Sarah - 2008-03-12 My mom and I have the hardest time trying to get these fish to live in our tank. We have bought 4 so far. We put 2 in our 35 gallon tank but they died within the week. When we got a 55 gallon tank, after the 8 weeks to get its bacteria right, mom went and got me 2 more sharks and they died within the day. I don't know what is wrong but the pet store (Petco) told us our water and nito are just right. Any idea why they would be dying, I really like the fish. I though they would be good with my gourami and mollys.
Thanks.
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kristofer - 2010-12-26 I have one bala shark in a 10 gallon tank since they are a tropical fish they need heat between 75-78 degrees.
trey - 2011-01-04 Stress you let the vibrations of the car or whatever you were in because I have some too.
bala buzzy - 2011-02-15 When you buy new bala sharks don't let the pet shop sell you one that looks "tucked up" and skinny in the stomach area. Choose fish with a well rounded abdomen. We started keeping bala sharks a few years ago, and every time we bought a "skinny" fish it died within hours or days. When we bought fish with a rounded belly they have now grown to be about 6 inches long. You must let them acclimatise to your tank water temperature before just dumping them in when you get home too. Put a little of your aquarium water in the shop bag and float them on the top of your tank for a while.
yohseeme - 2011-10-31 Oh that's good to know to get the fatty belly ones. My second silver shark just died after the first one, the water temp and ph were perfect....don't know the reason why...maybe stressed and didn't eat well...?
Beth Denniston - 2011-10-28 Hi! I just witnessed some bizarre behavior by my two balas. I am aware that breeding is almost impossible in an aquarium, but they looked attached to each other (they really weren't, swimming in circles together and rubbing each other constantly. It lasted about 10 minutes. Is this normal behavior or were they trying to breed? Thanks.
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Charlie Roche - 2011-10-28 Sounds like they were trying to mate but it is said they need a lot of room to actually accomplish the feat. Here is a link balasharkmating that the owner feels is mating behavior. There are also other movies on u tube of bala shark mating behavior.
Charlie Roche - 2011-10-28 Hi this is a utube link which supposedly shows bala sharks mating behavior mating. or you can cut paste it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq7W5YZUPTY&feature=fvst
hartin marie - 2008-01-23 I have just been given a bala shark which occasionally goes to the side of the tank which has the heater, and hangs upside down like a bat! Any reason why anyone?
wendycats2003 - 2009-09-29 Hi, I have 11 bala sharks and they are doing really well, even the youngsters are growing. My question is, how long are they pregnant for, as I cant seem to get any answers. In my local pet shops, you can buy them on a regular basis. I go to a person who knows his tropical/cold/marine fish very well. Some pet shops will just sell you anything, but after contacting the right people I now know who to go to.
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Carol - 2011-01-02 I hope you have a fish tank as big as sea worlds if you have 11 of them. They are wonderful fish but not for most home fish tanks due to their size. A tank of 12" fish had better be a super-sized one.
spencer - 2010-11-15 I love this website as they explain what temperature, water hardness and PH value is needed for each type of the variety of fishes on this website. The bala shark is the best. I keep 5 clown loaches, 4 tiger barbs, 2 bala sharks, 2 leopard plecos, 2 siamese algae eaters, 2 sterba's cories and 3 unknown shrimps. Love this website and highly recommend fish-keeping beginners to go to this website.
spencer - 2010-11-15 No. Balas, rainbows and red-tailed sharks do not have teeth as they usually eat their food by sucking it like plecos and algae eaters-spencer.
bic man - 2009-09-26 A buddy of mind had a fish that really looks like a shark. I don't know the name but he said it was a shark and it was sweet. I want one but no site has a pic or any info, only balas, rainbows, and the usuals. I read something about a topeto shark is that true, help me out.
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alyssa rene smith - 2010-09-03 You should get bala's they are so sweet. I have 2 and I love them so much, their names are shy and boota.
t-homas - 2010-03-12 i have 4 bala sharks in a 55 gallon tank with my 3 silver dollars, 3 black skirt tetras, and a rather large black ghost knife. the are all interesting but the bala sharks are by far the most sociable! every time i walk in my room they are right there to say hello! i've never seen them play dead or jump out of the tank like most website say tho...
