Bala Shark Care: Water Parameters and Tank Setup

Despite its common name, the bala shark is not actually a shark and doesn’t share any direct lineage with marine sharks. Instead, it belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes other freshwater species like carps and minnows. This classification highlights the bala shark’s true nature as a peaceful and communal freshwater fish, rather than a predatory marine creature.

Aquarists are drawn to the bala shark for its impressive size and dynamic behavior. Known for its schooling tendencies, this fish thrives in groups and brings a lively, engaging presence to any tank. Its sleek, silver body with distinct black markings adds a touch of elegance and movement to the aquarium.

bala shark (lat. Balantiocheilos melanopterus)

Habitat in the wild

The bala shark (lat. Balantiocheilos melanopterus) is a striking tropical freshwater fish from the Cyprinidae family, known for its sleek appearance and dynamic behavior. Despite its name, the bala shark is not a true shark but rather a fascinating member of the carp family.

The name “Balantiocheilos” derives from Greek, with “balantion” meaning sack or cavity, and “cheilos” meaning lip. Pieter Bleeker first described the bala shark in 1851. Initially thought to inhabit the Mekong River basin in Thailand, further research has shown that this was incorrect.

Today, the bala shark is native to Thailand, Borneo, and Sumatra. Contrary to earlier beliefs, it is not found in the Mekong or Chao Phraya river basins. The fish thrives in clean, fast-flowing rivers and streams, preferring these environments over slow-moving waters. Unfortunately, the bala shark has become extinct in many of its natural habitats, often found now in slower rivers and calm, freshwater lakes.

In its natural habitat, the fish enjoys areas with dense vegetation, submerged logs, and rocky structures. These environments provide essential cover, hiding spots, and natural food sources. Bala sharks are social creatures, frequently observed swimming in schools. This schooling behavior offers them a sense of security and enhances their overall well-being.

By understanding natural environment and social nature, aquarists can better replicate its needs in captivity, ensuring a healthy and thriving fish.

Description

The silver shark body is thin and slender, flattened from sides. Bala sharks have a streamlined, torpedo-shaped body. Their body is elongated and slightly compressed laterally. The head is small, the eyes are very large, and the fish has an inferior mouth with no barbs.

The scales are very large, and the fins are sickle-shaped. The dorsal is tall and vertical, and its fluke is bifurcated. The body is silver steel-colored, large scales create sparkles, giving it a sleek and metallic appearance. The silver coloration reflects light and enhances its visual appeal.

Size

In pet shops, as a rule, you see the fish about 5 cm long (2 in). But don’t be fooled with this small size because these are just juveniles. In the wild, this fish can grow to become 40 cm long (16 in). Some reports suggest that exceptionally large individuals may even grow up to 18 inches (45 cm) or slightly more. However, in captivity, they are often smaller, typically around 10-12 inches (25-30 cm).

It’s important to consider the potential adult size of bala sharks when planning to keep them as pets. Since the fish is quite large, it requires a spacious tank. If the tank is not spacious enough for the fish, the lifespan will be much shorter than it should, and the fish will feel uncomfortable all the time.

Growth rate

Bala sharks are known for their impressive growth potential, especially when provided with ideal conditions. Factors such as water quality, diet, tank size, and genetics all play crucial roles in determining how quickly these fish grow.

In their first year of life, bala sharks can experience rapid growth, often adding several inches to their size. With optimal care—ample space, excellent water quality, and a balanced diet—bala sharks can reach sizes of around 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) within their first couple of years. As they mature, their growth rate typically slows down, but they will continue to grow steadily at a slower pace.

By understanding and maintaining the right conditions, aquarists can support their bala sharks in reaching their full growth potential, ensuring they remain healthy and vibrant.

Lifespan

The bala shark is notable for its impressive lifespan, especially when given proper care. Typically, bala sharks can live between 8 to 15 years in captivity, a lifespan that is relatively long compared to many other aquarium fish species.

Several factors can influence their longevity, including the quality of care, diet, water conditions, and genetics. Providing a balanced diet, maintaining excellent water quality, and ensuring a spacious tank can significantly contribute to a bala shark’s health and lifespan.

CharacteristicDescription
Scientific NameBalantiocheilos melanopterus
Common NamesBala shark, tricolor shark, silver shark
FamilyCyprinidae (carps and minnows)
HabitatFreshwater rivers and lakes in Southeast Asia
AppearanceSilver body with a black horizontal band
SizeUp to 14-16 inches (35-40 cm) in the wild, smaller in captivity
Tank Size RequirementMinimum of 75 gallons (284 liters)
Water Temperature75-82°F (24-28°C)
pH LevelSlightly acidic to neutral (around 6.5-7.5)
DietOmnivorous, primarily herbivorous
BehaviorPeaceful, but can become territorial with age
CompatibilityBest kept in small groups, avoid small fish as tankmates
BreedingChallenging and rare in captivity
Conservation StatusNot considered endangered or extinct (as of September 2021)

Difficulties in keeping

Bala sharks are relatively low-maintenance fish, but they have specific requirements that must be met for their well-being. One crucial aspect is that bala sharks should be kept in schools of at least six individuals. This social behavior is vital for their happiness and health.

