Bala Shark
The Bala Shark is not really a shark at all but a member of the Cyprinidae family, which includes minnows, carps, barbs, and danios. It is a freshwater fish that is very popular in aquariums. Its silver color is quite striking with black markings on its fins. The Bala Shark gets its name from its slender shape and dorsal fin which is shark-like.
In the wild, the Bala Shark is an endangered species and almost extinct in many areas. It lives in lakes and rivers in Asia, in such locations as the Chao Phraya river basin, plus around Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Pennsylvania. The Bala Sharks sold in pet stores for aquariums are bred on fish farms. When they are sold, this shark is often around two inches long, and not all pet stores inform buyers that the fish could grow to be fourteen inches long.
Because of its size, the Bala Shark is not suited to most home aquariums. An aquarium of 55 gallons is recommended for baby Bala Sharks and no smaller than 125 gallons for adult sharks. In fact, a 200-gallon aquarium would be just about perfect. The shark also tends to be skittish and timid when kept alone. They are a school fish and the best environment would be in a 200-gallon tank with five Bala Sharks. The lifespan of a Bala Shark is approximately ten years.
By most accounts, the Bala Shark is a peaceful fish that will not disturb other fish in the tank as long as it’s well-fed and has appropriate hiding places. Bala Sharks need lots of open spaces for swimming and diving. They spend a lot of time searching the bottom of the tank and cleaning it of bits of food. Make sure to have a solid and tight cover for your aquarium as this fish likes to jump out.
A Bala Shark is easy to maintain as long as you have a tank that is large enough. Because of its size, it is not recommended as someone’s first fish. The shark is omnivorous. It is not a fussy eater and will eat food flakes or live food. While many Bala Sharks live peacefully in communities with small fish, it is best to follow the rule that if a fish can fit in its mouth, the shark will eat it. It is comfortable in water temperatures ranging from 72-degrees to 84-degrees. The Bala Shark can live in water that is soft or medium hard and with a pH level of between 5.8 and 7.8. They are good algae eaters. It is normal for this shark to make loud clicking noises when eating.
As with any animal in captivity, even fish are happiest when the conditions in which they live resemble their natural environment as much as possible. In the wild, Bala Sharks live in schools containing hundreds and even thousands of fish. That is why it is better to have a fish community than one fish. They co-exist well with rainbow fish, barbs, small guppies, danios, angelfish, and clown loach. Large tetras are OK but this shark has been known to eat the tiny neon tetras. It is best not to put a Bala Shark in the same tank as a Red-Fin Shark because the Red-Fin is too territorial.