FAQs on Bala or Tri-Colored Sharks

FAQs on Bala or Tri-Colored Sharks

Moving Bala Sharks: Need Advice - 8/17/10
To Whom It May Concern:
I currently have an established tank with three balas in it. I love the fish! My dilemma is that I am about to move back to school, and I need advice on how to transport them (i.e. get them into smaller containers).
When I moved home for the summer, I had a heck of a time catching the three fish (took well over an hour) using a net to coral them into separate containers.
<Mmm, two nets... of size, soft mesh... and great care so these minnow sharks don't launch themselves out during the process... LARGE poly fish bags... and a source of oxygen (likely a friendly fish store)... and some sort of insulated container/s... fish box/es, cooler/s>
My concern is that they seem to have grown over the summer and are perhaps even more fidgety. Is there a method that ensures or at least greatly decreases the chance of injuring these fish in catching them?
Thank you in advance!
Peace,
Matt
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Balas, Bettas and Catfish 9/2/06 I just bought a Bala shark and two pictus catfish. I was thinking about getting a couple of the big goldfish too but the guy wasn't sure if they could all be together in the same tank. Would they all be ok in the same tank? < Goldfish are actually cool water fish. At the elevated tropical temperature needed by your other fish the goldfish would not do well.> Or if not how about a Betta fish? < The other fish you have chosen get to be pretty good size. The Bala sharks get up to 18 inches and the pictus cats get at least 6 inches. At that size the cats would eat your beta while the big balas sharks would knock him around.> Would the Bala shark be better off by itself or with another one? How about the catfish? < When they are smaller they are better of in a school. When they are larger they can go as a group or as an individual.> Are they better off being just two of them or should there be more? < Two is fine.> Because that guy at the store said they like to be in groups of 3's. < That works for smaller schooling fish like tetras and not as much for these cats.> About how long would it take for the Bala shark to reach it's full grown size? < A couple of years depending on the environmental conditions.-Chuck>

Bala shark not swimming well, 2's a Crowd! 8/21/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> My Bala Shark is around 6 inches long and she is in a tank that is too small for her along with another, smaller shark. I knew when I bought her (about a year ago) that this would happen but didnt expect it so quick. I have recently bought a much bigger tank that I know she will be happy in but she has begun to develop problems in the small tank. She is swimming vertically nose up and appears to be struggling to reach the top. I havent seen her eat in a while either. I have treated the tank with Myaxin but to no avail. The nitrites in the tank are zero but the nitrates are very high. Have tried a couple of 25% water changes and she seems to like the new water for an hour or so. The new tank is two days old and cycling with five Buenos Aires tetras and obviously, the water parameters are good for now! I know shell love the extra space as the tank she is in right now is narrow and deep 2x 2x 1. The new tank is 4 long and much better for her. Im afraid she will stress herself to death before she sees the new tank and I have done what I can for her in the old one. Should I move her to the new tank now or will that definitely kill her? <I would absolutely put the shark into the larger tank ASAP! If you live in the USA you can purchase Bio-Spira to instant cycle your tank & move all your fish in there. If not, just move the suffering fish in there (remove the tetras) & continue to test the water daily, doing water changes accordingly, to keep toxic ammonia & nitrites down. If you are having nitrate troubles in the other tank, much larger water changes (up to 80%) are necessary. You may be overfeeding. ~PP>

Bala sharks... sys., dis. 8/18/06 <<Hello. Tom here.>> I have a fifty-five gallon freshwater tank that is three years old and stable. I'm having a heck of a time introducing new Bala Sharks. I've got a healthy one in the tank that is over two years old but when I introduce new ones the new fish develop white scales and their eyes fog over. Temp. is 82 degrees and the PH is 6.8. Everyone else seems happy except the lonely shark. Any ideas? <<Strikes me as an acclimation issue, Bill. Have you asked your shark source as to what their parameters are? If your two-year-old is doing well, I suspect that you're introducing the new ones too quickly into an environment they aren't ready for. Far less likely a problem with temperature than it is with the pH. Get this information from the store and I'll bet you'll discover what the problem is.>> I used Mela fix to help but to no avail. <<Not likely to be at all effective if the cause is pH shock. Tom>>

Can fish be epileptic? Yes... Schreckstoffes and Bala Sharks, other Ostariophysian Fishes 8/3/06 Hi Guys I hope you can help me because I have a fish who has always behaved oddly but is getting worse. My partner and I inherited a 90 litre tank with too many fish in it, two of which were Bala sharks. We have recently upgraded this to a 180 litre tank. The larger of the two Bala sharks has always been a bit skittish and nervous, <This is the species natural behavior... can be lessened in degree with lots of room, placement of home in a high/er traffic area, the use of plants, other decor they can "hide in"> not liking it when anyone approached the glass and only eating when he thought no one was looking, something we put down to his not having enough room in his original home, but he has been getting worse lately. <Oh... perhaps something further...> We have seen on a few occasions that he seems to have fits as well as being nervous. He shakes and thrashes about as would an epileptic human, and than goes very still. The first time this happened we thought he had died and very nearly flushed him. Then he started moving again, but upside down, so we were still tempted to freeze him because we thought that he had permanently damaged himself. After a bit he righted himself but seemed to rather sluggish. Slowly he came back to being the Big Silv that we know and love, but this has happened again to lesser extents a few times subsequently. If the only issue was that he has fits we would just leave him to it, since his quality of life when not fitting seems to be ok and he does not appear to stress out his tank mates, but he injures himself. He has not recently had a fit that either of us has seen and seems perfectly happy in his new home as far as his personal parameters allow him to be. The water is fine and all of his tank mates are healthy. As far as we can tell he does not have hole in the head disease and as we have had him for about a year now, we assume that this disease would have killed him by now if that was the case. <Mmm, there is a good explanation...> He regularly rips his fins and knocks scales off of himself, but the worst of it is that he repeatedly injures his nose (and occasionally one eye) on the glass ledge or the gravel. Because he is so jumpy (frequently out of the tank jumpy) he never allows this time to heal and it is really ragged now. So, my questions: Is it possible that he has fishy epilepsy? <Much more likely this is a "fright contagion"> Is it possible that he has permanently damaged his brain either in a fit or in one of his nervous jumps? <Possibly> Is there anything we can do about this without poisoning the others? <Yes> Is there anything we can do to help his nose to heal given that we have to approach the tank to feed them all and operate their light? <Best to allow this to self-cure rather than getting involved in possibly poisoning your whole system, all livestock> Is this a doomed fish or are we doing the right thing in trying to maintain his quality of life as best we can in the circumstances? <Not likely doomed> Please help because he would be a great loss to us and we would really like to help him to be healthier, happier and longer lived. Many Thanks Fran <Thank you for writing so well, completely, compassionately. I suspect that this minnow shark is involved in a situation where it has damaged its skin, releasing a chemical or few that is continuing to mal-affect its behavior. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FrightChemsFWArt.htm and the linked FAQs file above... I would add a modicum of activated carbon in your filter/flow path here in attempt to filter out this/these materials. Bob Fenner>