Due to their potential size and rapid growth, they require a very large tank. For a school of six fishes, a tank of at least 150 cm (5 ft) in length is necessary. They grow quickly and can outgrow smaller tanks, so planning for their future size is essential.

Bala sharks are adaptable and have a varied diet, making them easy to feed. They can consume a range of foods, including pellets, flakes, and live or frozen offerings. However, their size and growth rate mean they can quickly become too large for their tank if not provided with adequate space.

With proper care, including a spacious tank and a balanced diet, bala sharks are hardy and can thrive for many years. Keep in mind that as they grow, you’ll need to ensure their environment meets their increasing needs.

Keeping in a tank

Bala shark is prone to get stressed: when getting very scared, it may even die. After buying the fish, be ready – it’ll behave rather nervously.

The fish may refuse food and hide. This happens because the fish is usually brought right from its natural habitat, i.e., from real open waters. Therefore, when getting into a tank, the bala shark gets stressed and starts looking for a place to hide.

Keep this in mind and create in advance some hide-places, allowing the bala shark to adapt to new life conditions and survive relocation. You can improve the appetite of the fish which refuses from food by active water renew (up to 30-40% every day) and by raising the tank water temperature 2-3 degrees.

Some time later, when the fish gets stronger and starts hungrily eating their food, you can decrease the water temperature back to normal value and then reduce the number of water renews to the ordinary schedule.

Tank size

For bala sharks, ample tank space is essential due to their large size and high activity levels. These fish thrive best when kept in schools of at least six individuals. A solitary bala shark or a small group can lead to aggression among the fish or result in stress and illness. A minimum of five bala sharks is needed to prevent dominant individuals from targeting weaker ones or other tank mates.

The tank should be spacious, with a minimum length of 150 cm (5 ft). For juvenile, a tank with a capacity of at least 200 liters (52.83 gallons) is recommended, but a size of around 75 gallons (284 liters) or larger is ideal. An even larger tank is preferable as it offers more swimming space and reduces stress.

Bala sharks require both length and width in their tank to accommodate their active swimming behavior. Therefore, ensure the tank is not only long but also wide enough to allow them plenty of room to move freely.

Additionally, it is crucial to cover the tank from the top. Bala sharks are very active and can become frightened, leading them to jump out of the tank if it is not securely covered. This precaution helps prevent accidents and ensures the safety of your fish.

Water parameters

Temperature: Bala sharks thrive in water temperatures between 75-82°F (24-28°C). Keeping the temperature stable within this range is crucial for their health.

pH Level: They prefer slightly acidic to neutral water. Aim for a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5.

Hardness: They can adapt to a moderate range of water hardness. Maintain a hardness level between 5-15 dGH (degrees of general hardness).

Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate: Ensure that ammonia and nitrite levels are consistently at zero, as these compounds are toxic to fish. Regular water testing and effective filtration are necessary. Keep nitrate levels under control, ideally below 20-40 ppm (parts per million).

Water Quality and Filtration: Bala sharks need clean, well-filtered water. Employ mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration to remove waste and maintain high water quality. Regular monitoring of water parameters is essential for their well-being.

Tank setup: decorations and plants

As for the tank decorations – don’t put too many decorations and plants. You can use some stones and snags, but again, not too many. The fish requires a lot of space to swim, so it’s better to put tank decorations along the tank perimeter.

Choose tank plants with thick leaves and a strong root system – soft-leaved plants will be attacked and harmed by the fish. As for the tank bottom substrate color, it’s better to be dark: on such a background, the fish will look much better.

Fish prefers natural light. For the fish, the light day is 8-10 hours.

Filtration

In the wild, they inhabits clean waters. That’s why when keeping it in a tank, you’ll require a perfect filtration system creating sufficient water flow and good aeration. Considering that the fish is large and schooling one, the only option is to use a powerful canister filter.

Diet

The wild bala shark diet is rather diversified: worms, maggots, pieces of plants, algae. Like most Cyprinidae species, they are very gluttonous and are constantly looking for food.

Despite their good appetite, bala sharks are rather sensitive to the food quality. It’s not recommended to feed with a blood worm since the stomach may fail to digest its chitinous shell. As a result, the whole digestive system may suffer. You should keep in mind that live food is dangerous because it may infect the fish with various diseases and parasites.

