Wanting a bala shark

[ocminpin]

My son has been wanting a tank ever since I started my hobby... He's completely enthralled with the Bala Sharks... Since you all have more experience than me, I'd love any advice and suggestions you have in regards to this type of fish.
Can I keep them in multiples or must they be kept alone? Tank size? Etc...
THANK YOU!

 

[New]

they should be in groups, in a tank about 75+ gallons IMO

 

[potatochobit]

right, they prefer groups and they are darters
55G is fine I think, it will take many years for them to grow big
people do put them in a 10G but they are not all that happy
if you want a shark looking fish for a 10G, consider a red tailed shark or similar loach that swims in any direction

you could get away with a 20G long too, maybe if he wont budge on a different choice, they are not much more expensive tanks

 

[New]

right, they prefer groups and they are darters
55G is fine I think, it will take many years for them to grow big
people do put them in a 10G but they are not all that happy
if you want a shark looking fish for a 10G, consider a red tailed shark or similar loach that swims in any direction

you could get away with a 20G long too, maybe if he wont budge on a different choice, they are not much more expensive tanks

55 could work depending on other stocking, RTS is too big for 10g, they can't fit in a 20 long IMO

 

[ocminpin]

Guess Petsmart doesn't know what they're talking about... They say 30 gallon is good enough and generally go by 1" fish/ gallon...
Upon looking further 55 gallon seems gigantic for a 6 yr old and unreasonable... What about a rainbow shark or silver tipped shark? Much more pleasing to the eye than the red finned shark..

 

[potatochobit]

rainbow shark is good
and get like a sunken ship or fake plastic log he can go into

a sliver tip shark is actually a catfish and he will eat your other little fish like neon tetras at night time once he gets big enough

 

[KatieJ]

Rainbow sharks need at least 55 gallons as well. Silver-tipped sharks really shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 55 to 75 gallon tank. In my opinion, freshwater "sharks" are like the tangs of the SW tanks. XD They really need a lot of swimming space.

 

[Gboy66]

Guess Petsmart doesn't know what they're talking about... They say 30 gallon is good enough and generally go by 1" fish/ gallon...
Upon looking further 55 gallon seems gigantic for a 6 yr old and unreasonable... What about a rainbow shark or silver tipped shark? Much more pleasing to the eye than the red finned shark..

Id say at least a 30 for either of these. Def no red tailed sharks for a 10

 

[eco23]

Rainbow sharks need at least 55 gallons as well. Silver-tipped sharks really shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 55 to 75 gallon tank. In my opinion, freshwater "sharks" are like the tangs of the SW tanks. XD They really need a lot of swimming space.

+1. There are no "sharks" which should go in anything less than a 55 gallon IMO/E...especially not a 10 gallon.

Bala sharks get 12-14", are VERY skittish, need to be in schools, require tons of swimming space and the last I heard a minimum 6' tank is recommended for them. IMO...Bala Sharks are one of the species like CAE's which should not be commonly sold for home aquaria. They are not suitable for the vast majority of tanks that people who walk into Petsmart are able to provide.

 

[KatieJ]

Id say at least a 30 for either of these. Def no red tailed sharks for a 10

Nonono. These fish absolutely cannot live in a 30 gallon tank, minimum 5-6 feet (preferrably 6) long.

 

[Gboy66]

Nonono. These fish absolutely cannot live in a 30 gallon tank, minimum 5-6 feet (preferrably 6) long.

Oop sorry! Haha 55

 

[potatochobit]

you guys are looking at this from a hobbyist perspective, lol.

we all may want a 3 bedroom apartment in downtown Manhattan but sometimes we end up with an efficiency.
the hamster may not like the plastic ball - yet he is going to go in the plastic ball. (all hamsters love plastic balls)

that is why I recommend a 20gallon long tank, they are the best value and offer good space for children to start out with.
if there is a pet supplies plus near you, visit them they were having a sale on tanks and were cheaper than petsmart. I think it was 24$. the light lid might be expensive in that size though, but you can just get one light if you want or even use a metal cage. normally this size is for reptiles. the 20G long would be better than a 30G in my opinion.

 

[ocminpin]

Okay... All makes sense... We want whatever we get to be happy... Any suggestions of another type cool type of fish that could be happy in a 20 gallon tank?
I have my own tanks with different types of Mollies... And I have an endless cycle of fry in their own grow out tank... Heck, I may get lucky and he'll get attached to a few Mollies
He was all about the sharks tho... So maybe something cool looking??

 

[ocminpin]

I saw a 20 gal long for $39

 

[eco23]

you guys are looking at this from a hobbyist perspective, lol.

we all may want a 3 bedroom apartment in downtown Manhattan but sometimes we end up with an efficiency.
the hamster may not like the plastic ball - yet he is going to go in the plastic ball. (all hamsters love plastic balls)

that is why I recommend a 20gallon long tank, they are the best value and offer good space for children to start out with.
if there is a pet supplies plus near you, visit them they were having a sale on tanks and were cheaper than petsmart. I think it was 24$. the light lid might be expensive in that size though, but you can just get one light if you want or even use a metal cage. normally this size is for reptiles. the 20G long would be better than a 30G in my opinion.

