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| FAQs on Bala or Tri-Colored Shark Systems
Related Articles: Freshwater
Minnow Sharks, Bala
or Tri-Colored Sharks, Redtail Sharks,
Redfin Sharks,
Black Sharks,
Related FAQs: Bala Sharks,
FW Shark Systems,
Bala Shark Identification,
Bala Shark Behavior,
Bala Shark Compatibility,
Bala Shark Selection,
Bala Shark Feeding,
Bala Shark Disease,
Bala Shark Reproduction,
Minnow Sharks 1, Minnow Sharks 2,
FW Shark Identification,
FW Shark Behavior,
FW Shark Compatibility,
FW Shark Selection,
FW Shark Feeding,
FW Shark Disease,
FW Shark Reproduction,
Redtail Sharks,
Redfin Sharks, Black Sharks, |
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Pictus Catfish disappearance 3/26/09
Hello,
<Hello Michelle,>
I have had a ten gallon aquarium with a small pictus catfish and a small
Bala shark for about a month now.
<Completely unacceptable for these fish, and any/all problems you have
will come down to this. Both these fish are schooling species for a
start, so need to be kept in groups. I'd recommend at least three of
each, and ideally 5-6 of each, if you had the space. Pimelodus pictus
gets to about 12 cm in length under aquarium conditions, so it isn't too
big, but Balantiocheilos melanopterus is much bigger, easily 25+ cm. In
other words, you'll need a 115 l/30 gallon tank for the Pimelodus, and a
tank at least twice that size for the Balantiocheilos.>
They got along perfectly fine.
<Famous last words.>
I kept them on a diet of sinking shrimp pellets, flake food, and frozen
brine and neither had trouble eating. I noticed both yesterday when I
fed them, but today the pictus catfish is gone. I don't believe that the
Bala shark attacked/killed/ate the pictus catfish overnight, especially
when I've kept them comfortably fed.
<Likely jumped out, or simply died and the corpse was eaten.>
I've read that the pictus catfish doesn't jump, burrow, or hide, and to
check I've searched all around the outside of the aquarium, stirred up
the gravel, and pulled up the fake plants, but it is nowhere to be
found.
<Perhaps it chose suicide over a long, lingering death? I don't mean to
be harsh (though I admit that I am) but there is absolutely no way
either of these fish could be maintained for long in this tank. They
were going to die quickly one way or another.>
Also, it had a habit of circling up and down the wall by the filter, but
I checked the filter (a long shot) and it wasn't there either.
<Any cats or dogs? Fish-flavored jerky would be gone in no time...>
Any theories?
<Several.>
Thank you for your time, Michelle
<Please do review the needs of your fish PRIOR to purchase. It's best
for all concerned. Do see my article on stocking small tanks, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
Return the Bala Shark and select a few small fish viable for the tank
you have. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Pictus Catfish disappearance 03/26/09
Oh. Um, I don't know how it's possible, but I just found the catfish
back in the tank, against all reason. Thank you for the advice; as much
as I love them both, I'll return them both and get more suitable fish
from your article. Lesson learned, I will never listen to the fish
care/tank size labels at Petsmart again.
Sincerely, Michelle
<Hello Michelle. Well, today you've been [a] lucky and [b] wise, which
isn't a bad way to be. I'm glad you've found the lost fish, and I'm even
gladder you've returned them and are now all set to stock with some
sensible fish. May I humbly suggest that no matter what you add, add
some Cherry shrimps. These are about the most fun you can have with 10
gallons of water! They're colorful, easy to keep, active, and best of
all, breed readily. Watching the newly hatched babies is quite the most
darling thing! Cheers, Neale.>
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Stressed Bala sharks... In a
5 gallon system? And more nonsense, no reading 03/19/2008
Hi, I have a 20l tank.
<!? A twenty long, or twenty litres? A five gallon tank? NOT with Balas in it...
they get/grow longer than this!>
Recently i bought new fish, mollies. After introducing them i also upped the
water temperature it was about 70 and i increased it to 74. This caused ich,
<Mmm, no>
both of my sharks showed signs of stress, constant swimming up and down the
glass. I treated the ich with Maracide but both of the sharks stopped eating and
soon died.
<... you haven't read on WWM...>
After treatment for the ich i did a full water test. Temp 74, ph. 7.2, ammonia
0, nitrite 0, nitrate 40ppm.
<Too high>
All of these are good according to my test kit.
<... incorrect>
I reintroduced 2 new Bala sharks
<Stop!>
and used 20 ml of stress coat.
