What Paul_MTS is saying is true. Unfortunately a lot of fish stores don't bother to inform you about your fish' correct requirements as they are more concerned with making money from the sale.
Bala (silver) sharks need to be in a gorup of 3 minnimum and require a minnimum 125 gallons.
Clown loaches also should be in a group of 3 minnimum and require a 90 gallon tank at least.
Both these fish get to 12". Balas grow quicker and have also been known to get somewhat larger. Balas are also very nervous fish when kept alone and it's likely to jump or injure itself if it panics. Both fish are quite active.
What you have heard about shark aggression reffers to rainbow sharks like the one you have. Unfortunately, they can also be aggressive towards species that look similar in shape - that could include your bala. As such, the rainbow shark and bala also shouldn't realy be kept together.
Lastly, guppies should be kept at a ratio of 2 females per male. This isn't to say that you should go out and buy more fish though - wait until you've re-homed the bala and loach first. The reason for this ratio is that guppies are livebearers and livebearer males tend to chase females a lot in order to mate with them. If you do some research, you'll find the number one cause of disease in fish is stress. Unfortunately, this chasing is extremely stressful if the attention is not divided so that the females get a break once in a while.
I suggest you research each of your fish thoroughly and take everything you read with a grain of salt. The internet is a great place to start but books are useful resources as well. Check the fish index on this forum. If your fish isn't there, search www.google.com - and then ask here to make sure what you've gathered is correct. Never buy a fish without researching first and never rely on your LFS for info. They should be a good source of information but they are unfortunately extremely irresponsible in most cases so you can't expect anything from them. I'm sorry about the lecture BTW, I know it has nothing to do with you. Your fish look nice and I understand about getting attached but, if you truly care about your fish which you sound like you do, you will return the bala and loach before they get too big to find new homes and before they begin to compromise water quality for your other fish.
Bala (silver) sharks need to be in a gorup of 3 minnimum and require a minnimum 125 gallons.
Clown loaches also should be in a group of 3 minnimum and require a 90 gallon tank at least.
Both these fish get to 12". Balas grow quicker and have also been known to get somewhat larger. Balas are also very nervous fish when kept alone and it's likely to jump or injure itself if it panics. Both fish are quite active.
What you have heard about shark aggression reffers to rainbow sharks like the one you have. Unfortunately, they can also be aggressive towards species that look similar in shape - that could include your bala. As such, the rainbow shark and bala also shouldn't realy be kept together.
Lastly, guppies should be kept at a ratio of 2 females per male. This isn't to say that you should go out and buy more fish though - wait until you've re-homed the bala and loach first. The reason for this ratio is that guppies are livebearers and livebearer males tend to chase females a lot in order to mate with them. If you do some research, you'll find the number one cause of disease in fish is stress. Unfortunately, this chasing is extremely stressful if the attention is not divided so that the females get a break once in a while.
I suggest you research each of your fish thoroughly and take everything you read with a grain of salt. The internet is a great place to start but books are useful resources as well. Check the fish index on this forum. If your fish isn't there, search www.google.com - and then ask here to make sure what you've gathered is correct. Never buy a fish without researching first and never rely on your LFS for info. They should be a good source of information but they are unfortunately extremely irresponsible in most cases so you can't expect anything from them. I'm sorry about the lecture BTW, I know it has nothing to do with you. Your fish look nice and I understand about getting attached but, if you truly care about your fish which you sound like you do, you will return the bala and loach before they get too big to find new homes and before they begin to compromise water quality for your other fish.