For proper growth and development of the bala shark, you must select high-quality artificial food for them. It is convenient to use and store; it is safe and well-balanced. Choose high-quality commercial fish foods specifically formulated for tropical fish or herbivorous/omnivorous species. Look for products that contain a blend of plant-based ingredients, proteins, and essential nutrients. You can find flake or pellet foods designed for herbivorous fish or general tropical fish.

Plant food additives are quite necessary for the proper diet. Up to 10% of the daily diet must be plant food. Often lettuce and spinach leaves are used for this purpose. However, if you leave them in the tank for a long time, they may reduce the water quality. It’s better to use food with high spirulina content for this purpose. You can offer them blanched vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, zucchini, or peas. These can be chopped into small pieces and provided as occasional treats.

Bala shark takes the food in the middle water layer; it eats food from the tank bottom less enthusiastically. Pellets quickly get soft and go slowly to the tank bottom, and this makes them perfect for the fish feeding in the middle tank layers.

To keep the bala shark healthy, you should control its diet and don’t feed it with the same kind of food all the time. Bala shark is very gluttonous, so sometimes you should arrange some hungry days for it. It is better to feed them 2-3 times a day with the food portion that will be eaten in several munites completely.

Tank mates

Bala shark is a peaceful daytime fish. It is rather tolerant to its tank mates. However, when choosing tank mates focus on your tank size since it has to stay spacious enough for all fishes and shouldn’t be overcrowded. Bala shark is quite good for large community tanks since it doesn’t deal with sufficiently larger fish. It is a rather timid fish, but it is fast, and it’s a good jumper. That’s why you should be careful when cleaning the tank bottom or catching the fish in the tank.

As we’ve already mentioned, large and small fishes can be tank mates. Just avoid very small fishes, juveniles, large cichlid species like Jack Dempsey or oscar fish (large predators may nip fins), territory dependent, and slow fishes.

Here are some examples of potential tank mates for Bala sharks:

  1. Larger Tetras: Some larger tetra species like Congo tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus) or Buenos Aires tetras (Hyphessobrycon anisitsi) can be compatible with bala sharks. These tetras are active and can tolerate similar water conditions.
  2. Gouramis: Peaceful gourami species like the Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri) or the Opaline gourami (Trichopodus microlepis) can make good tank mates. They have a similar temperament and can tolerate similar water parameters.
  3. Barbs: Certain barb species, such as the Rosy barb (Puntius conchonius) or the Tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii), can coexist with bala sharks. It’s important to choose larger barb species that are not prone to nipping fins.
  4. Rainbowfish: Some larger rainbowfish species like the Boeseman’s rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani) can be compatible tank mates. They share similar water requirements and add vibrant colors to the aquarium.
  5. Other Large, Peaceful Fish: Certain peaceful, larger fish like giant danios (Devario aequipinnatus), clown loaches (Chromobotia macracanthus), or silver dollars (Metynnis spp.) can potentially coexist with bala sharks. However, it’s crucial to ensure that the tank is large enough to accommodate the potential size and swimming needs of all the fish.

Gender differences: male vs female

Sexual dimorphism in bala sharks is subtle, and distinguishing between males and females based solely on external characteristics can be challenging. However, some differences may become apparent in mature adults:

  • Size: Female may be slightly larger and more robust compared to males, though this difference is often not significant and may not be noticeable in all individuals.
  • Body Shape: Females might appear slightly rounder in the abdominal area, especially when carrying eggs. This change in body shape may not always be evident unless the fish is in breeding condition.
  • Behavior: During the breeding season, males often exhibit more pronounced chasing and courting behaviors towards females. They may also become more territorial.
  • Breeding Tube: Mature females might show a more pronounced breeding tube (ovipositor) near the vent area. However, this feature can be difficult to observe without close examination.

Challenges and Considerations: Determining the sex of bala sharks can be tricky, and visual inspection alone may not always provide accurate results. Experienced aquarists sometimes use more invasive techniques, such as internal examinations, to determine sex accurately. For most hobbyists, observing behavioral cues during the breeding season is the most practical approach.

Breeding

Unfortunately, bala shark breeding is impossible in an aquarium. The size of the tank where the fish used to live and grow has to be not less than 1.5 m long, and its capacity should be about 1500 l (400 gals). Hormone injections are used to stimulate spawning. A separating net is put on the spawning tank bottom.

The spawning occurs with fish couples. The female produces from 5000 to 10000 eggs. Once the spawning is over, the breeders are removed from the tank. The egg incubation time is two days. The juveniles stay in schools. They start to swim 2-4 days after they hatch. Provided with favorable tank conditions, they can become 15 cm long at the age of 3 years.