Was Goldfish disease enquiry, now tropical/Betta health, comp. 4/12/06 Hi, <Hello> I'm Karthik. I'd contacted you about that skin flukes/Trichodina problem that my goldfish were suffering from for quite a few months. I lost one Oranda due to dropsy. I treated all the rest with a dose of Potassium Permanganate and then dismantled the entire aquarium, cleaned everything thoroughly and then re-established the aquarium and allowed the empty, re-setup aquarium to stand for a fortnight to allow the beneficial bacterial colonies to develop. I then added my fish back into the tank and now they seem to have got rid of their problem and their behaviour patterns are all normal now. I thank you sincerely for all the assistance you had given me during that time. I'll feel free to contact you in case I need your assistance at any point of time. <Okay> I wanted to know one more thing- I have another aquarium (tropical fish). I have a school of neon tetras, 4 Bala sharks and a rainbow shark. <The Neons will be consumed here> I also have 5 bettas- a red crowntail, a blue halfmoon tail, a royal blue veiltail, a dark red scissor tail and a Cambodian female betta which I house in separate (obviously), spacious jars. They're all doing extremely well. However, when I add any of these 5 bettas to my tropical tank, they sort of become dull and their fins start tearing in various places after 2-3 days. There are lots of hiding places, and plants like the Cabomba, Amazon sword, etc. and the current due to the filter isn't very strong either. If I put them back into their jars, they become normal again and their fins grow back. I've checked the tank- there are no pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate level surges. the temperature is maintained at 24C The water quality is quite good because the other inmates of the tank are doing pretty well and I can assure you that none of these other inmates harm the betta. <Perhaps not overtly> I'm puzzled about this sudden change of behaviour from these bettas. Could you tell me what could be the reason for this? Expecting your reply soon, Thanking you, Karthik <Likely "stress" from being in the presence of the sharks, particularly the Redfin... plus having so much space to swim about in... is wearing on little-used fins. Bob Fenner> Re: Goldfish disease enquiry ... minnow shark, betta comp. 4/12/06 > Hi, <Karthik> Thanks for the information. Now I would like to clarify a few things here. Firstly, both the Bala sharks and the rainbow shark are about 1 to 1 and a half inches long. They're still very young. Are you sure the presence of the rainbow shark affects the behaviour of the betta? <Absolutely. More so though, as you hint, with increasing size> As far as I can see, the rainbow is pretty peaceful and he's happy grazing the leaves of the various plants in the tank and nibbling at everything he can find including the gravel and in fact, that's all he seems to be doing all day. <You will see, learn in time... please see WWM re "Minnow Sharks"... beh., comp... I am in the process of sorting, writing review pieces for principal species...> The bettas and the rainbow shark are supposed to be compatible species anyway. <Not often, no> And how come these bettas don't feel uncomfortable if I leave them alone in a large tank with just the rainbow shark? I've tried that before). <Not long term> You'd mentioned that the neons would become a meal of these sharks in your previous reply to me. I've been careful to choose balas of the appropriate size considering the fact that Neons are existing in my aquarium. They're doing well. I know that neons are from the Amazon and balas are from Thailand but would you recommend this combination? <No... the Balas get too big (35 cm.) are too rambunctious, like very different water quality...> After all, neons reach a maximum size of 2-3 inches <... rarely more than half this> but Balas grow up to 12-13 inches or so I've heard. I've also heard that the rainbow shark gets extremely aggressive as it grows older. Is this true? <Often, yes> I've never had a rainbow shark before. I've had almost all varieties of goldfish over a decade (ever since I was 8, now I'm 19) but I'm trying to expand my knowledge in other tropical fish now- hence the above questions. Expecting your reply soon, Thanking you, Karthik <Welcome. BobF> Balas are cyprinids Are you serious about the (Bala sharks) being (fresh water minnows)? <Yes, they are> Cause I have a Bala shark of my own and he actually does look like a minnow. I was also wondering if when it gets older if I could feed it feeder fish. <Not suggested> I hope you right [write] back, I would really like to hear back from you and you could give me more advice that you know and I don't. <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ See the Google search tool? Put the term: "Bala Shark" in it... Bob Fenner>

Freshwater Sharks? Really Cyprinids - 08/18/2005 Hello Wet Web Media Crew, <Hello, Mark; Sabrina with you, today!> First of all I would like to thank you for the time you have taken to respond to this e-mail. <You bet.> I just purchased a 90 gallon tank from my friend. The tank is in great condition. I am looking to find a freshwater shark, and I was hoping to find some options. I have been doing a lot of research today on freshwater sharks. <I have to assume, if you've been researching, that you know that there are no such true sharks that exist solely in fresh water.... And that the cuties that we refer to as "sharks" (balas, rainbows, red-tails) are actually Cyprinids. Minnows, essentially.> I have read about the small species such as Bala sharks and redtail sharks. <Balas are by no means small, easily capable of reaching over a foot in length.> However, I am interested in getting something larger, but small enough to fit in a 90 gallon tank. <Balas are perfect.> I was wondering if there are any types of freshwater sharks that can fit and live in a 90 gallon freshwater tank. Thank you very much. <See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm and also here: http://www.fishbase.com/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=6089&genusname=Balantiocheilos&speciesname=melanopterus . A small group of balas would be ideal.> Mark <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Tri-color/Bala Shark Hello My name is Matija and I just got a tri color shark. It is about half an inch big and I was wondering how big is it going to grow, if it is going to grow. Also what kind of food should I give to it. I have gold fish food and people in the pet store told me that that food is fine. also if you can give me some tips on what should the temperature of the water be and how often should I feed it. Thank you very much and I hope I will hear soon from you. Matija <Thank you for writing. I wonder if this actually is what most folks call a "Tri color shark", aka Bala shark (Balantiocheilus melanapterus)... as the very small size at retail surprises me... This minnow-like fish (same family as your goldfish) does get quite big in the wild... a couple of feet, though rarely half this in captivity (most jump out onto the floor when no one is around to put them back in the tank, so keep your tank top completely covered!). This "shark" actually needs more meaty, high protein food than your goldfish, and I would at least supplement its diet with a tropical fish staple food... fed at least twice a day. Some frozen, defrosted foods like brine shrimp (best fed in the morning) would be good for it and your goldfish as well. The temperature is a bit tough to accommodate both the goldfish (which are cooler water) and the tropical "sharks" but something in the low to mid seventies should be good for both. Set your aquarium heater thermostat to around this (have your parents help here, it's a bit tricky). Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Fishy Questions... naturally jumpy Bala Hello. I am just another curious fish owner and I saw your email on wetwebmedia.com so I decided to email you my questions. First I have 8 Tiger barbs (2 are albino), 1 Bala shark, 2 Red tailed black shark (1 Albino), and a Pleco. All of my fish are in a 35 Gallon tank. The tank was recently heavily vegetated and had many hiding spots for the fish, however when I got tired of my Bala sharks weird behavior I took a good bit of Vegetation out of my tank to give him more room to swim hoping that would fix his strange behavior. Now let me explain the problem. All my other fish are very calm in the tank, even when I tap on the glass they just seem to ignore it. However, when ever I come about 1 or 2 feet close to the tank. My Bala shark goes nuts! He takes off from one side to the other swimming up and down the side of the aquarium, then he will dart behind something and hide or jam himself into a tight corner or position. After a while, he will calm down and stay in a corner. He then jerks and shakes randomly and he looks like a dead fish. Whenever I leave the room and come back in later (but stay away from the tank) I can see from a distance he is just acting normal and swimming around, but when I get up close the whole cycle happens again. Do you know what is wrong?? I had two other Bala sharks and that didn't help at all. They soon died off though but he survived. --Please email me at XXXX@excite.com < Your Bala shark gets to over a foot long and like lots of area to swim. I would try and get a few more and make a small school for him. Be prepared to get a much larger tank as they grow. You could also try smaller bulbs or put the tank in an area without so much foot traffic.-Chuck> Thanks --Puzzled in Louisiana

Jumping Bala shark? 7/11/05 Our shark is leaping out of our 55 gallon tank and swimming erratically. <Something's amiss with water quality... or stray electricity> We had to separate him from the other fish in the tank. he is listless and moves very little in his new space but is 'calmer'. Any ideas why he would be shifting color (from dark to light) and hanging vertically in the tank? <As stated, something is wrong here... I would check your water for chemistry and electrical leak. Bob Fenner>

Tri color sharks I have three tri color sharks and recently I have noticed that one is bright red around his fins and is spotting. I have only noticed it on one and it's behavior has been a little weird also he opens and closes his mouth rapidly. If you have any idea what it could be please e-mail me back or if you know where I could find an answer. thank you, Frank >> Not a good sign... generally this appearance is attributed to poor water quality or a trauma (these big minnows are big jumpers as you know, will know)... with septicemia, petecchia resulting (bloody markings as you relate). What I would do? A large water change, and add a teaspoon of non-iodized salt per ten gallons (just once, it doesn't go away, except with water changes), and hope for the best. This is a tough species, and if the specimen has hurt itself, it will almost assuredly heal. Bob Fenner

Tricolor (Bala) shark habits <Good morning! Ryan with you today> We recently purchased 4 tricolor sharks. We have noticed that 2 of them seem to ALWAYS swim together and twitch and rub against one another. Is this normal? <Yep! Quite an interesting fish to watch, very hardy. A good aquarium pick in most cases.> Is there anything we need to do? <Perhaps provide some coverage, they do like to hide a little. It does breed in captivity. Lots of great info on these guys. Start with fishbase.org, and go from there!> Thanks <Sure>

Bala Shark behavior Why do my Bala sharks shimmy and rub up against one another especially when I feed them? Also can I breed them and can you tell male from female? Amy <Hi Amy, Don here. I've never kept Bala Sharks so I did a little research. Seems this is a common behaviour for them, especially after feeding. Unless everyone happens to have a pair, I would think this is not linked to breeding, which is very rare in captivity. I know of no way to sex them. See link. http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/16672/99195 >

