Balas fighting? Is this normal?

[Atl300zx]

I have had these bala sharks together for well over 3 yrs.

They used to brush up against each other all the time, but now they seem to be "nipping" a little. Here is a little video clip, what do you all think??

 

[theotheragentm]

Could you be looking at mating rituals? A lot of species of shark have grasping with teeth as a sign of courtship.

 

[Zagz]

Are there any physical signs of damage from this activity? It might be mating ritual, never having witnessed balas mating, I am really only guessing here.

 

[coldmachineUK]

As a schooling fish I heard they do best in groups of 3 or more; I think having only two may be one contributing factor.

How big is your tank?

 

[Atl300zx]

Are there any physical signs of damage from this activity?

There are no signs of damage.

How big is your tank?

My Tank is 55 Gallons

 

[hsherman1986]

i watched that a couple times, and it really looks like aggression to me. That is what my severums do to each other (no damage yet though).

Balas are schooling fish, and will need a tank larger than that in the near future. They like to be in groups of three or more, and can easily grow over 6" (maybe more, but i don't know too much about balas, never kept them before, so please correct me if i am wrong )

 

[coldmachineUK]

6" is an understatement, they can grow to 13-16", so a new tank is definitely an idea! I was looking at these not long ago (see my thread on top-mid level/centrepiece fish) and was given the very same advice: too large for a 55G.

They're actually a very peaceful fish, so the fact they're fighting is a sign that their environment is too small and their numbers are too few.

Sorry it's not great news!

 

[Jchillin]

Mine happen to do that very thing from time to time and they are in a 75 gal.
They also eat my snails, munch on fine leaf plants, hog all the food, splash water all over the floor and have the worst table manners (smacking) I've ever seen.

They definitely need large room busting tanks, certainly much larger than 55g or 75g.

 

[coldmachineUK]

They also eat my snails, munch on fine leaf plants, hog all the food, splash water all over the floor and have the worst table manners (smacking) I've ever seen.

lol! Very rude fish...! lol

 

[Atl300zx]

I planned on giving them away when they got too large. I got these when i was ignorant about fish and they were originally in a 10 gallon. If things get much worse, i will be giving them away much earlier. I am already trying to get rid of my CAE that i bought when i wasnt informed.