What size tank

[Crystal Dragon]

I want to raise some Silver (bala) sharks, Irid (iridecent) sharks, red fin/rainbow sharks, and some black fin sharks. is it a good idea to start them in a 10 gallon tank?

 

[cindywindy]

Holy crap, dude. You're kidding ... right ?

 

[Kerrinne]

I don't know a lot about fish yet, but I'd have to say that was VERY off. I thought I remember someone saying one bala shark alone needed like a 75 gal or something tank. Maybe my memory is ajar, but it was much larger than a 10 gal.

 

[Bearfan]

Bala Sharks - 14" minimum tank 55 gal

Iridescent Sharks - 36" Minimum tank 90 gal, but will need larger if they grow to full length.

Rainbow Sharks - 10" and must keep at least 6 to prevent quarreling Minimum tank 55 gal.

Black fin Sharks - 24" and extremely aggressive. Minimum tank 120 gal

None of these can be kept in a 10 gallon.

 

[fish_doc]

That would work at first but only for a very brief period. In addition having that many bottom feeders of any size in a ten gallon tank is not a good idea. The rainbow sharks and black fin sharks would probably fight quite a bit and possibly kill each other if not the others to as they grow. Many bottom feeders are very territorial and the rainbow and blackfin look so much alike they do not like each others company. I would stick with a banjo cat or corydora. They are both fun fish the banjo is a interesting looking fish and the corys are nice and active.

 

[tkos]

I assume this is a joke. Heck, the name shark alone should give you a clue. Balas need groups of 5 or so to be really happy and are super jumpers. They need a huge tank with a closed top.

 

[azn dreamer]

Its definately a bad idea to start them off in a 10 gallon tank. Your tank is way too overcrowded and you'll see dead sharks within a few days.

 

[Crystal Dragon]

i dont have them yet! i just needed to know before i wasted money.... and no i wasnt kidding. but the ones i saw were SMALL! they were barely an inch long. and i dont got the kind of cash i would need for a 150 gal tank. then tell me WHY did i manage to keep a bala shark, an irid shark, and a cat fish alive for a little over a month in a 2.5 gal tank?

 

[fish_doc]

bala sharks are actually the most peaceful of what you listed. But They can be kept for easily over 10 years if in a large enough tank with enough room to move. In fact most of those fish you listed can live many years with the proper space and quality water conditions.
Here is a photo of one of my balas

and him in a 60 gallon

He is off to the side in this photo.
Ignore the fish_n_hole I use that handle on several other boards. These pictures were taken about 2 years ago and all the fish in the tank are still alive and even bigger than they were in these photos.
i'm sure everyone did not mean to sound so astounded with your request but it did come as a surprise to many. At least you are asking and trying to learn before going forward with your new tank and that is a first step to becoming a great fishkeeper.

 

[grimlock3000]

"then tell me WHY did i manage to keep a bala shark, an irid shark, and a cat fish alive for a little over a month in a 2.5 gal tank?"

I could throw my dog in a closet and I bet he would live for quite a while in there, that does not mean it is right You will find that a lot of people around here (myself included) are very concerned in the health of the fish. The sad truth is that the many fish sold in pet stores are sent off to an untimely death when they are sold. The fish you are looking at require very large tank to be healthy, there is no way around it. If you want a shark in a smaller, you could go for something like a Red Tail shark in a 20g+ tank with some other smaller fish you like.

 

[Crystal Dragon]

What about a Rope Fish? ::snickers at the fish's name:: all i got was a 10 gal tank for christmas when i ask SPECIFICALLY for a 30 gal... ::sniffle:: no one in my family thinks that what i ask for is right. and i cant find ANY small fish that arent hideous and can keep my attention besides a few sword tails but they arent as cool. where can i find a 150 gal tank cheeper then $550 though?

 

[Fruitbat]

The Rope Fish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, is one of the Polypterids...a group of African fish. It commonly reaches lengths in excess of 76cm (30 inches) and is not really suitable for a 10 gallon tank.

I'm not quite sure I follow your reasoning when you say that you "cant find ANY small fish that arent hideous and can keep my attention ". There are virtually hundreds of different types of fish that are small enough for a 10 gallon tank that are beautiful and fascinating. What is it that makes a fish "cool" for you?

 

[Crystal Dragon]

active, fast, and that i dont have to feed 2 times per day. the red fin sharks i had needed to eat 2 times a day just to keep from starving (DAMN BETA!). i had the red fins a long time ago when i had a 2.5 gal. if i have to feed it 2 times thats fine but more then that forget it. i need some thing, but not another beta fish, ive had my fill of those things

 

[Fruitbat]

Get yourself a small school (5 - 8) of barbs. Tiger barbs will do fairly well but you might also consider cherry barbs because they don't get quite as large. Toss in a Corydoras or two and you'll have a tank that should hold your attention.

 

[Crystal Dragon]

what about sword tails? i heard they arent very big, then agian a few sucker fish and some cat fish woudl work too wouldnt it?

 

[fish_doc]

Swordtails would work and you would get the added excitement of watching them multiply. It is always a thrill no matter how little effort it takes to get fish to breed.

 

[QTOFFER]

Active, fast fish for a 10 gal.....how about

A school of 5 Zebra danios - they are tireless and playfully chase each other all over the tank. They love to zip in and out of plants, rocks, and ornaments.
For a spash of color, add a school of 5 neon or cardinal tetras.

As far as feeding, I think a very small amount once a day would be fine. Observe the fish during feeding to be sure that no fish is missing out entirely.

 

[Thaiboxer]

I'll add to that - I've got a red-tailed shark in my 55 gallon who seems very happy. I'm sure he could live in a much smaller space, too.

I would love to raise Bala Sharks! Hopefully I'll have my 135 gallon this week, then we'll see... I'm currently addicted to SA Cichlids though!

 

[Crystal Dragon]

note on Irid Sharks and Bala Sharks for those who dont know: they can be put in the same tank with cat fish and they will not fight even if it looks like it. i have a picture of my first 3 fish in my 2.5 gal playing tag like little children. Irid sharks will play dead so tap them with the net and they will bolt into the side of the tank so be careful about them, and balas will sleep alot when alone so try and keep them with a few tank mates to keep them active. (just make sure if you add a beta, add the beta last) oh and how fast do swordtails breed?

 

[Fruitbat]

Just FYI, Crystal Dragon, the Iridescent Shark (Pangasius hypophthalmus) IS a catfish. They are often sold in the 3 to 5 inch range and plopped into a small aquarium where they will survive in poor health until they simply get too large. P. hypophthalmus can reach lengths of up to 1.3 meters (52 inches) in the wild. The biggest one I've ever seen was housed in a custom-built 1,000 gal aquarium and the fish was in the neighborhood of 1 meter long (39 inches).

You may have kept a P. hypophthalmus along with Balantiocheilus melanopterus (Bala Shark) and a catfish in a 2.5 gallon tank for over a month but I'm almost afraid to ask what happened to them after that month had expired. Hopefully you gave them to somebody who had a VERY roomy aquarium...something in the neighborhood of 100 gallons. The iridescent shark will eventually outgrow even a 100 gal tank and the Bala shark at 35cm (14 inches) wouldn't be too far behind it - though I have seen large ones kept in a 55 gallon without too much obvious discomfort.