Bala Sharks - Fighting or Loving 2/10/06 What a great site for a beginner. I've been checking your site for information on my Bala sharks. Although I have found many posters with similar questions I still need some clarity. I have 2 Bala sharks that don't appear to get on (about 4inches, had one for 3 months the other for 4weeks). The first one was alone for 3 weeks after his other Bala mate died. I introduced another to keep him company but he didn't seem to accept the new Shark at all. <Happens> After being out for a few hours we returned to find a piece of the new shark's fin had been bitten off. That was coupled with lots of chasing around the tank. This has settled down but still flares up a fair amount, especially around feeding time. To my surprise his tail has re-grown to it's original size. Now they are doing the rubbing motion a lot of people are putting down as mating. <Mmm, no... challenging. Are much larger when breeding> No answers seem to have come as to say if it is mating or not. Could it just be aggression, bullying? <Mostly, yes> That is what it seems like to me (IÂ¹m no expert mind you). So if itÂ¹s a form of advanced aggression/bullying, IÂ¹m going to have to give the new shark back to the shop to save him. If itÂ¹s mating, IÂ¹ll leave them to it. But I canÂ¹t stress enough that the chasing, the poking, the rubbing Â it looks like a form of bullying. Any light on this would be great and also maybe just as pivotal a question. Can the Bala shark survive and live a happy, healthy life without other Bala sharks for company? <Yes> (I read everywhere that they need company, but my original one looked happy for those 3 weeks alone, only to turn into a right grump when I introduced his new friend) Ps: I change and check my water twice a week and havenÂ¹t over populated my tank and have no other problems with my clown loaches or platies amongst themselves or with other fish) I love my sharks but will remove one if heÂ¹s going to be bullied into an early grave! Cheers in advance Mark <Have seen many healthy single Balas. Bob Fenner> Discus and Bala sharks Hi Bob: Here Ahmed from Pakistan. I have some Bala Sharks in my 5 feet long tank. 2 of them are quite big nearly 8 inches and 5 are 4 inches in length. Now I intend to keep small Discus fishes in my aquarium. My question is that can I keep discus with these big Bala Sharks? Thanks Ahmed < Your Bala sharks will get too big and be too fast for your discus to really feel comfortable and thrive.-Chuck>

Bala Shark & Oscars <<Greetings, JasonC here...>> First of all I really enjoy your web site, over the past 3 years I have started 3 tanks and your web site has given me the most helpful information. <<Glad we can be of service.>> I have a Bala Shark in a 42 gallon tall tank with an angelfish, in my second 73 gallon tank I have 3 Oscars and 2 Parrot fish, The Bala shark is around 5 inches, Could I move the Bala shark into the tanks with the Oscars? <<You could... but would you want to? Oscars really do their part to tax a filtration system, and by adding anything to that tank you're going to add to the bioload.>> The Oscars are around the same length as the Bala shark and the Parrot fish are smaller. <<It would likely work for a while.>> My second question involves my saltwater tank that has the ecosystem, Caulerpa a UV sterilizes, some bioballs and tribase carbon, my Koran angel has started to develop a slight case of lateral line on one side. I have just started to add vitamins to the their food and fish solution from ecosystems. Has my UV sterilizer killed some needed bacteria? <<Hard to say except that it is defiantly not part of the Ecosystem Aquarium as designed by Leng Sy which in my book is a "designed" system - anything else added to, or altered from the original designs will change the results. I would stick with the "system". Only way to know is to take it out of line. HLLE on the other hand is almost entirely nutrition-related. Your best option here is to make sure the angel gets a good mix of foods including something containing marine sponge [like, but not exclusively, Angel Formula] as that is what these eat most often in the wild. Success against HLLE is less likely to come from a bottle than from a well-balanced, natural diet - no terrestrial vegetables.>> Is my carbon removing some necessary trace mineral? <> Any thoughts would be appreciated Martin Rischall <<You got 'em. Cheers, J -- >>

Bala Sharks In a Planted Tank - 03/12/2006 Hello Again, I wrote about this time last year with questions about filtration for 150 gal aquarium in which I was overwintering my 2 pond fish, a 12 in goldfish and 15 in koi. I was (and still am) using a Magnum 350 canister, a HOT magnum filled with bio-media, an Emperor 400 and 3 400 gph powerheads pushing the UG filter. I siphon 50 gal of the water each week using a python gravel vacuum and stir up the gravel so the filters can take out the suspended waste. When I wrote last year I was complaining about not being able to keep up the amount of waste generated by the fish. Bob Fenner suggested I clean the filters more often and add a couple of box filters and an air pump to aid in filtering the debris. I added the filters and a Luft air pump. When the weather warmed up enough to take the fish outside, I decided they were too big for my 400 gal stock tank so I gave them to friends who had in-ground ponds and I got a couple of smaller goldfish. Naively, I figured my filtration set-up would be able to handle 2 goldfish. I brought them inside in Oct. and have been faithfully cleaning the tank and the filters as described above (I swear) and am back with the same problem, I cannot keep up with the waste from the goldfish, they are between 6 to 8 inches. SO, I have decided to give up on keeping the goldfish in the aquarium over the winter. I may give these fish to my pond friends and get some 'mosquito' fish for my stock tank. Now I'm getting to my question - I have thought for a long time that Bala sharks are very attractive fish but never had a tank I thought was big enough to house them. Several years ago I had a 75 gal plant tank with lots of tetras and had good luck, and since I have decided to forego the goldfish I am considering a tropical freshwater tank again. But before I invest in more lighting and live plants, would you tell me whether 3 Bala sharks would create the same trouble with waste as the goldfish. I have been thinking about having a school of 12 to 15 rasboras, several Siamese algae eaters and 12 - 15 kuhlii loaches with 3 Bala sharks. But I don't want to get it all set up and not be able to keep up with the waste. I kept tetras for many years and really do the maintenance I have described. However, with the goldfish, the pleasure factor is greatly outweighed by the unsightliness of the waste. Would you be willing to give me feedback about this plan or modifications that would make it feasible? I'd sure appreciate the help. Thanks a lot. Kerry < Bala sharks get big. I have seen them personally up to 18". These of coarse were very old but very well cared for fish. They would be like a bull in a china shop disturbing the planted tank just by their movements. A better choice would be some roseline sharks. They have a similar body shape but a nice red streak to the body. They don't get too big but make a very nice addition to a larger planted tank. they are expensive but the prices are coming down. They would definitely be easier than a goldfish tank.-Chuck>

FW Sharks Thanks for your quick response. When adding fish to a tank this size (90-gal.), what would you consider "slowly." <One...then wait two weeks. Test the water. Add another etc> I want to get a group of Bala Sharks and some compatible fish to make a community. <No such thing as a shark with compatible fish. Please don't try this> I know Balas get quite large eventually. How many should I add right away? <I refuse to recommend/suggest that you buy any Bala sharks or any other species of sharks for that matter. It's a sucker purchase and the likely-hood that it will live long enough to grow large is slim to none. Why don't you "kill two birds with one stone?" 1) Save a fish's life by not buying any sharks and; 2) if you and others don't buy them, stores won't stock them. Now we're saving thousands/tens-of-thousands of sharks! I know they are cool to look at but they don't live.> How big a group is logical to add in the near future? --Thanks, <None, zero, zilch, nada. In Vegas there is a "Shark Reef" that has 6'+ sharks swimming around. Go check it out! Or go to Myrtle Beach South Carolina and check out the shark exhibit at the Ripley's aquarium. They have 12'+ sharks! Leave these creatures in the ocean or public aquariums. I apologize for being so blunt and repetitive but the truth isn't always pretty not is it necessarily what people want to hear. But it is the truth...none-the-less. David Dowless> Charlie