<What!?>
It has been 24h since then and both sharks are doing the same thing, up and down
the glass and i fear losing them the same way as the others. The other occupants
in the tank are 6 mollies, and 4 red eye tetras. Please help me figure out what
is wrong and how i can de-stress the sharks.
<... I take it this message is not a gibe... meant to pull my/our fins...
Please... read on WWM re Balantiocheilos, Ich...
Take your time, and become familiar with our general FW index:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
Is there a full moon out? Bob Fenner>
Re: stressed Bala sharks...
And following directions if you want our help 3/19/08
No there is no full moon. I have a 20 gallon tank, sorry for the typo.
What i wrote was not meant to be nonsense, I am not an expert and if i am not
correct about my assessment of the situation or information i have given, your
sarcasm has not helped me. I have obviously gone to the wrong place for help.
<... and obviously not read where you were referred, nor the directions to proof
your writing before sending... Good luck, good bye, good riddance! RMF>
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Bala Shark
hlth., sub terminal mouths
11/25/2007
Hi Bob-
I was doing some web search and came across several advices from you on Bala
Shark. My son has 20 gal tank with 4 Barbs and 2 Bala Shark for over a year. One
of the Bala died about 5 months ago and we have not replaced it yet. The current
Bala is about 1.5 in big. In the last 3 weeks or so, Bala Shark's mouth has
developed a down ward spout like feature. First I thought that something must be
stuck in the mouth but apparently fish is doing fine over 3 weeks and there
seems to be no adverse effect on the fish. Have you seen this before or do you
know what causes this? Should I be concerned about this or just enjoyed this
"downward spout" view? Thanks for your advice.
Regards,
Jay
<Greetings. Bala/Silver Sharks, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, do have somewhat
turned-down, or at least under-slung, mouths anyway. So without seeing a photo
of your fish I can't say whether this is within the range of normality or
something unusual. Physical damage, such as fighting or jumping, can cause fish
to dislocate their jaws, and it is possible that this is what has happened. If
it is, there's nothing really that you can do. Re-articulating fish jaws is
possible, but something for a vet, not a hobbyist, to do because of the
fragility of the skeleton. On the other hand, provided the fish is feeding
properly, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Do bear in mind that you cannot
possibly keep a Bala Shark in a 20 gallon tank for much longer. Wild specimens
reach 35 cm, and even in aquarium lengths of 20-25 cm are perfectly normal. The
minimum aquarium for these fish would be 150 cm in length. Kept in tanks that
are too small these fish become nervous and sooner or later jump out the tank.
Cheers, Neale.>
Balas and pictus and sun cats in a 29 10/17/2006
Please I don't know what to do with this shark! I purchased 2 balas today and
added them to my existing 29 gallon tank.
<<Without quarantine to a 29 gallon tank? These fish get to 14 inches in length
and school. 10x your tank size or return to the LFS.>>
When I went to watch them this evening I noticed one of the balas has completely
lost an eye and don't know to move him/her, leave him, or god forbid put him out
of his misery.
<<This fish is doomed in your tank either way.>>
He seems to be twitching a little and staying relatively in one spot the other
fish are so far leaving him alone however I don't know how long that will last
as he is in with some African cichlids and 2 pictus cats/1 sun cat.
<<Your tank is unbelievably improperly stocked. Your pictus’ get to 4 inches
plus each, and the Sun catfish to 18 inches. Add that to the 2 balas, and I’m
sure you understand how utterly ridiculous this is. I’m sure your fish store
told you they were fine, but they’re not. Please research before you buy
animals.>>
Should I move him or leave him, and will this cause infection with other fish??
<<Either return the catfish (all of them) and the balas, or acquire a tank of
hundreds of gallons.>>
Thanks for your help - -TJ
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Balas in a 30 - Soon to be Silver Shark Sardines?
Hi I have 3 Bala sharks that are at 2.5 inches...
<Will get *much* larger. Say, 14 inches? I do hope that you have adequate
housing for these fishes.>
...now with 4 neon tetras I was asking how many other fish could I get.
<Well, that is a very subjective question. It depends on the size tank, what
species you want more of, etc. For example, I could say that you could get 2
more fish, and you could get 2 glowlight tetras or two Oscars.>
And if you have any suggestions of the fish I should get.