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alyssa rene smith - 2010-09-03 I have 2 bala's they are cute but it seems to me that the tiger barbs and the sucker fish attack the bala's so im worried about mine so keep watch if you have a small bala and make sure no body attack's it cause my sucker fish and tiger barb's killed my bala just by bitting at her so much just warning you
bill - 2009-01-06 I have had bala's for about 3 years now and the old timer, is about 7" now. For the last 2 weeks I have been having trouble keeping the others alive. I have replaced 2 and now another one is doing the back stroke. But it isn't the oldest or the newst one. They are fine one minute and the next they are belly up and struggling around the tank upside down. The old man scurries away from them and within 12 hours they are dead. No sores, or clamp fin,or ick, they just go. I have tried adding fresh water and am using melafix as well as water treatment. They are in a 50 gallon tank with Fluval tank filter and a water heater set at 76. I have a plecastema and a needle fish in the same tank, so there isn't any fighting. Anyone else having this problem?
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carter - 2010-08-24 Hi I have two little balas in a 10 gal moving up to 50 soon. It hasn't even been a day yet since I bought them I watched it when I got home from school it did 3 circles then they turn upside down. But I haven't removed them because they're gills are still moving. I'm probably going to try rainbows and see if they do the same.
Eoin - 2006-05-18 I have a pair of Balas in my tank, which is not large(only 2ft by 1 ft by 1.5 ft). the tank is decorated in the style of a stream with the filter set to provide a constant current, rocks to swim around and plenty of pondweed floating at the top. i have heard that they never breed in captivity(unless its done professionally), however the female is laying a lot of eggs in the weed. They eat almost anything (but do not eat pellets unless there is no other food in the tank) and particurly love daphnia. the egg layer is not large, she is only around 4 inches long and quite slim. it is almost impossible to sex them so i will be adding a few more of similar size to the tank in the hopes that one is a fertile male. keep your eyes posted on this notice, because if i get a load of little babies, i will post all of the details of their tank conditions in the hopes that we can haave a few more successes in the future.
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no expert - 2010-03-07 Nice to hear that you sharks are breeding, it may have been pregnant when you bought it though. But I think that u should reconsider buying more in a 2ft tank as silver sharks can grow quite large and will out grow that tank in no time
Tim - 2010-06-01 I'm seriously thinking about getting a school of these sharks and breeding them. As I plan to do with many species for profit. I'd love to know if your success was brought to fruition. I really loved the balas but as you know local petstore clerks know as much as I did when I said "Hey I'd like to have some fish". I want to try the rainbow sharks as well. Instead of hurting the population I'd like to relieve it a little maybe. Hope all goes well I read and read that they are hard to spawn. Good luck let us all know!
The very popular Bala Shark has a perfectly sweet disposition and peacefully goes about minding its own business!
My mom and I have the hardest time trying to get these fish to live in our tank. We have bought 4 so far. We put 2 in our 35 gallon tank but they died within the week. When we got a 55 gallon tank, after the 8 weeks to get its bacteria right, mom went and got me 2 more sharks and they died within the day. I don't know what is wrong but the pet store (Petco) told us our water and nito are just right. Any idea why they would be dying, I really like the fish. I though they would be good with my gourami and mollys.
Thanks.
I have one bala shark in a 10 gallon tank since they are a tropical fish they need heat between 75-78 degrees.
Stress you let the vibrations of the car or whatever you were in because I have some too.
When you buy new bala sharks don't let the pet shop sell you one that looks "tucked up" and skinny in the stomach area. Choose fish with a well rounded abdomen. We started keeping bala sharks a few years ago, and every time we bought a "skinny" fish it died within hours or days. When we bought fish with a rounded belly they have now grown to be about 6 inches long. You must let them acclimatise to your tank water temperature before just dumping them in when you get home too. Put a little of your aquarium water in the shop bag and float them on the top of your tank for a while.
Oh that's good to know to get the fatty belly ones. My second silver shark just died after the first one, the water temp and ph were perfect....don't know the reason why...maybe stressed and didn't eat well...?
Hi! I just witnessed some bizarre behavior by my two balas. I am aware that breeding is almost impossible in an aquarium, but they looked attached to each other (they really weren't, swimming in circles together and rubbing each other constantly. It lasted about 10 minutes. Is this normal behavior or were they trying to breed? Thanks.
Sounds like they were trying to mate but it is said they need a lot of room to actually accomplish the feat. Here is a link balasharkmating that the owner feels is mating behavior. There are also other movies on u tube of bala shark mating behavior.
