Bala Sharks
By Douglas DuHamel
As this topic keeps popping up in the discussion areas, I've decided to do an article on Bala Sharks. I hope that the information I provide will help answer some of the questions about these beautiful fish. These fish are suited for anyone from the beginner to the most advanced hobbyist. They will provide a challenge to all.
- Common Name: Bala Shark
- Other common names: Silver Shark or Tri-Colored Shark
- Latin Name: Balantiocheilus melanopterus
- Origin: Asia
- Lifespan: Between 8 to 12 years if proper care is taken
- Size: Up to 14 inches if given a large enough Aquarium
The Bala Shark is not really a shark, as it is a freshwater species. But they are named shark because of their appearance. Bala Sharks are great jumpers and can seem to escape no matter how well your tank is sealed. They are very active plus they grow to such size that a large tank is mandatory for them to reach maturity. Young Bala Sharks may be kept in smaller tanks but as they grow they must be given larger tanks.
Bala sharks are a very peaceful fish that fit well into most community tanks with fish their own size. When they are full-grown it could consider a smaller fish as lunch. Bala sharks seem to do better when there's four or more kept together.
Bala sharks are unusual fish because many will emit noise, at night that can be easily heard from their tank. The Bala shark is a very hardy fish and for this reason is very popular among beginning hobbyists. They require little in the way of care, other than a good lid on your aquarium, but they also might be prone to ich.
They will eat basically anything you feed them. They prefer live foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and white worm. They will even eat flake food, which I mix with vegetable matter to give them a complete diet.
It is very important to keep these fish in very large aquariums with moderate rock and plant decoration. The smallest tank I would recommend is a 135-gallon aquarium. Water temperaure can range as low as 71 degrees to as high as 83 degrees. The PH of the water should be kept around 7.0.
Bala sharks have rarely been bred in captivity. These fish are egg scatterers, which means you will see the females laying eggs in the plants or on the gravel. These fish are usually brought in from exporters and this is why they can be a little more expensive than most fish. Females tend to be plumper during breeding season than the males; otherwise there is no way of determining the sex of Bala Sharks.
Install a tight fitting lid as these fish tend to frighten very easy and may jump from the water. Provide good filtration and a steady current. These fish are very prone to ailments if kept in over-crowded conditions.
I hope that I have provided some insight into these beautiful large peaceful fish.
About the Author:
I have been in the tropical fish/aquarium hobby for the past 44 years. Over the years, I have bred over 300 species of tropical fish ranging from the common guppy to the most exotic African cichlids.
Over the past 15 years, I've raised and tamed various breeds of birds from tiny finches to large parrots. Just like a new parent, I've been up all hours of the night hand-feeding baby birds.
It gives me great pleasure to educate up and coming young people in the hobby. Of course, any age can reap the benefits of the aquatic atmosphere!
I would say that the most fulfilling aspect of raising birds is to take very tame birds to hospitals and let the patients interact with these fascinating creatures.
I live on the west coast of Canada with my collection of tanks, 3 cats, a dog and a fine lady. Besides my aquarium hobby, I enjoy playing chess and browsing the Internet to keep myself updated on "fishy" things.
Douglas may be contacted by email at Doug@lovethemfins.com.
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