Oops.. I made a blunder I hope you had a good trip Bob. How was Belize? <Unfortunately we didn't go... Our friend/roomie/travel partner Pete was too sick. So Di and I and he traded in our tickets to go to Kona next month. A good cancellation as I was able to get a bunch done here> I wanted to tell you that I screwed up royally on a question last night. A guy wrote in and asked about stocking his tank with Bala sharks. Thinking that he was speaking of a saltwater species (that I hadn't heard of), I responded with the typical answer, "Don't buy any sharks!"...and like a fool...I rambled out my reasons. So now he's written back and I have apologized profusely and I'm feeling really stupid. I hate it when something like this slips through. <No worries David. These happen. Apologize to the querier and go on> I was also wondering...the response went out this morning and I would love for it not to appear within the website. I gave bad information and anyone that's in-the-know will recognize the information was incorrect. It's depressing enough that it will be on the daily facts but I really don't want to take the chance that this response would damage WWM's credibility by being permanently placed on the site. <Not to worry re our credibility. We're human... will place a further comment from you right after> I guess if I had finished the bio that you asked for you would know that I'm not very familiar with freshwater anything. I normally pass on these types of questions. I will finish the bio soon. Thanks for understanding that sometimes everything that can go wrong does go wrong. In the future, I'll be even MORE careful before responding to questions. <Ahh, please do send your bio. along, with the areas you feel most comfortable with. If there is/are difficulties in queries, feel free to move them back to the in-box, or into someone elses folder> Also...remember the New Wave CD Rom (Goemans) that you wanted me to review? I sent the review in and Susan wrote that a review had been completed by Moe and printed in October 2002! <What?> Would you like to have my review for WWM's literature section? <Yes, will post tomorrow> I'll also tell you that Goemans and I had several enlightening and engaging discourses about this book. He seems like a great guy: very friendly, knowledgeable, loves the saltwater hobby, and willing to accept constructive criticism. He is also very impressed with WWM. I think I saved his final email. I send you a copy. David <Yes, have it. Bob.G is indeed a gentleman... and an actual scholar. Bob Fenner>

Bala Sharks <Craig...would you please help this gentleman out? Thanks. David Dowless> <Absolutely!> 90 gallon tank: I want to get a group of Bala Sharks and some compatible fish to make a community. I know Balas get quite large eventually. How many should I add right away? How big a group is logical to add in the near future? --Thanks, Charlie <Hi Charlie, These fish can reach 14" in length and can be "aggressive". Compared to the other minnow sharks they are relatively peaceful, but still will chase/nip on occasion so stick with fish of a similar temperament that can stand up under the pressure or that live out of the water column and are also tougher fish. The group of Balas will make any other choices more important. In a 90 you could probably accommodate 3-5 Balas (they are shoaling type fish) and perhaps a Pleco (watch size here, some can become quite large) perhaps a few Clown Loaches. Some of the larger Barbs would likely do alright as well, they are feisty and fast. It is best to avoid overcrowding (start slow) and introduce the aggressive fish last, concurrently if small, and change decorations/set-up to throw territories off during intros. Make sure your tank is well covered, Balas are notorious jumpers. Best of luck, Craig>

Tight Tank Dear WetWebMedia Crew, I have lost three Bala sharks (out of five)- two just suddenly died with no signs of illness, and with the third death the only sign was a slight reddening on the lower fins and very slightly above one eye. Now another Bala has developed this red colouring to its two lower and one upper fin. Can you tell me what this is, and advise me on how to treat it, please? The tank is approx. 80 liters, and contains four Bristlenose catfish, four blue Gourami, three black angelfish, one Redtail shark and several breeding snails (although the breeding has stopped in the past eight weeks, prior to this the breeding was prolific). Last week we added a second filter, a BioWheel, to our primary filter and we vacuum and change the water irregularly but on an average of every four weeks. These fish have lived happily together for the last eight months and the only fish we seem to lose are the Bala sharks (which upsets my husband as they're his favorites). Robyn Johnsen <Your problems are stocking levels and general water maintenance. You have far too many fish in this tank. To maintain good water quality with this many fish, in this size tank, would require a stream being diverted through it! If you want to keep Bala Sharks you need to upgrade to at least a 55 gallon tank. Same for the Angelfish. The Redtail may be OK for now, but will become very aggressive as he matures. Not good in a small tank. And four Bristlenose? Find three a new home unless you plan to upgrade. That leaves you with the 4 Blue Gourami, the Redtail, and a Bristlenose. About your limit. Then you must do more frequent water changes, always with a gravel vac. About 50%, once a week. Your Bala Sharks problem is known as bacterial hemorrhagic septicemia. Usually caused by poor water quality, especially high nitrates. Getting the water pristine will help. Oxytetracycline may be needed, but they will have to be treated in a hospital tank. Using a med in the main tank will nuke the beneficial bacteria your are trying to get established on that Bio Wheel. That will result in ammonia spikes and compound your problems. Don>

Balas in a 30 - Soon to be Silver Shark Sardines? Hi I have 3 Bala sharks that are at 2.5 inches... <Will get *much* larger. Say, 14 inches? I do hope that you have adequate housing for these fishes.> ...now with 4 neon tetras I was asking how many other fish could I get. <Well, that is a very subjective question. It depends on the size tank, what species you want more of, etc. For example, I could say that you could get 2 more fish, and you could get 2 glowlight tetras or two Oscars.> And if you have any suggestions of the fish I should get. <Again, depends on the size of the tank, though most peaceful catfishes, notably of the genus Corydoras, and small cyprinids would mix decidedly well with your current assortment of fish.> Oh yeah I have a 30 gallon tank <Disregard what I previously typed as to fish suggestions, look up at my first carroted response. Your 30 gallon tank is in no way adequate for the Bala, or Silver, Sharks you are currently keeping. You should not be looking to get more fish, but looking to find a new, more appropriate home for your current piscine stock, or at least the Sharks. Do see the following article for a bit of information on Balas: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm. On a side note, please make a point to research purchases before you make them and to stock according to the adult, not current, size of the fish intended for purchase. If you cannot provide for an adult in your tank, don't buy the baby, no matter how attractive they may be. (I have long had a "thing" for Balas, but continue to refrain from making a purchase, for fear I could not adequately provide for them in even the largest of my aquariums). Best of luck to you, Mike G> <<Editor's note: PLEASE use proper capitalization!>>

Sand and balas Hi guys and gals, <A gal for ya today - Sabrina here> I found your site looking for info on Balas and got sucked in. Here it is three hours later and I'm still reading, wonderful site! <Thank you for the kind words!> I have two questions. 1. What is the growth rate of the Bala is there is one? <Depends upon health, feeding, etc.> I've had one for about a year with some silver tip cats and a pleco in a 20g tall. He is doing fine and has grown to about 3.5 inches and I want to put him in his own tank with some other Balas. I read they should be in groups of at least four. <'Tis a good idea, they are definitely schooling fish.> I want the tank to last at least three years, what size should it be and how big can I expect him to be by then? <In three years? Again, depends upon several factors, but assuming all is well, I would think that he may be fully grown by then, at or around a foot in length.> Secondly, this may sound dumb...I love the look of sand but don't know much about it. Would the average play sand at Home depot stay on the bottom of the tank and not cloud the water? <I don't know that I'd trust just any average play sand.... Talk to a good fish store in your area and ask if they carry sand in bulk. I know one of the sands that I used to use in Kansas was marketed as a sandblasting sand, but was ideal for aquarium use, strangely enough. Steer clear of aragonite sands, as that will alter your pH.> Balas are pretty quick and I'd imagine with the filter's currents and all sand would easily get blown throughout the tank. <Well, depending upon how large of a grain it is, that could be a huge issue, or none at all. In your case, I'd probably try to find a sand that's very large.> Is it a hassle? <It can be. It is my substrate of choice for planted aquaria (along with some other stuff), but in an unplanted aquarium, it will compact and create some water quality issues if it's not well stirred occasionally. Try to find something that suits your tastes and is a large enough grain size that you can vacuum it easily. Wishing you well, -Sabrina.> JayS Temporary Fish Housing (12/23/2003) Hi-ya thanks for any help you can give me. I am wanting to move my community tank upstairs as a larger tank has been bought for the living room to host Discus. The tank currently running is a 35 gallon community tank. With around 15 fish, biggest of which are silver sharks ( a pair ) around 3-4 inch in length. <Are these Bala "Sharks" (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) or Hemiodus? Either of these will get bigger and need a bigger home. Depending on the projected adult size of your 15 fish, your tank may be overstocked.> The other tank is a 75 gallon which is not set-up as yet. It will have a Eheim 2026 pro II for filtration. I am wanting to move the fish into this larger tank temporarily. So I have a couple of weeks to clean out and replace various parts of the old tank. Just wondering how quickly I can move the fish into this new tank without risking their health. I will start with just a couple of the more hardy fish like the mollies and the green tiger barbs. The tank is quite large for the fish going into it. <not really> How long should I leave the tank before any fish go in? assuming its free from chlorine. <Seed it with water & filter material from the 35, it will cycle very quickly and you should be able to start after just a few days transferring a few fish every few days. And how quickly should I add the rest? <No clear-cut formula here. Maybe 1/4 of the fish every 3-4 days. If you can get some Bio-Spira (check Marineland's website for info), you can cycle the tank instantly.> I will then of course have to slowly move them back to the original. <Consider Bio-Spira> Would greatly appreciate any tips or hints you could give me, in this stressful time for my little friends!! <Your "sharks" would be better off in a 55G tank than a 35--they need the swimming room of a 48" long tank. Good luck, Steve Allen>