What fish are you talking about...Bala Sharks?

If so...please explain how putting a school of 12-14" fish in a 20 gallon tank is acceptable?

And if you've ever kept a RTS or Rainbow Sharks you'll know that as they get older they become WAY too territorial and aggressive to be kept in a tank that size.

Just because a chain store or LFS prints something on the tank...or because they CAN fit in there...doesn't mean that we as responsible hobbyists should put them in those environments. Comparing it to our homes is not an relatable argument when you consider that these fish come from lakes, rivers, streams, etc...and we're putting them in glass boxes.

 

[potatochobit]

I was talking about red tailed shark, rainbow sharks and other loaches
I already made it clear bala sharks should not be put in a small tank

it is true the some loaches are territorial, and that is why I already recommended a little house for him which will curb this. however, it is no where near as bad other types of fish.

when the fish is large enough in a few years to need a new house you can cross that bridge at that time. Probably her son will be old enough to understand this by then and hopefully he will stick with the hobby. I disagree with you to claim people are irresponsible because they do not have a large tank at the start. Also, you can always give the fish away if it gets too large. most pet stores will accept them.

anyway, this is getting off topic.

 

[eco23]

I was talking about red tailed shark, rainbow sharks and other loaches
I already made it clear bala sharks should not be put in a small tank

it is true the some loaches are territorial, and that is why I already recommended a little house for him which will curb this. however, it is no where near as bad other types of fish.

when the fish is large enough in a few years to need a new house you can cross that bridge at that time. Probably her son will be old enough to understand this by then and hopefully he will stick with the hobby. I disagree with you to claim people are irresponsible because they do not have a large tank at the start. Also, you can always give the fish away if it gets too large. most pet stores will accept them.

anyway, this is getting off topic.

It's exactly on topic since we're discussing the requirements of the different fish the OP is asking about as the thread progresses.

Have you kept RCS or Rainbows? I think you'd have a hard time finding members who keep them recommending anything smaller than a 50-55 gallon. Having a little cave for a fish only does so much when there is limited space. If a tank is too small the Shark will likely decide the entire tank is his territory.

We're all entitled to our opinions and can express as we like, but I personally do consider it irresponsible to place a fish in an unsuitable home with the expectations that when a fish is larger you can re-home or buy a larger tank....unless you have a tangible backup plan set in place. Obviously over time things change and being able to provide a large tank may not be a possibility. People also become attached to their fish and would have a hard time giving it to a LFS sending it to an uncertain future. JMHO though.

 

[jcolon]

What fish are you talking about...Bala Sharks?

If so...please explain how putting a school of 12-14" fish in a 20 gallon tank is acceptable?

And if you've ever kept a RTS or Rainbow Sharks you'll know that as they get older they become WAY too territorial and aggressive to be kept in a tank that size.

Just because a chain store or LFS prints something on the tank...or because they CAN fit in there...doesn't mean that we as responsible hobbyists should put them in those environments. Comparing it to our homes is not an relatable argument when you consider that these fish come from lakes, rivers, streams, etc...and we're putting them in glass boxes.

+1 with eco23. Bala sharks should be in a 125gal minimum ... they grow to a foot and are VERY energetic sharks that need room to swim.

An RTS matures into a VERY territorially aggressive "shark" IMO a 75gal (I used to say 55gal) should be the minimum AND then there needs to be territories set up for it to claim ... i.e. plants, caves, decor etc. Even then ... there's no guarantee they wont terrorize their tank-mates.

My RTS (a gift for my son from his G-father) is in a planted 75gal with plenty of "territories" and it still pretty much claims the whole tank as it's territory. I'm convinced that for now it's willing to tolerate it tankmates, but at 3 inches, it still has another 3 inches to go ... and it if it gets too aggressive, I'll have to rehome it.

Rainbow Sharks are not as territorially aggressive ... but it's basically like a slightly smaller, more docile RTS ... needs a 55gal at minimum.

 

[ocminpin]

Any fish you guys can recommend appropriately sized for a 20 gal in that case... Sounds like these types of sharks/fish we're discussing are out of my size range..
Something colorful "cool" looking...

 

[eco23]

Any fish you guys can recommend appropriately sized for a 20 gal in that case... Sounds like these types of sharks/fish we're discussing are out of my size range..
Something colorful "cool" looking...

A 20 gallon will give you lots of options...a 10 will definitely limit your choices. Remember too that the larger a tank is, the easier it is to maintain good water quality. If you can spare a few more $'s...I'd go larger if you can.

Since your son likes cool looking fish like Sharks....there are plenty of colorful choices like Dwarf Gouramis or even a Betta. Betta's have a bad reputation which IMO is not at all deserved as long as they are stocked with compatible fish. Something like a single male Betta with a school of non-nippy fish and some inverts like snails would make an awesome tank. I'd say a 20 gallon would also be okay for a single Dwarf Cichlid. Have your son look at some pics of Apistogrammas, Bolovian Rams and German Blue Rams. They're really cool looking fish a boy should love. Rams are somewhat sensitive though...so you'll want to make sure you do your research on compatibility and water quality (cycling is the most important aspect IMO).