A Beginner's Guide to Bala Sharks

By Dustin Williams | Feb 6, 2012 | 0 Comments | Rating: 1

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Many people choose to keep fish as pets rather than alternatives such as dogs, cats, birds and so on. There are a variety of different fish from which you can choose, and you also have to consider whether or not you want a saltwater tank versus a freshwater tank. If you’re looking for a lower maintenance option, then you’ll want to consider a freshwater tank.

There are a lot of interesting fish that you can choose for freshwater tank. One such fish is called the Bala shark, which is sometimes called the Silver shark or Tri-color Shark. This fish, although called a shark, is not a shark at all. Its body is very shiny, sleek looking and with it's dorsal fin, the shape is much like a shark.

The Bala Shark Aquarium

Bala sharks require a large amount of space in which to swim. The reason for this is that the Bala shark is very active and is also known to jump while swimming. Because these fish do jump, you’ll want to be sure to choose a tank that offers a cover to prevent them from jumping out of the tank.

Because these fish are social and like to swim in schools, you should choose to keep at least three Bala sharks in your aquarium. To keep three or more adult Bala sharks you’ll need a very large tank to accommodate these fish and keep them healthy. At minimum, you should choose a 90 gallon tank if you want to give them the proper living space that they require.

Water Conditions for Bala Sharks

Bala Sharks cannot tolerate high levels of toxins found in the water of new aquariums and can die easily if placed in a brand new tank. You’ll want to wait until you have an established tank, that has been running at least eight weeks and has establish a proper biological filter.

Another thing you’ll need to consider when keeping a Bala shark in with other community fish is what the temperature of the water will have to be. They prefer to live in water temperatures between 74 and 80°F.

You also need to consider the pH balance needed for the water. In this case you’ll need a pH balance of 6.0 to 8.0. Since they can live in this range of water conditions, there are a wide variety of tropical fish that live in similar water conditions and will make good tank mates for these fish. 

Bala Shark Diet

One of the nice things about caring for Bala sharks is that these they can eat virtually anything the other fish in your tank will eat. These foods include:

• Insects
• Dried flakes
• Algae wafers
• Pellets
• Larvae
• Fresh or frozen food

You’ll find that a variety of fish can thrive on some of these same food, which makes them great tank mates with other peaceful community fish.

Selecting Compatible Tank Mates

Almost any non-aggressive freshwater fish can live with the Bala shark. You do want to be careful about choosing tank mates because these fish will not defend themselves against other aggressive fish. Choose other peaceful community fish like Rasboras, Gouramis, Danios or many of the various Barbs as tank mates to ensure that they live a long life in your tank without the threat from aggressive fish.

Bala sharks can be an excellent addition to your fish tank. However, if you've never had an aquarium before and/or you have a very small space, then they are not the right fish for you. If you don’t have the right set up, or you’re not familiar with how to maintain an aquarium correctly, then start small with hardy community fish like Fancy Guppies, Platys or Zebra Danios and one day you can move up to this great fish.

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