Getting started with Bala Sharks

[x86-64]

I recently moved away from home and I wanted to get either a plant or some pets to liven up the place. After browsing thru fish at Petsmart I decided I'd like to get some Bala Sharks. I've read small tidbits of information here and there, but I still feel totally 'green' to this arena...

I know they need long tanks because they can get big (up to 17" is what I read). I know they need to be in groups, that they eat bloodworms, pellets, and a few other things. Other than that I feel totally new to all this (I've only had dogs and one cat all my life).

When you read the stuff below please KEEP IN MIND that I'm not rich here. I plan to save up for a couple of months or so to make sure I can cover everything. However, I need to know how much is enough to save up, so...

1. What I'm wanting to know is what is the absolute minimum number of balas I can get to make them happy and healthy? Is two enough? or 4??? I don't plan to have any other kinds of fish in there by the way.

2. What all do I need as far as tanks, gravel, plantlife (I assume plastic ones since balas will eat the real ones, I've heard), cleaning equipment, and other "one-time" equipment expenses? I do have a long counter to put the tank on, it's just not all that wide (1.5 feet maybe).

3. What is the minimum cleaning equipment I need? Or perhaps better question... will I need to get the balas out of the tank and clean it on occasion or is there cleaning equipment I can buy that would let me avoid removing the water, fish, gravel, etc. and instead maybe just change a filter and such while the fish & water & all remain in the tank?

4. What is a reasonable diet to put the balas on to keep them happy, but without breaking the bank?

5. What other things should I be aware of that I haven't thought of or addressed here?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tkos]

Yes, Balas can get big. They should be kept in a group of five for best results and to keep them truely happy. They will become quite preditory when they age so keeping them alone is a good idea. They are sometimes known to be jumpers so make sure to keep a good cover on the tank.

They do like to eat plants so if you want lower maintanence I would suggest sticking with silk plants. They look much nicer than plastic and don't hurt the fish if they rub against them.

As far as diet goes a variety of flake food will probably suffice for everyday feedings. You can add some frozen food every so often for a change as well as some veggies like spinach and lettuce.

They tend to do best in pH of 6-7. That being said don't worry if it isn't perfect as most fish are able to adapt. They like temps between 70-80, so standard tropical temps. Shouldn't be hard in Texas.

For cleaning get a gravel vacuum and maybe an algae scraper. That's about it. The gravel vacuum will allow you to siphon out some water and gunk from the bottom. The fish stay in the tank. You do that once a week and change about 20-30% of the tank water. Just have a coupleof buckets. You siphon into one bucket and then have a clean bucket that has premixed water with dechlorinator in it to add to the tank.

You are really looking at a minimum of a 55 gallon tank to house a school of balas. Bigger is better. Do keep in mind that each gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds. So with gravel and fish and water you are looking at over 600 pounds of fish tank, so it has to be a sturdy place to put the tank.

You can save a lot of money by forgoing a tank hood with lights. Since you are not growing real plants you don't need high light levels. I would by a glass top for the tank and then go to home depot and pick up some decent viewing lights for a lot cheaper than a petstore.

You will need a good filter. Don't skimp on this. Probably a canister filter is the best for the bigger aquarium. I haven't used these so I don't know that much about them.

The big thing you need to know about is the nitrogen cycle. The tank should be prepared for the fish so that they don't end up getting poisoned by ammonia and nitrites before suitable good bacteria grows in the tank. Do a search in this forum for "fishless cycle" and you will find all sorts of great information about getting the aquraium ready and keeping your fish as healthy as possible.

One last thing I should mention is that you shoudl stay away from pretty much all chemicals that affect the parameters of your water excpet for a dechlorinator. This mostly includes those chemicals that "clear" cloudy water and change the pH of your water. They generally end up causing more harm than good.

Good luck.

 

[Techboy]

balas can get to 13''