Balas in a 75? I have written several times recently about setting up a 75-gallon FW community. Your advice has been invaluable. I'm at a turning point now, I think. I started with three little Buenos Aires Tetras and I have added three little Bala "Sharks." I've had the Balas for a couple of weeks and I have a question about tank mates/tank size. I thought I would get a Rainbow Shark and a couple Clown Loaches and a Cory or something similar. But I'm afraid the tank is too small for that group of fish. Is my tank even big enough for the three Balas? <The Balas will easily reach sizes of around 12 each so you wont want to add more than another 15-20 of adult size fish to this tank, less would be better. The Clown Loaches can reach an adult size of around 11 each so these are not recommended unless you do get a bigger tank. The Corys and Tetras stay pretty small so should be OK if you go with just a few of each. The Rainbow Shark can get to around 6 so that one is kind of iffy.> I sort of wish I had made the tank a community of African Cichlids, but on the other hand the Balas are the reason I decided to keep fish in the first place. I'm looking for a bigger (used) tank. I'm considering putting the Balas in a bigger tank and converting the 75 to Africans. Does this make sense? Any suggestions? The Balas are only about three inches at this point. Thanks. --Charlie <Putting the Balas in a bigger tank and going with Africans would be a perfect solution. Ronni><>

What do I feed tri color sharks? >>Um, I'm assuming you're talking about a freshwater fish, in which case I don't see why they can't be provided a good quality, freshwater fish staple, along with supplemental feedings of frozen bloodworms, or other meaty foods they'll demonstrate an interest in. Marina

Bala shark prob., environmental disease/poisoning My problem is with a Bala shark. I got two sharks about 2 weeks ago. I had been having some water problems, did a big partial change, <How big?> added BioSpira, and had water rechecked. Water was better, with the nitrates going from more than 250 to 200, and the nitrites are still high at 12. However, the ammonia is okay at 0.5, <?! Not okay... should be zero. Do not add livestock to an uncycled system...> and the buffering is good at 90. My Ph as of today is 7. My last Bala died before I started correcting my problem. The pet store said not to change my water for 4 weeks after adding BioSpira. My problem is this Bala, it has a cloudy eye, is breathing rapidly and color is a bit pale. I fear the worst is going to happen. The other Bala I got is okay. I got these two after my second water check. All other fish, angel fish, catfish, different tetras are all okay. What do I do? <... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>

Sick Bala Shark We have a Bala shark about 10" long who has started swimming up side down and laying on the bottom of the tank all of a sudden. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance John Sutherland <Yes... either move this fish NOW or change a very large part of its water... something is very wrong... with your water quality likely... Unless it rammed its head but good! Bob Fenner>

Re: Sick Bala Shark Unfortunately the fish expired. We did a 20% water change and a double dose of Cycle but it didn't help. For some reason after a water change the Nitrates went through he roof. The other fish seem OK. Thanks for your quick reply though. John <Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Bala shark question I have 3 Bala sharks, and I noticed last week the dorsal fin on one of them has started turning pinkish red, and now the other two also have it. Do you have suggestions to what is wrong with my fish, and ways to help them out? Jennifer <Good observation... reddening can be an indication of infectious disease... and/or environmental complaint... which is almost always the direct cause of such infections... I would check your pH, ammonia... and more importantly, change a good part of your water (25%) or so every three days... and see if this improves your fish's health. Bob Fenner>

Bala shark twitching Hello We have a 29 gallon tank with one Bala shark, 3 painted tetras, 6 zebras, 1 baby angel, 1 rainbow, 1 gourami, 3 green cobra guppies, 3 red swords and 2 Cory cats. Problem: Bala has been twitching since we got him 3 weeks now. We never see him eat- flakes so far. Now he is occasionally swimming nose down. Any suggestions? smiley <Mmm, try different foods... this minnow shark is social, does like and require larger quarters when it's bigger, but rarely refuses food... Likely it is just unfamiliar with the format you are offering... try some frozen/defrosted meaty foods or live. Bob Fenner>

Frogs and Bala sharks I recently began a small semi aggressive community of fish and aquatic frogs (2). After about 2 months, I am experiencing some problems with my tank. The frogs are faring just fine, but I am having problems keeping a Bala shark alive. I have gone through two now. The only other fish in the 2.5gallon tank is a Betta fish and he seemed to get along fine with the balas. I am aware that stress from the 2 albino African clawed frogs could have caused the shark's demise, but I am believe it had something to do with the water quality. It has become cloudy and foamy. I used spring water that I treated before I put the fish in and I clean the tank monthly, using Aquasafe as a water conditioner. Recently, the water took on a pungent, stale odor and became cloudy. I tried cleaning the tank and the cloudiness continued. A few days later, the surface of the water started frothing (or foaming) in front of the filter and circulating around the tank. My first question is: what causes this foaming and what can I do to alleviate it before it kills another of my fish? The 2nd Bala died yesterday 2 days after the foam started and the first one died almost immediately after purchase. The second question is: Is it wrong to keep those three species together? Was the stress level too high for the Bala? My third question is: Even though these are small fish in a small tank with a filter, do I need a larger tank or perhaps an aerator? Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Sincerely, Lauren >>>Hi Lauren, A few things. First it is generally not wise to keep herps and fish in the same system unless it's properly designed to accommodate them. Especially in such a small system. Second, what kind of filter do you have? When you say you clean the tank monthly, what exactly do you mean? Do you empty it an strip it down? Third, Bala sharks get HUGE, and are active and nervous fish. 2.5 gallons is too small *in the extreme* for this species. Long term, 55 gallon minimum. Without any other info, my advice would be to get a larger tank for your fish, and leave the frogs in the 2.5. Get a good hang-on BioWheel filter or a canister filter, and DO NOT break the tank down when you clean it. Any filter pads and such need to rinsed in water from the tank to avoid killing the bacteria in the filter. Jim<<<

Bala Shark Missing? We have 3 Bala shark's as well as a few other types. We have had them for about 2 months now. Two of the Bala shark's over the last few weeks have started to stick to each other as they swim around the tank (we just figured they we mating or fighting with one another). Today however one is missing!! We saw the fish around 11am and around 1pm (few hours later) the fish was gone. We have looked every where. We have a full cover on the tank but we still checked all around in the pump, in the filter, looked around the stand (knowing these fish tend to jump) and the shark is no where! I have had fish eat other one's in the past but never so fast without leaving a trace. Does this sound like a mating or fighting issue? Do you think the other's could have eaten the fish soo fast without any of us noticing? We are just baffled! Thanks for any help. Williams Family >>Dear Williams Family; Sorry to hear of your lost fishie, it is possible he may still turn up alive. I have seen fish burrow into the substrate or beneath decor in order to avoid aggression, though I've never seen a Bala shark do so. You are correct in the fact that these fish jump, they can sail pretty far through the air. If I were you, I would check beneath all other furniture in the room, as he could have flopped quite a distance. What size is the tank? You should keep balas in groups of 5 or more, they will be much better off. Also, keep your nitrates as low as possible with regular partial water changes in order to prevent disease. Good luck, and I hope he was just hiding! -Gwen<<

