relatively easy if the fish owner has some basic knowledge of fish care. These fish tend to remain healthy, but fish owners should be sure to keep their aquariums clean and the water level and temperature stable for best results.

How long will a Bala shark live?

10 years
They’re colored yellow, black and gray, and they can grow up to 12 inches, or 25-30 cm, in length making them relatively large for an aquarium fish. The lifespan of a Bala Shark can be up to 10 years with the proper care.

Do Bala sharks play dead?

Do Bala sharks play dead? There is no research to suggest that they play dead, but they do tend to drift at night when the lights are switch off. If your Bala looks like he is playing dead, it is more likely he has eaten too much or has a swim bladder issue.

What is a good size tank for a bala shark?

The exact tank size that’s best for Bala Sharks is somewhat debated in the aquarium community. The most common suggested range is between a 120 and 150 gallon tank , which is a rather large aquarium. Obviously, the more fish you have, the more room they will need.

Is a bala shark really a shark?

The bala shark, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, also known as the tricolor shark, tricolor sharkminnow, silver shark, or shark minnow, is a fish species of the family Cyprinidae, and is one of the two species in the genus Balantiocheilos. This species is not a true shark, but is commonly so called because…

What is the average lifespan a bala shark?

Bala Shark Lifespan. If kept in good water conditions and fed a high-quality diet, these fish can live a long time. The average lifespan for an aquarium Silver Bala is 10 years. Appearance. Silver Balas are striking fish for many reasons. They tend to be 3 to 4 inches when purchased from aquarium stores, but they will grow to an adult size of

How many bala sharks should be kept together?

Most fish breeders recommend that at least 5 Bala Sharks be kept together during the breeding process to ensure that there is both male and female fish in the holding tank. It is crucial to give the fish enough space and room to swim during this process. Overcrowding can decrease the chances of successful breeding.