Bala Sharks

[pumpkinnose]

Has anyone had any experience with these fish?  My hubby bought 4 and half of them like to hang around the tank with their noses down. 
 
Right now I have them in a 20 gallon but plan to move them into a 55 hopefully by the end of the month.  Their other tank mates are 3 gourmi (2 dwarf blue, I can't tell if they are both neon or if one is a powder and a flame) and several platy.
 
And please don't tell me they need a bigger tank then a 55 as we already know and I've told the hubby but they should be fine until income tax time for me to get a much larger tank one more time and then I'm done buying him tanks I hope.  I think I'm going to wait till we move his fish to another tank before I upgrade mine and just steal his 55.

 

[TallTree01]

There's not much to say but what you've prohibited me from saying tbh.

One question, how can you have 4 and a half Bala sharks?
If there noses are down you could try giving them a deshelled cooked pea or soak their food if you're not already.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

There's not much to say but what you've prohibited me from saying tbh.

One question, how can you have 4 and a half Bala sharks?
If there noses are down you could try giving them a deshelled cooked pea or soak their food if you're not already.

 
I think its more like she has 4 sharks and half of the 4 are hanging nose down.
 
 

Has anyone had any experience with these fish?  My hubby bought 4 and half of them like to hang around the tank with their noses down. 
 
Right now I have them in a 20 gallon but plan to move them into a 55 hopefully by the end of the month.  Their other tank mates are 3 gourmi (2 dwarf blue, I can't tell if they are both neon or if one is a powder and a flame) and several platy.
 
And please don't tell me they need a bigger tank then a 55 as we already know and I've told the hubby but they should be fine until income tax time for me to get a much larger tank one more time and then I'm done buying him tanks I hope.  I think I'm going to wait till we move his fish to another tank before I upgrade mine and just steal his 55.

 
Sorry, but I will have to tell you that you need a bigger tank...You need one at least four feet long to allow the fish to be comfortable, particularly when the behaviour you're describing can be linked to the fish being stressed. It could also be submissive behaviour as they have limited space and the other two are the dominant members of the shoal.
 
Unfortunately plenty of people have good intentions of getting a bigger tank to accommodate the bigger fish they have but life often gets in the way and prevents this. 
 
How big are the fish and what are your water stats? I'd be tempted to return them and wait until you have the tank rather than doing it the other way round..

 

[Discuslove]

Bala sharks get MASSIVE and they need like an 8 foot tank when fully grown.

 

[TallTree01]

Quote from LJ:

TallTree01, on 09 Sept 2013 - 4:29 PM, said:
There's not much to say but what you've prohibited me from saying tbh.

One question, how can you have 4 and a half Bala sharks?
If there noses are down you could try giving them a deshelled cooked pea or soak their food if you're not already.

I think its more like she has 4 sharks and half of the 4 are hanging nose down.

Quote ends


Oh okay LOL. I'm and idiot.

 

[Sophie]

They might be much happier in a group of 6+ as they are a shoaling species.. Regardless of how big they get

 

[TwoTankAmin]

They don't get so big- they max. out around 16 inches. And they should be kept in groups of 5 or more. Very active and fast swimmers- in tanks that are too small they will often end up smashing into the glass and harming themselves.
 

 
The only drawback to this great fish is that it grows too large for most home aquariums. The Bala shark is also a skilled jumper so a tight fitting cover is needed.

from http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile21.html