Bala Shark Spazzing Out I currently own 1 Bala Shark in a 55 gallon with about 20 or so other community fish ranging from Dwarf Gouramis to a School of 8 Neons. I bought the Bala about 8 months ago. He's been real active, zips across the tank, sometimes chases other fish etc.. (I have a full hood, so no jumping) I have had no problems with him whatsoever. I bought him at about 3", he's now about 5 1/2" the last week, It was feeding time and I turned on the light. He was spazzing. He was zipping across the tank (sometimes upside down) crashing into the walls etc. He then shot straight up, tried to jump out, hit the hood, dove straight down and buried himself in the 2" gravel at amazing speeds and smashed into the bottom of the tank . I thought he was dead and was real scared. I grabbed my net, scooped him up and started moving him through the water (His gills were still moving) after about 2 minutes, he sort of woke up and went swimming off. so It's almost as if he knocked himself out. So anyways, next couple of days he's fine, swimming fast and active, but not crazy or anything. this morning, I turn on the light for feeding and he's spazzing again, it's very violent and a bit scary and my girlfriend won't even go near the tank when he does it. He has no discolorations, no white spots, no "hole in the head" no slime on the skin, nothing unusual at all about him (or any other fish in the tank). My PH is currently 7.0, heat is running about 81 degrees, I'm running a Penguin 330 dual bio wheel (which is rated for a 70 gallon tank) I do about a 15-20% water change every weekend (and use some water conditioner and ammonia/ammonium conditioner). As well as vacuum the tank and clean the filter cartridges. (Feeding them TetraMin flakes and sometimes bloodworms) (the Bala is not skinny and he is eating) I'm wondering if this is normal? Is he spazzing because he's stressed out for some reason? Any help or insight would be appreciated. thanks Rob Gillespie >>Rob, what are your ammonia, nitrite, and NITRATE readings? There are a few things that could be bothering your fish. One, aggression from another fish. Two, a parasite. Three, high ammonia/nitrite or nitrate readings. Four, stray current from a broken heater. Is your pH always at 7.0? What is your tapwater pH? If your tank pH is a lot lower, there could be a problem in the tank with DOC's. Once you have established that your NH3/4, NO2 and NO3 and pH readings are within normal parameters, we can think about other causes, like a parasite. If you think this is the problem, then you will need to treat with a good quality anti-parasitic medication, like Super Ich Cure or Quick Cure. Read the labels, since some fish need to be treated at half dosage. -Gwen

Erratic Bala Shark? Hi, <Hello> I have had one Bala Shark for about 6 months now. It gets along great with all of my other fish which are: 1 angel fish, 2 Cory cats, 1 pleco, 2 mollies, and 11 neon tetras. About a week ago I noticed that the Bala sharks behavior was even more erratic than usual. It is almost a hyper behavior. It doesn't dart from one side of the tank to the other but it does dart around a bit and is overly erratic. <Some Balas go a bit "nutty" as they become older. But, it might be some sort of parasite bothering the fish. My large iridescent sharks had gill parasites and they would suddenly zip back and forth and kind of thrash a bit.> It used to be calmer than it is now. It is as if it might be stressed about something. It will jerk around like it is excited. I went ahead and cleaned the tank and did a water change a few days ago. <Good plan, sometimes just making sure the fish have new fresh water cures them.> The pH is at 7 and the temp is at 80. The temp usually stays in between 76-80. I have a 38 gallon tank and I just bought a 5 gallon as an isolation tank. <Very Good!!! An isolation tank is one of the best investments a hobbyist can make.> I put the Bala in the isolation tank and started treating it with Quick Cure. Although, I see nothing physically wrong with it except for the unusual behavior. I've never seen it act like this before. Do you have any suggestions for me as to what is going on with it? Thanks, Stacy <Treat with a medicine a little more powerful (be sure to follow the instructions) I would use Maracide or CopperSafe, Use Maracyn-Two, Maracyn, Tetracycline or TriSulfa to prevent secondary infections from bacteria. Good luck, and make sure the fish seems healthy before releasing it back into the show tank. -Magnus>

Platies & Bala Shark Hi there, <Hello!> I have a 30 gallon tank with 5 platies, 4 tetras, 1 molly and a lobster. The lobster doesn't seem to bother the fish, but he has been known to try and catch them from time to time (when he's getting ready to molt). I know that seems mean, but the pet guy said it would be okay. <You may find that he will eventually catch one but for now its fine.> Two questions: (1) My platies tend to hang around the bottom of my tank - ignoring the lobster. They hide near the lobsters hideout, and under plants very near or even on the bottom. Is this normal? <Platies are generally a middle water column type fish but its not uncommon for them to hang around near the bottom. As long as their fins arent clamped and they are showing no signs of disease I wouldnt worry.> (2) I lost my Bala shark today. I haven't had much luck with them. I'm starting to get discouraged. I checked my nitrate and ph levels both fine. The rest of the fish are okay. I came home tonight to the horror of my shark floating upside down - still breathing a little. Am I doing something wrong? Any advice? <Unfortunately, your system is way too small for a Bala. They can get over a foot in length. In addition to testing Nitrate and pH you should also test Nitrite and Ammonia. Those are the ones to really worry about (dont discount the others though!) and are common killers of fish in many home aquariums. Another thing Ive noticed recently is the poor quality of Bala livestock that is available in stores. This didnt used to be the case but of the three stores (in 2 cities) that Ive checked recently, there wasnt a single Bala that I would have even considered bringing home. I have no idea what the cause of this is, it could be poor breeding or handling, or any number of other things. It really makes it tough for the people who are looking to buy healthy livestock. But anyway, for your system I would suggest sticking with what you have and not getting another Bala. If you want something a bit different than what you have, maybe get a few Blackline Penguinfish (often sold as Penguin Tetras). These are a nice active fish with the silver and black coloring but they stay small, under 2, so you could add several of them without overcrowding your system.> Thanks!!! Hayley <You're welcome! Ronni> PS Cool Web Site! <Thank you much!!>

Balas Tail-Down I have three young Balas (3 inches) in a 125-gallon tank with some Corys and some Buenos Aires Tetras. They all have been doing well until today the Balas seem to want to hang around the outlet of one of the Fluval 404 outlets. Also they have seemed in the past, when stationary in the water, to remain level of slightly nose-down. Today when they are not swimming, their tails seem to drop, possibly because they want to stick their noses into the outlet stream (underwater) or possibly because they are having difficulty remaining level. Ammonia and nitrites are zero. I don't have a nitrates kit. pH is 8.4 (always that high). Carbonate hardness is 6. Any idea what the trouble could be? They are definitely behaving differently. They still dart around the tank, but when they are stationary, they seem to be in distress. Thanks for your continuing help. Charlie <Since this is happening to all three of them I would venture to guess its something in the water. Are they breathing heavily? Are there any other symptoms? To start with, I would do a partial water change and see if that helps, probably around 20-25%. And do some checking to see if you can get the ph down, that is way high for these types of fish. Go to http://www.wetwebmedia.com and do a search for lowering ph to see what you can find out. Ronni>

Re: Balas Tail-Down Ronni, thanks for your reply. <Good morning and youre welcome> I do know how to lower the pH. I had decided not to fool with it since my tap water is high and I didn't want to risk erratic changes when trying to keep it stable and low. The consensus seemed to be it might be better to leave it high and stable. Should I try to keep it lower? <I can definitely see the reasoning behind that. Ive successfully kept tetras and barbs at a pH of 8.2 and it is hard to lower it and keep it low consistently when your tap water is high so yes, go ahead and leave it alone. I was finally able to lower mine a bit by changing the substrate, the tank originally had crushed coral in it and by changing it to crushed granite I was able to drop the pH to 7.8 which is still high but at least a little better.> The fish are no better today. One seems to be having trouble keeping is tail up (his tail was a little deformed when I bought him--previous injury?and the other two are not behaving normally, either. <You know, I was at my LFS yesterday and noticed a tank of Balas that had deformed tails too. Several of them had tails that pointed upwards, some had tails that pointed down, and ones whole body was arched downward. I wonder if its something in the breeding now, possibly too much inbreeding like whats happening to the feeder goldfish?> I had done a (scheduled) 25% water change before I wrote to you...forgot to mention it. I did a scheduled filter cleaning today. Didn't see any problems there. Water parameters still are as usual--no ammonia or nitrites. Temp fine. Water clear. <Ah good.> All other fish are fine (sensitive Corys, too). One thing, this morning I did notice a small nick in one Bala's tail. I'm not sure it's new but I haven't seen it before. There was a young (new) pictus in the tank. Maybe he has been harassing them at night? I removed him. Seems like the tetras would have been easier prey for him though. <Was the Pictus quarantined before being added to the tank? And how big is he? Its possible that he was picking on them and that the Tetras were just too fast for him to catch but the Pictus generally dont pick on things until they get a little bigger than what is sold in most stores. If he wasnt quarantined its also possible that he carried some disease that the Balas got, they tend to be more sensitive to diseases than many other fish. Are they getting enough vegetable matter in their food? You should have some softer live plants for them to feed on continuously as they are mostly herbivorous. Also, they tend to be sensitive to nitrates in addition to ammonia and nitrites so you may want to get a Nitrates test kit or take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it. Take a look at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm theres a ton of info on minnow sharks there and you might be able to pinpoint something.> Should I do another water change today? <Possibly. Read the above URL and related FAQs first and go from there. Ronni>

