Bala sharks get HUGE, not just big - and are very active fish.
Balas can grow to 14 inches long, and are active swimmers (which the name shark would suggest)
Honestly, in my opinion, anything less than an 8 foot tank is cruel, although a 12 foot tank would be my suggestion. And 12 foot tanks are very rare, which is why I feel that bala sharks are a fish that really have no place in the hobby. They just can't be properly housed in any reasonably sized tank.