<Again, depends on the size of the tank, though most peaceful catfishes, notably
of the genus Corydoras, and small cyprinids would mix decidedly well with your
current assortment of fish.>
Oh yeah I have a 30 gallon tank
<Disregard what I previously typed as to fish suggestions, look up at my first
carroted response. Your 30 gallon tank is in no way adequate for the Bala, or
Silver, Sharks you are currently keeping. You should not be looking to get more
fish, but looking to find a new, more appropriate home for your current piscine
stock, or at least the Sharks. Do see the following article for a bit of
information on Balas:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm. On a side
note, please make a point to research purchases before you make them and to
stock according to the adult, not current, size of the fish intended for
purchase. If you cannot provide for an adult in your tank, don't buy the baby,
no matter how attractive they may be. (I have long had a "thing" for Balas, but
continue to refrain from making a purchase, for fear I could not adequately
provide for them in even the largest of my aquariums). Best of luck to you, Mike
G>
<<Editor's note: PLEASE use proper capitalization!>>
Sand and balas
Hi guys and gals,
<A gal for ya today - Sabrina here>
I found your site looking for info on Balas and got sucked in. Here it is three
hours later and I'm still reading, wonderful site!
<Thank you for the kind words!>
I have two questions. 1. What is the growth rate of the Bala is there is one?
<Depends upon health, feeding, etc.>
I've had one for about a year with some silver tip cats and a pleco in a 20g
tall. He is doing fine and has grown to about 3.5 inches and I want to put him
in his own tank with some other Balas. I read they should be in groups of at
least four.
<'Tis a good idea, they are definitely schooling fish.>
I want the tank to last at least three years, what size should it be
<I would aim for 75 gallons or more, if you can swing it, for a handful of these
fish>
and how big can I expect him to be by then?
<In three years? Again, depends upon several factors, but assuming all is well,
I would think that he may be fully grown by then, at or around a foot in
length.>
Secondly, this may sound dumb...I love the look of sand but don't know much
about it. Would the average play sand at Home depot stay on the bottom of the
tank and not cloud the water?
<I don't know that I'd trust just any average play sand.... Talk to a good fish
store in your area and ask if they carry sand in bulk. I know one of the sands
that I used to use in Kansas was marketed as a sandblasting sand, but was ideal
for aquarium use, strangely enough. Steer clear of aragonite sands, as that
will alter your pH.>
Balas are pretty quick and I'd imagine with the filter's currents and all sand
would easily get blown throughout the tank.
<Well, depending upon how large of a grain it is, that could be a huge issue, or
none at all. In your case, I'd probably try to find a sand that's very large.>
Is it a hassle?
<It can be. It is my substrate of choice for planted aquaria (along with some
other stuff), but in an unplanted aquarium, it will compact and create some
water quality issues if it's not well stirred occasionally. Try to find
something that suits your tastes and is a large enough grain size that you can
vacuum it easily. Wishing you well, -Sabrina.>
JayS
Temporary Fish Housing (12/23/2003)
Hi-ya thanks for any help you can give me. I am wanting to move my community
tank upstairs as a larger tank has been bought for the living room to host
Discus. The tank currently running is a 35 gallon community tank. With around 15
fish, biggest of which are silver sharks ( a pair ) around 3-4 inch in length.
<Are these Bala "Sharks" (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) or Hemiodus? Either of
these will get bigger and need a bigger home. Depending on the projected adult
size of your 15 fish, your tank may be overstocked.> The other tank is a 75
gallon which is not set-up as yet. It will have a Eheim 2026 pro II for
filtration. I am wanting to move the fish into this larger tank temporarily. So
I have a couple of weeks to clean out and replace various parts of the old tank.
Just wondering how quickly I can move the fish into this new tank without
risking their health. I will start with just a couple of the more hardy fish
like the mollies and the green tiger barbs. The tank is quite large for the fish
going into it. <not really> How long should I leave the tank before any fish go
in? assuming its free from chlorine. <Seed it with water & filter material from
the 35, it will cycle very quickly and you should be able to start after just a
few days transferring a few fish every few days. And how quickly should I add
the rest? <No clear-cut formula here. Maybe 1/4 of the fish every 3-4 days. If
you can get some Bio-Spira (check Marineland's website for info), you can cycle
the tank instantly.> I will then of course have to slowly move them back to the
original. <Consider Bio-Spira> Would greatly appreciate any tips or hints you
could give me, in this stressful time for my little friends!! <Your "sharks"
would be better off in a 55G tank than a 35--they need the swimming room of a
48" long tank. Good luck, Steve Allen>
Balas in a 75?
I have written several times recently about setting up a 75-gallon FW
community. Your advice has been invaluable. I'm at a turning point now, I think.
I started with three little Buenos Aires Tetras and I have added three little
Bala "Sharks." I've had the Balas for a couple of weeks and I have a question
about tank mates/tank size. I thought I would get a Rainbow Shark and a couple
Clown Loaches and a Cory or something similar. But I'm afraid the tank is too
small for that group of fish. Is my tank even big enough for the three Balas?