Sick Bala shark (08/02/03) <Hi! Ananda here today, with Phil helping out on this one...> I have recently put a Bala shark into my tank (about 5 days ago) to accompany the previous one I have because I heard they get over stressed sometimes while alone, but I am starting to think it may be getting sick. <Did you quarantine this fish before you put him into your tank?> Its nose seems to be pointing down at the bottom of the tank at a fairly steep angle. I looked over all you disease charts and couldn't find any other symptoms matching this. Could the fish still be adjusting to the tank? <How long has it been head standing? Five days should be sufficient to adjust to new surroundings. This kind of behavior could be indicative of a swim bladder problem, or be something caused by inadequate diet or water quality problems.> I have a 15 gallon hex aquarium containing 3 small Cherry Barbs 1 male Betta 3 Serpae Tetras 2 Bala sharks (other seems to be fine) 1 rainbow shark all the rest of the fish seem to be fine <That makes me think this was something the fish had before you got it... I would pull the sick fish immediately and put him in a quarantine tank. If you're concerned about him getting stressed from being alone in the tank, get a couple of small mirrors and put those against the glass on the outside of the tank. You'll need to do *daily* water changes to keep the water quality good. (And that's going to be particularly important, since the fish's problem could have been caused by poor water quality at the fish store.) Feed all of your fish a good quality food, one that's enriched with extra vitamins.> is this to many fish to have in a 15 gallon hex? (I know that this tank is to small to house the 2 balas but they are small and I will be moving them as soon as I get my 55 gallon up) <I would move the rainbow shark along with the balas. After that, you should be okay. With all the bottom feeders gone from the tank, though, I'd recommend getting a few ghost shrimp -- the clear/white shrimp usually sold as feeders -- to help with the janitorial duties.> The tank is filtered by a bio-wheel power-filter filter which I have recently replaced the cartridge. also I recently did a major water change about 2 weeks ago (over 50%) because I read in the book that you should do a major water change every 6 months to a year, is this true and could that be the problem? <Hmmm. I've never heard of this major water change schedule idea. I do hope you're doing water changes every other week, rather than just every six months... smaller, more frequent water changes are better than less frequent large water changes. --Ananda> Greg Vanos

Bala Shark I have recently put a Bala shark into my tank (about 5 days ago) to accompany the previous one I have because I heard they get over stressed sometimes while alone, <Sometimes> but I am starting to think it may be getting sick. Its nose seems to be pointing down at the bottom of the tank at a fairly steep angle. <Also not unnatural, particularly in too-small settings> I looked over all you disease charts and couldn't find any other symptoms matching this. Could the fish still be adjusting to the tank? <Yes> I have a 15 gallon hex aquarium containing <... this tank is too small for this species... it gets about as long as this aquarium is wide...> 3 small Cherry Barbs 1 male Betta 3 Serpae Tetras 2 Bala sharks (other seems to be fine) 1 rainbow shark all the rest of the fish seem to be fine is this to many fish to have in a 15 gallon hex? <Mmm, just the Bala's should be moved. The Rainbow Shark may go after the Betta in time> (I know that this tank is to small to house the 2 balas but they are small and I will be moving them as soon as I get my 55 gallon up) <Ah, good> The tank is filtered by a bio-wheel power-filter filter which I have recently replaced the cartridge. also I recently did a major water change about 2 weeks ago (over 50%) because I read in the book that you should do a major water change every 6 months to a year, is this true and could that be the problem? <Possibly. I would hold off unless it's a dire emergency in doing any more than about a 25% water change... and then use water that was treated and stored for a week or more. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2ochgs.htm Bob Fenner> Greg Vanos

Diseased Bala Shark >Hi, >>Hello! >I hope you guys can help me! >>Me too. >I have a very sick looking Bala shark and don't know what else to do for it. >>That's why we're here. >Here's the situation: I have an 18 gallon tank that has been doing very well for about seven months. I'm using an undergravel filter and have lots of healthy plants in the tank. >Current fish in the tank: 2 Bala sharks (largest one is about 8cm and looking very healthy - the smaller one's sick) 2 Clown loaches (fat and healthy) 1 Bristlenose catfish 2 Serpae tetras 9 black neon tetras 2 male dwarf Gourami 1 female dwarf Gourami 3 gold long-finned Danios All of these fish seem to be very healthy. But my poor shark: It started with red streaks on the fins, then progressed to what looks like velvet all over its body and stiff fins. The shark is still eating well and behaving normally. I tried using Waterlife Protozin (protozoacide/fungicide) for the four day treatment - half dose because of the loaches. But it's now a week later and there is no improvement (slightly worse! :-() >>Right. Sounds as though he had a primary bacterial infection which left him susceptible to the velvet. >I have checked ammonia, nitrate, pH - all is fine. Temperature is stable at 26 degrees (78 degrees Fahrenheit?) What else can I do?? Should I try the medication again? Hoping you can help. Amanda. >>Right, well, I would put him in his own hospital tank. This doesn't need to be large at all, or even a fish tank, per se. A container that is chemically inert (non-metal), of around 5-10 gallons, that you can put a small heater in would suffice. Then, I would put him on Melafix or Spectrogram (both broad spectrum antibiotics), with the addition of Kosher (pure) salt at the ratio of 1tsp/gal. The salt both helps the fish deal with the stress of osmotic pressure and seems to boost the effects of antibiotics. >>Please search our library here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm for more information, and check these next two links--they're charts on medications, uses, and dosages. here--> http://www.petswarehouse.com/Fishmed3.htm >>And here--> http://www.petswarehouse.com/Fishmed2.htm >>Hopefully this is of some help. Marina

Help Bala shark with ich 4/8/06 Hi my name's Brandy. I have a ten gallon tank set up for 4 months now and was running smoothly. Ammonia is 0 ppm nitrate is less than 5.0 ppm. <Good> I haven't been testing for nitrite or ph. I have an outbreak of ich which I treated today with Super Ich Cure by API. My tank had aquarium salt added a few weeks ago. The problem is that when I added the treatment for the ich on of my balas stopped swimming. <Yes... is rather toxic... BTW, this minnow-shark species needs to ultimately be in a much larger system> He is still breathing, but lying upside-down on the bottom of the tank or on a plant (fake btw). <Yikes... very bad.> I am not sure what I can do for him at this point. <If it were me/mine, I would add some activated carbon to your filter, flow path... to remove the "medicine" quick...> I vacuumed the gravel and did a 30% water change because I was afraid that he would get more infested if I waited. <Good move> I would like to try a salt dip, but don't want to push him over the edge. I have a 3 blue pearl danios, a Cory cat, a small pleco, and two balas. Every one else is fine only the balas have ich I think. I do know how (now) big they get and was planning on moving them into my 38 gallon this weekend, but alas the ick struck! Thanks for all your help! <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm I would only use half-doses of Malachite Green on "sharks", small Characoids, catfishes... and elevated temperature to treat ich. Bob Fenner> Bala Shark deformed mouth - 03/11/2006 Hi... great web site but I could not find the answer to this question I have a Bala shark for almost a year now.. very healthy... today I noticed his mouth is staying open ..have never seen this before... he cannot close it for some reason... help... thanks Keith Brown <Mmm, might be that your dissolved oxygen is just low (increasing aeration should solve this), but there are instances of genetic problems with this species (where the mouth develops in a warped fashion), and the possibility that the animal was damaged physically (they are "great" jumpers...). Bob Fenner> Bloody Bala? - 03/08/2005 Hi Crew, I have looked over your website, but have not seen anything that can answer my question. I appreciate your help. <We'll do what we can, then!> One of my Bala Sharks, has a top fin that is completely red, not red streaks. I didn't notice any red on it yesterday but today the whole fin is as red as a tomato. The Bala seems to be ok otherwise, eating and such. I am wondering if this could be in relation to my plants. <Mm, it is likelier that this is an injury.... physical damage. Look towards aggressive tankmates, possible "danger" zones in the tank....> My swords, seem to not be very healthy, Browning and rotting on the tips. <Many, many things could cause this; it is likely not related to the bala's problem; however, poor water quality or other such factors would affect both fish and plants.> Nitrates, Nitrites, ph, all, are within safe ranges. <Mm, "safe" isn't necessarily "safe".... Test again, with good, liquid reagent test kits (not dipstick-type strips), and be certain that ammonia and nitrite are ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm.> Temp is around 78-80. Thank you for your time and advice, Paige <At this point, I would observe closely the behaviour of this fish and his tankmates, and see if you can find any possible cause for injury. It may be worthwhile to consider a quarantine tank if the animal's health begins to decline, or if the fin begins to show signs of infection. All the best to you, -Sabrina>