Hi this is a utube link which supposedly shows bala sharks mating behavior mating.
or you can cut paste it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq7W5YZUPTY&feature=fvst
I have just been given a bala shark which occasionally goes to the side of the tank which has the heater, and hangs upside down like a bat! Any reason why anyone?
To stay warm.
Hi, I have 11 bala sharks and they are doing really well, even the youngsters are growing. My question is, how long are they pregnant for, as I cant seem to get any answers. In my local pet shops, you can buy them on a regular basis. I go to a person who knows his tropical/cold/marine fish very well. Some pet shops will just sell you anything, but after contacting the right people I now know who to go to.
I hope you have a fish tank as big as sea worlds if you have 11 of them. They are wonderful fish but not for most home fish tanks due to their size. A tank of 12" fish had better be a super-sized one.
They do not breed in captivity.
I love this website as they explain what temperature, water hardness and PH value is needed for each type of the variety of fishes on this website. The bala shark is the best. I keep 5 clown loaches, 4 tiger barbs, 2 bala sharks, 2 leopard plecos, 2 siamese algae eaters, 2 sterba's cories and 3 unknown shrimps. Love this website and highly recommend fish-keeping beginners to go to this website.
Do they have teeth?
No. Balas, rainbows and red-tailed sharks do not have teeth as they usually eat their food by sucking it like plecos and algae eaters-spencer.
A buddy of mind had a fish that really looks like a shark. I don't know the name but he said it was a shark and it was sweet. I want one but no site has a pic or any info, only balas, rainbows, and the usuals. I read something about a topeto shark is that true, help me out.
You should get bala's they are so sweet. I have 2 and I love them so much, their names are shy and boota.
i have 4 bala sharks in a 55 gallon tank with my 3 silver dollars, 3 black skirt tetras, and a rather large black ghost knife. the are all interesting but the bala sharks are by far the most sociable! every time i walk in my room they are right there to say hello! i've never seen them play dead or jump out of the tank like most website say tho...
I have 2 bala's they are cute but it seems to me that the tiger barbs and the sucker fish attack the bala's so im worried about mine so keep watch if you have a small bala and make sure no body attack's it cause my sucker fish and tiger barb's killed my bala just by bitting at her so much just warning you
I have had bala's for about 3 years now and the old timer, is about 7" now.
For the last 2 weeks I have been having trouble keeping the others alive. I have replaced 2 and now another one is doing the back stroke. But it isn't the oldest or the newst one.
They are fine one minute and the next they are belly up and struggling around the tank upside down. The old man scurries away from them and within 12 hours they are dead.
No sores, or clamp fin,or ick, they just go.
I have tried adding fresh water and am using melafix as well as water treatment.
They are in a 50 gallon tank with Fluval tank filter and a water heater set at 76.
I have a plecastema and a needle fish in the same tank, so there isn't any fighting.
Anyone else having this problem?
Hi I have two little balas in a 10 gal moving up to 50 soon. It hasn't even been a day yet since I bought them I watched it when I got home from school it did 3 circles then they turn upside down. But I haven't removed them because they're gills are still moving. I'm probably going to try rainbows and see if they do the same.
I have a pair of Balas in my tank, which is not large(only 2ft by 1 ft by 1.5 ft). the tank is decorated in the style of a stream with the filter set to provide a constant current, rocks to swim around and plenty of pondweed floating at the top. i have heard that they never breed in captivity(unless its done professionally), however the female is laying a lot of eggs in the weed. They eat almost anything (but do not eat pellets unless there is no other food in the tank) and particurly love daphnia. the egg layer is not large, she is only around 4 inches long and quite slim. it is almost impossible to sex them so i will be adding a few more of similar size to the tank in the hopes that one is a fertile male.
keep your eyes posted on this notice, because if i get a load of little babies, i will post all of the details of their tank conditions in the hopes that we can haave a few more successes in the future.
Nice to hear that you sharks are breeding, it may have been pregnant when you bought it though. But I think that u should reconsider buying more in a 2ft tank as silver sharks can grow quite large and will out grow that tank in no time
I'm seriously thinking about getting a school of these sharks and breeding them. As I plan to do with many species for profit. I'd love to know if your success was brought to fruition. I really loved the balas but as you know local petstore clerks know as much as I did when I said "Hey I'd like to have some fish". I want to try the rainbow sharks as well. Instead of hurting the population I'd like to relieve it a little maybe. Hope all goes well I read and read that they are hard to spawn. Good luck let us all know!