Good Tank Mates For Rtbs And Balas

[murphyk32]

open to anything but looking towards fish that arent bottom dwellers... its a 50 gallon

 

[divisible by zero]

how many balas you gona do?

 

[murphyk32]

3

 

[divisible by zero]

maybe some ridge line sharks, or i think they are also called denisons.
i'm not bala expert, but what i've read they do best in groups of 6 or more, and can also outgrow a 50gal tank

 

[murphyk32]

maybe some ridge line sharks, or i think they are also called denisons.
i'm not bala expert, but what i've read they do best in groups of 6 or more, and can also outgrow a 50gal tank

same as torped bards? google gave me one pic and i think it was the same

 

[divisible by zero]

yeah that's it, here's a link: link

 

[Pimp]

50 gallon is too small for balas

 

[nukeonekitty]

I don't know if this is fully correct, but I seem to recall someone saying you shouldn't mix different kinds of sharks. Maybe I am wrong?

 

[murphyk32]

well thats normally the concensis but its all guidelines and this one ive got to break... its that or they stay with other worse sharks but no u are correct tho it is working too a point,,, i had some very bad advice from my lfs

anyways any other ideas are welcome aswell

 

[divisible by zero]

most 'sharks' are catfish, so i've been told as long as you don't mix rtbs, balas and rainbow sharks, and go with the red line torepedos you'll be fine. but that tank is too small for balas, my buddy had 1 bala that did ok with red lines but got way too big for his 44gal at 9"

 

[murphyk32]

any more suggestions?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Bala's do best in groups of at least 5-6 and need at least a 5-6ft long by 18inch wide and 2ft tall tank minimum, these sharks grow big with the potential to grow to 12inch+ and are very active and skittish fish, so the larger the tank the better. If you do not have a tank of this size right now and do not see yourself getting one anytime soon, you should really rehome the sharks now before you get emotionally attached to them. But, if you have properly researched these fish and planned ahead and can give them a suitable habitat/home to live in, then i say well done !

The Red tailed black shark on the other hand in many respects is a very different fish with different needs. These fish are not sociable like bala's, they are solitary fish and are very territorial and agressive towards their own kind. They are not the brightest of fish are times and will often see other fish which resemble RTBS in shape/appearance or colours as a threat, thus it is strongly advised that you do not mix RTBS with other shark-shaped fish or fish which have similar colours or patterning to RTBS as more than often RTBS become very agressive and territorial to such fish and will end up harrassing them non-stop, which usually ends up with either the RTBS stressing itself out too much and dying, or the persecuted fish getting too stressed and dying.

Stressed-out fish are not good as fish become a lot more susceptable to illness/diseases/parasites etc when stressed, which can put the whole health of the fish community in the tank in danger if fish are carrying diseases and parasites and stuff.

If you have a large enough tank or are definately getting a large enough tank for a shoal of bala's in the near future, i would stick with the bala sharks and rehome the RTBS, on the other hand though if your tank is not large enough for the bala sharks but only large enough for a lone RTBS, i would stick with the RTBS then and rehome the bala's. RTBS need a tank of at least 3ft in length and at least 29-30 gallons or more.


Bala sharks do well with fish which will not freak them out, as bala sharks are already fish which are naturally very skittish in aquariums. So tank mates which keep to themselves and/or are peaceful and enjoy the same sort of habitat etc as bala's make good tank mates for bala sharks. There are loads of fish that all into this category, so you kinda need to give more info as to what sort of fish interest you etc.
RTBS do best with tank mates which are not likely to upset the RTBS- you should take into consideration stuff like how RTBS will often target fish which look similar to them. RTBS vary a great deal personality-wise...Providing the RTBS with a suitable habitat (i.e. lots of caves and decor to break up view point in tank etc), diet (mostly lots of algae/veg) and a good sized tank is crucial in making sure your RTBS does not become very agressive/territorial towards other fish, as the more agressive/territorial they become, the more difficult it is to find suitable tank mates for RTBS.
RTBS are generally not very agressive/territorial when juveniles, but will become more so as they mature. But this varies a great deal since RTBS themselves vary a great deal in personality/character themselves etc.

 

[murphyk32]

thanks.,, I have a large tank currently that they are going in, but it may be just a tiny bit small which if it is i will buy a new tank.

As for fish I am interested in, well anything really

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

thanks.,, I have a large tank currently that they are going in, but it may be just a tiny bit small which if it is i will buy a new tank.

As for fish I am interested in, well anything really

So you are keeping the bala sharks and getting a larger tank for them in the near future while rehoming the RTBS (or moving it to another tank which community more suited to it etc) then?

If so...What fish are you already keeping with the bala sharks already? How big is their current tank exactly/what is its measurements/dimensions?