need advice for new tank

[Megalofyia]

I just got a 20 gallon tank and so far have one bala shark and one red fin black shark in it.

I wanted to add some more fish to the tank but wanted advice on which fish would go well with the two I have.

Also, I wasn't sure if I should or could, given the size tank I have, add an other bala shark to be friefriendsh the one I have now.

Thanks

 

[targaboy78]

Hi Megalofyia,

FYI; Bala Sharks grow up to 10" long.

Ideal tank mates for your Bala Shark include: Barbs, Danios, Gouramis, Rainbowfish, similar sized New World Cichlids, Loaches, Plecos, and similar sized Scavenger Catfish.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1177

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1172

I hope this helps.

 

[Megalofyia]

Thanks - I know the bala is going to get bigger.. he's only about 4 inches at the moment.. I was planning on getting a larger tank in the future..

What about adding a friend? Will the bala be ok as a the only bala?

 

[lashilia]

Tankmates For The Bala

I kept my balas in a comunity tank for a long time. They tend to be a little skittish by nature, especially when they get big (and they will get big). they take a while to grow and like to school with other balas.

While balas like to school, they should do okay alone too. When they get big, you might want to give them bigger places to hide, like soft, tall plants. They don't like sudden movements, so you might want to put them with more laid-back fish. They don't eat their tankmates, though they sometimes enjoy meaty, pre-processed foods, like Wardley Shrimp Pellets.

Sounds like you're off to a great start. If you're interested in good tankmates for balas, I recomend Anabantoids (like gouramis) some of the larger tetra-family fish (try blind caves or dollars) and maybe even a few angels if your water is neutral. When balas get big, sharp objects can pose as a hazard to them. Also, I recomend having a horizontal, submersible heater. During a fit, a bala can smash around quite a bit and break and upright one. Tronic seems to work for me. They also like a little aquairum (non-marine) salt added to the water. Their wounds will heal more quickly an they won't get sick as easily.

Good luck, and I hope your tank does great!

lashilia

 

[d9hp]

That balla is gonna get very large, and limit what you can add. I would take him back and get 10-15 neon tetras, or something like that. Everything that lashilia said was true, but I would not recomend most of those fish for such a small tank. If you buy a 55 gallon tank, things might be a bit diff.

 

[Megalofyia]

Thanks for the advice!
My tank seems to be heading in a different direction as I returned the bala.. because of the size he's going to get, I wanted to add more fish, and because I got nervous about the fact that I don' t have a lid on the tank and I didn't want him jumping out. He had the look of an adventurer.
Right now my water seems a bit cloudy so I'm going to see if it clears up in a few days. It's not because of too much food in the tank.
I'm looking at adding two Pangio kuhlii but I haven't decided yet on any other fish. I still have the red-tail black shark.
I already have another tank with a bunch of neon tetras in it so I don't think I'm going to add any more to this tank.