Bala Shark Tank

[TarkMalbot]

Hi,
 
I have one Bala shark in my 165 Litre (36 Gallon) tank which I bought many years ago before I learnt about Bala Sharks.  Rather than keep the shark stunted on its own I have decided to get a 5 foot 450 litre (100 Gallon) tank and have a shoal of 6 Sharks.
 
I will then plant up my community aquarium and keep my smaller fish in there.  
 
I read they are from  Asia; in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, around the Malay Peninsula and in the waters surrounding Borneo and Sumatra but I would like some advice on which other fish I should put in with the Shark.  I want to keep the tank authentic if possible so other fish that would naturally live in the same areas with Bala's and also the best type of substrate and plants to use.  Is this an achievable request or should I just set up a quiet community tank with some clown loaches and other bottom feeders and some quiet surface fish?
 
Any ideas would be great as I am planning on getting the new tank tomorrow and setting it all up cycling by doing a water change and filter media change into the new tank from my current set up. 
 
 

 

[leighton_87]

First of all I think it's great your getting a five foot tank for your Bala - its much better conditions than 95% of Balas are kept in

Unfortunately in my opinion this tank still isn't big enough - its only 5 times the length of a full grown Bala - equivilant to keeping A neon tetra in a 7.5 inch tank. I know most reputable sources recommend an 8 foot tank. This is not only because of the size of the fish but because it is very active - you wouldn't for instance need to keep a similar size plec in such a large tank.

I honestly don't know what I would do if I was you - you have almost endless opportunities with a tank that size and I can think of some awesome things I would love to try - equally I can see why you would to leave your shoaling Bala shark alone and any attempt to rehome would no doubt end up with him in a smaller tank than your planning.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[raptorrex]

I'd try and find someone who could give it a proper home.
 
the suggested tank is still too small, and they should be kept in groups of 3 minimum.

 

[leighton_87]

I would say 6 minimum in line with most shoaling fish

 

[techen]

I agree with 6 and a much bigger tank. Say around 500-600L min.

 

[Zikofski]

how big are the sharks at the moment, there is no point in my eyes getting a 600L tank for a shark that is barly 2 inches long now, im sure they wont get to the maximum over night, so you can keep 6 of the in that 450L tank for now, but yes bare in mind you will need to get a bigger tank say 2 years maybe 3 down the line, depending on how quick they grow,

you want a more natural look, have you searched online for that? i dont know my self so i cant help with that, but in my own opinion i would go with sand, and just lots of plants, make sure its not fully filing the tankwith plants as these fish like a lot of swimming space, i used to have red line torpedos which are similar to the bala shark but not as big,
clown loaches would be a great idea as a bottom fish, and im not sure if there are any other fish of those size that you can keep peacefully, as i am no expert

sounds liek a plan and good luck getting the natural look, i try within reason to,

good luck and some pics would be amazing cant wait to see this develop

 

[TarkMalbot]

Here is the setup at the moment.  I ended up homing some of the fish from my smaller 165 litre tank so my wife can create a planted tank in that.

I currently have 5 Bala Shark in the 426 litre tank.  2 of them are 2" and 3 are 7".  I re-homed a pair of breeding Kribs (3") that were at war with another pair, a shoal of 7 glass catfish (all 2") and 1 Bristlenose (5").

Many may think its too small for Bala but they are in better conditions than they were in the LFS and probably 99% of all sold to the public.  
 

 

[leighton_87]

Loving the look of the tank

As I said in my first post I wish you the best of look with the tank and pleased to see they have a bigger home than most give them.

 

[Mikey1]

Hi,
 
I have one Bala shark in my 165 Litre (36 Gallon) tank which I bought many years ago before I learnt about Bala Sharks.  Rather than keep the shark stunted on its own I have decided to get a 5 foot 450 litre (100 Gallon) tank and have a shoal of 6 Sharks.
 
I will then plant up my community aquarium and keep my smaller fish in there.  
 
I read they are from  Asia; in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, around the Malay Peninsula and in the waters surrounding Borneo and Sumatra but I would like some advice on which other fish I should put in with the Shark.  I want to keep the tank authentic if possible so other fish that would naturally live in the same areas with Bala's and also the best type of substrate and plants to use.  Is this an achievable request or should I just set up a quiet community tank with some clown loaches and other bottom feeders and some quiet surface fish?
 
Any ideas would be great as I am planning on getting the new tank tomorrow and setting it all up cycling by doing a water change and filter media change into the new tank from my current set up. 

 
a 100 gallon tank is borderline, and i would say the absolute minimum for balas.....some people still might consider that small for balas.....6 bala sharks is what i would consider the minimum sized school/shoal for them to feel comfortable.....
 
tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, and ID sharks are good tankmates for balas.....but these fish also get very large, so keep that in mind when stocking

 

[TarkMalbot]

It is still a little cloudy but I was expecting that for a few days.  I did wash the gravel outside in a bucket with a hose pipe and the water was pretty clear before I put the gravel in the tank.
 
To set the tank up I did a 50% water change out of my other tank and put that water in the new tank.  I took half of the ceramic rings, a course sponge and the big amazon sword out of the established tank and put that in with the new filters to help start the cycle.  I also added 100ml of Tetra start safe.
 
The bog wood was also soaked in a large tank at my LFS for 24 hours before going in my tank.
 
I will keep an eye on my levels and eventually put the ceramic rings back in the smaller tank and I have already replaced the course sponge anyway.  Is there anything else other than frequent water changes that I can do to ensure the best biological start?
 
I have put a small air stone in the gravel under the heater to help maintain an even temperature around the tank.  I am thinking of just having it on using a timer during the night or should I just have it on 24 hrs?

A few photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JenJ]

Nice tank, and I *love* that piece of wood!

 

[Mikey1]

why did u put foam under the tank?
 
was that specifically recommended by the tanks manufacturer?////if not, get it out of there.....
 
a tank should always be on a firm hard surface.....you are asking for panel shifting and/or cracks doing that

 

[Scates11]

Cool tank! Looks like your balas have a pretty nice home to me. Of course they could be in a larger tank...all fish could but hey I think its very nice. Don't let the people on here discourage you.

 

[TarkMalbot]

why did u put foam under the tank?
 
was that specifically recommended by the tanks manufacturer?////if not, get it out of there.....
 
a tank should always be on a firm hard surface.....you are asking for panel shifting and/or cracks doing that

The cabinet and tank came together with a note saying it must be fitted with polystyrene under the tank and all of my aquarium books say the same. It takes out any discrepancies between the bottom of the tank and top of the cabinet so there is even contact an pressure. Is this not the norm?

Nice tank, and I *love* that piece of wood!

I love it too! Not cheap a it was advertised at £70 but I got it cheaper due to buying a lot at once! It has lots of caves and hiding places. When the tank settles an I have tidied up the cabinet cupboards I will take some more photos of the filters and stuff.

Thanks for the comments though guys. Even and criticism is only due to everyone wanting the best for the fish.

 

[fluttermoth]

why did u put foam under the tank? was that specifically recommended by the tanks manufacturer?////if not, get it out of there..... a tank should always be on a firm hard surface.....you are asking for panel shifting and/or cracks doing that

The cabinet and tank came together with a note saying it must be fitted with polystyrene under the tank and all of my aquarium books say the same. It takes out any discrepancies between the bottom of the tank and top of the cabinet so there is even contact an pressure. Is this not the norm?
 

No, you're right (sorry Mikey!). There are tanks that mustn't have polystyrene under them, but they will have some sort of plastic rim/trim that goes underneath the glass to support it; yours doesn't have that, so it does need the polystyrene.