Bala Shark Behavior/Ick... troubles 1/16/06 Hello, <Hi there> I have had 2 Bala sharks for about a week now, and they seem active, it's just that they are constantly running up and down the left side of my fish tank (20g) as if they are crazy seeing their reflections or something. Is there something wrong? I have never heard of this! Also, last night before i turned the aquarium light off, all of my fish (2 balas, one female and one male swordtail, and 6 zebra danios) seemed to be doing fine. But this morning, (so unfortunate!!) one of my zebras had died, and the male swordtail had died. The male had apparently died from ick (which showed no signs the night before) and the ick has now spread to one of my other danios and the female swordtail. I treated the tank with ick treatment capsules, <Ingredients?> and i also quarantined the two sick fish separately with treatment. Was this the right thing to do? <... Please see WWM re FW ich... need to raise temperature, assure that the medication used isn't absorbed otherwise...> If my two sick fish make it through the ick, how long after they seem better should i add them to my main fish tank again? <Mmm, your system "has" the ich...> I have also heard that ick is caused by sudden stress level or sudden temperature changes in your fish tank. <Often, yes, these are the two principal factors> My temperature has stayed at 78 degrees since I have set up the tank a week and a half ago, <... is this tank cycled?> and the fish in my tank seem to give each other no problems at all. I'm a little confused, and frustrated. Any help you could give me would be awesome. Thanks, Jaime <Please see WWM (and quick) re Biological Cycling, Testing as well. Bob Fenner> My Tri- Colored Shark might be constipated! Forget that prairie stuffing, here comes Mongo! And high ammonia, nitrite, mis-mixed tropicals and goldfish, and likely poor nutrition and maintenance 10/16/05 <<Or! Someone went on a titling spree.>> I have a fresh water aquarium. In my tank I have 4 Gouramis: 2 of which are dwarf Gouramis, 1 Pictus catfish, two large Gold Fish and one small Goldfish <Mmm, are misplaced together... the tropicals need to be in a separate system, circumstances (water quality, temperature) than the goldfish> (we had them left over from a 10 gallon tank and are very healthy), and 1Tri Color shark (occasionally some feeding fish for the catfish no more than 4 at a time). <Not smart... see WWM re> I test the water every week sometimes every two weeks my last reading was Ph 7.2 High Ph 7.8 Ammonia 4.0 ppm (high) <Deadly toxic> Nitrite .25 ppm (high) Nitrate 0 ppm (low) Reading last week gave me all good results. Aside from some elevated results I have noticed that My Tri Colored shark has a really large belly and after feeding the fish and hour later or so I would see all the other fish at some point or the other with a trail of poop, all except the tri color shark. Over night I notice that his belly continues to get larger and larger. Please help he is a beautiful shark, I don't know what to do to help this little guy get some relief. He hasn't been sluggish or anything he is still very active swimming all around the aquarium very fast. What can I do to help him. Thanks Julie <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm and the linked files above... You should stop feeding period, change your water out per WWM daily till the ammonia is below 1.0 ppm... and ASAPractical secure separate quarters for your goldfish, adequate filtration... Bob Fenner>

Chlorine Problems 8/5/05 Hello, First time participating in a web based FYI session. I thought I would send along my experience with the Bala swimming inverted (simulating an infected swim bladder) and listless with heavy breathing and sometimes they dart in all directions. I have lost about 2 dozen fish in my experience and would like to share what I found. I came across your page searching for albino Labeo chrysophekadion since I have a 16-18 year old fish and thought I would start searching for companions. Anyhow, I had 8 Bala's all around the 7-9 inch size in a tank which was fueled by well water. I moved to city water and within the first two water changes lost all of them to toxic poisoning. I change my water once every 2 - 4 weeks and about 1/3 to 1/2 the water at a time. They were in a 70 gallon tank. This occurred 7 seven years ago and with experimentation and scientific methods I noticed it was mostly related to the chlorine levels in the supply water. My pattern was that I restocked the Bala's in spring and every winter they would expire to poisoning. Throughout the past seven years a water softener was added to minimize some of the incoming toxins, and to a point it did make a difference. I found out that the cities water department was increasing their chlorine levels in the water supply for a failing pump and well. Last summer the pump was replaced and I have had no casualties since when executing a water change. I found out that silver scaled fish are more susceptible to toxic poisoning so I suppose that Arowana's and Silver Dollars are in this category also. I do take precautions when preparing to change my water especially in the winter. The city engineer reminded me that the chlorine levels will stay higher in colder temperatures since it doesn't have a chance to "burn off". So when changing water in late November to the end of March I never change more than a 1/3 of water unless my chlorine test strip (made by Jungle) assures me that the level is safe. I noticed that a lot of Bala Shark discussion occurs on the page http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwshkfaqs.htm and I think that Chlorine Levels (especially from government water supplies instead of private wells) could be the culprit. Hope my experiences help and maybe provides longer lives for the sharks in the hobbyist tanks. Robert < We will pass this along so others may learn from your experiences.-Chuck>

Bala Shark in heat? <Hello! Ryan with you> I am sure this sounds a little silly. I am pretty sure the 2 Bala sharks in the aquarium were mating. They were swimming "together" shall we say for a few moments. Then the one shark swam away faster than I have ever seen that shark swim. That was it. I guess that's pretty obvious, but I just wanted to be sure. Also I would like to know some signs that they are mating and about how long I have until I should start expecting eggs, how to care for the babies, etc.. Thank You. <Bala sharks are a great addition to the aquarium, where their antics are often enjoyed. This is typical of Balas, and does not guarantee offspring. It's like assuming you'll "breed" with every woman you've ever bought a drink! Balas won't breed until they're at least 3-4 inches (more like a foot RMF). Also, they're egg-scatterers. If there are any hungry mouths in the tank, those eggs are long gone. Your best chance for successful breeding is to separate them from the group, and feed them a high protein diet in conjunction with %25 weekly water changes. Good luck! Ryan>

Bala Sharks I have somehow paired up a loving pair of Bala Sharks. They really haven't had anything to do with each other, so I thought they must be females. But today, the are swimming, rubbing and everything in between! I've read about 100 internet pages about Bala Sharks and 50 say they can be bred in captivity and 50 say they can't. Some said they have to be a certain age. Both are about five inches, and young, they were added to the tank about two weeks ago. I don't know what to think, they are my first set of Balas. If she will be pregnant, will you please email me with any info on the gestation and signs? <<Hi, I'm sorry, I have NO idea. Maybe someone else on the crew can help? -Gwen>> >>Marina will be looking into it within the next few days. These fish aren't "young" if they're already 5" long. Check ya! Marina

Amorous Bala Sharks - Marina's Reply >I have somehow paired up a loving pair of Bala Sharks. They really haven't had anything to do with each other, so I thought they must be females. But today, they are swimming, rubbing and everything in between! I've read about 100 internet pages about Bala Sharks and 50 say they can be bred in captivity and 50 say they can't. Some said they have to be a certain age. Both are about five inches, and young, they were added to the tank about two weeks ago. I don't know what to think, they are my first set of Balas. If she will be pregnant, will you please email me with any info on the gestation and signs? >>Ok, first, a Bala shark (a type of barb, minnow, or carp - Balantiocheilos melanopterus) that is 5" long is a "young" fish, but is at least approaching sexual maturity. If you can, take note of your water conditions, as this will be important in future. My guess is that their addition to your system two weeks ago simulated the right type of water condition changes to stimulate breeding. They are an egg laying species, which means the female can become full of eggs, but they are only fertilized externally from her body. They are considered to be endangered in their native waters. I would take the present information regarding breeding of other barbs (along with fry rearing techniques) and apply that here. As you've discovered, there isn't much published on breeding this particular fish. This means that if you keep good notations, you could add significantly to the database for this fish. Here's a place to start: http://www.adelaideaquariums.com.au/Faqs/freshwater/fish/cyprinids2.asp http://fish.mongabay.com/cyprinds.htm Quite literally, video, photographic, as well as written documentation of breeding overtures and final behavior is helpful. Marina

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