<The Balas will easily reach sizes of around 12” each so you won’t want to add
more than another 15-20” of adult size fish to this tank, less would be better.
The Clown Loaches can reach an adult size of around 11” each so these are not
recommended unless you do get a bigger tank. The Corys and Tetras stay pretty
small so should be OK if you go with just a few of each. The Rainbow Shark can
get to around 6” so that one is kind of iffy.>
I sort of wish I had made the tank a community of African Cichlids, but on the
other hand the Balas are the reason I decided to keep fish in the first place.
I'm looking for a bigger (used) tank. I'm considering putting the Balas in a
bigger tank and converting the 75 to Africans. Does this make sense? Any
suggestions? The Balas are only about three
inches at this point. Thanks. --Charlie
<Putting the Balas in a bigger tank and going with Africans would be a perfect
solution. Ronni><<I would not place minnow-sharks with African Cichlids. RMF>>
Bala Sharks In a Planted Tank - 03/12/2006
Hello Again, I wrote about this time last year with questions about
filtration for 150 gal aquarium in which I was overwintering my 2 pond fish, a
12 in goldfish and 15 in koi. I was (and still am) using a Magnum 350 canister,
a HOT magnum filled with bio-media, an Emperor 400 and 3 400 gph powerheads
pushing the UG filter. I siphon 50 gal of the water each week using a python
gravel vacuum and stir up the gravel so the filters can take out the suspended
waste. When I wrote last year I was complaining about not being able to keep up
the amount of waste generated by the fish. Bob Fenner suggested I clean the
filters more often and add a couple of box filters and an air pump to aid in
filtering the debris. I added the filters and a Luft air pump. When the
weather warmed up enough to take the fish outside, I decided they were too big
for my 400 gal stock tank so I gave them to friends who had in-ground ponds and
I got a couple of smaller goldfish. Naively, I figured my filtration set-up
would be able to handle 2 goldfish. I brought them inside in Oct. and have been
faithfully cleaning the tank and the filters as described above (I swear) and am
back with the same problem, I cannot keep up with the waste from the goldfish,
they are between 6 to 8 inches. SO, I have decided to give up on keeping the
goldfish in the aquarium over the winter. I may give these fish to my pond
friends and get some 'mosquito' fish for my stock tank. Now I'm getting to my
question - I have thought for a long time that Bala sharks are very attractive
fish but never had a tank I thought was big enough to house them. Several years
ago I had a 75 gal plant tank with lots of tetras and had good luck, and since I
have decided to forego the goldfish I am considering a tropical freshwater tank
again. But before I invest in more lighting and live plants, would you tell me
whether 3 Bala sharks would create the same trouble with waste as the
goldfish. I have been thinking about having a school of 12 to 15 rasboras,
several Siamese algae eaters and 12 - 15 kuhlii loaches with 3 Bala sharks. But
I don't want to get it all set up and not be able to keep up with the
waste. I kept tetras for many years and really do the maintenance I have
described. However, with the goldfish, the pleasure factor is greatly
outweighed by the unsightliness of the waste. Would you be willing to give me
feedback about this plan or modifications that would make it feasible? I'd sure
appreciate the help. Thanks a lot. Kerry
< Bala sharks get big. I have seen them personally up to 18". These of coarse
were very old but very well cared for fish. They would be like a bull in a china
shop disturbing the planted tank just by their movements. A better choice would
be some roseline sharks. They have a similar body shape but a nice red streak to
the body. They don't get too big but make a very nice addition to a larger
planted tank. they are expensive but the prices are coming down. They would
definitely be easier than a goldfish tank.-Chuck>
Bala sharks... sys., dis. 8/18/06
<<Hello. Tom here.>>
I have a fifty-five gallon freshwater tank that is three years old and stable.
I'm having a heck of a time introducing new Bala Sharks. I've got a healthy one
in the tank that is over two years old but when I introduce new ones the new
fish develop white scales and their eyes fog over. Temp. is 82 degrees and the
PH is 6.8. Everyone else seems happy except the lonely shark. Any ideas?
<<Strikes me as an acclimation issue, Bill. Have you asked your shark source as
to what their parameters are? If your two-year-old is doing well, I suspect that
you're introducing the new ones too quickly into an environment they aren't
ready for. Far less likely a problem with temperature than it is with the pH.
Get this information from the store and I'll bet you'll discover what the
problem is.>>
I used Mela fix to help but to no avail.
<<Not likely to be at all effective if the cause is pH shock. Tom>>
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