What To Feed Bala Sharks?
- Bloodworms
- Dry Seaweed
- Small pieces of fruits
- Shelled peas
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Freeze-dried vegetables
- Tropical flakes and Algae Wafers
- Crustaceans
- Brine shrimps
- Insect Larvae
- Daphnia
- Small insects
- Chopped Earthworms
- Mussels
- Mosquitoes
- Prawns
What do bala sharks eat in the wild?
Bala sharks are omnivores, and in the wild, they primarily feed on crustaceans, insects, larvae and algae. They have a voracious appetite in the home aquarium, and will accept just about anything that you offer them. They should regularly be fed a high quality flake food, along with live or frozen foods, and plenty of fresh vegetables.
How often should you feed bala sharks?
Because Bala Sharks can grow to a large size, it is essential to give them plenty of protein in their diet to keep them growing strong. Consider adding shrimp or other higher protein-laden food. Overall, you should be feeding yours 3 times a day. This should be a small amount that takes the fish roughly 2 to 3 minutes to eat.
Can You overfeed a bala shark?
Bala sharks are omnivorous and thus will eat virtually anything they are offered. Because they are such eager eaters, it can be easy to overfeed these fish. To avoid overfeeding, offer your bala sharks small amounts of food twice a day, alternating between the staple and supplemental diets.
What size tank does a bala shark need?
The exact tank size that’s best for Bala Sharks is somewhat debated in the aquarium community. The most common suggested range is between a 120 and 150 gallon tank, which is a rather large aquarium. Obviously, the more fish you have, the more room they will need.
How much should you feed a Bala Shark?
Because Bala Sharks can grow to a large size, it is essential to give them plenty of protein in their diet to keep them growing strong. Consider adding shrimp or other higher protein-laden food. Overall, you should be feeding yours 3 times a day.
How big can Bala sharks get?
Appearance and anatomy. These fish have a silver body with black margins on their dorsal, caudal, anal, and pelvic fins. They have big eyes to find and catch their prey. The bala shark will grow to a maximum length of 35 cm (14 in).
How long does it take for Bala sharks to grow full size?
Bala Sharks grow to full size rather quickly. The rate at which they grow largely depends on how well they are kept. They can grow at a rate of up to 4 inches per month, but they reach full maturity and are able to spawn at around 4 inches in length.
How big will a Bala Shark get in a 75 gallon tank?
4 feetThe largest specimens of this species can reach a length of 4 feet and a weight of 96 pounds. That is the length of a 55- to 75-gallon tank and the weight of a small human packed into a torpedo-shaped, well-muscled fish.
How do you tell a male from a female bala shark?
Female bala sharks often have fuller, rounder bellies than males. Males are more streamlined in shape, although the difference might be subtle. It's more obvious when mating time approaches. When a female is ready to lay eggs, her belly looks rounder than normal.
How many Bala sharks can you have in a 100 gallon tank?
A single Bala Shark should be kept in a 100 gallon tank. However it is not recommended that you keep this fish on their own, they will need to be kept with at least 3 other Bala Sharks. You will need a 150 gallon aquarium that is around 5 feet long.
Do Bala sharks like current?
Ensure enough water movement. Since bala sharks are river fish, they are adapted to aquatic environments with steadily moving water. Buy a filter for your tank that is powerful enough to keep a steadily moving current running and provide enough oxygen for the fish.
Can you put a Bala Shark in a 55 gallon tank?
55 Gallon Tanks = 2, but not recommended, as they should be kept in a school of 3 or more. 125 gallon Tanks = 3-4, this is the ideal tank size for a small school. The bigger the tank the better.
Do Bala sharks have babies?
Bala sharks are prone to eat the eggs and newly hatched fry, however, so you may want to move the fry to a different tank after hatching or simply remove the mature Bala sharks from the tank.
Can bala sharks live with red tail sharks?
These species make great tank mates for red tail sharks: Bala sharks. Barbs (tinfoil, rosy, and tiger)
Can you put bala sharks with guppies?
Anything small enough to fit in their mouths has a high risk of becoming a snack. However, despite bala sharks' unusual size, these fish are pushovers. So avoid aggressive fish or fin-nipping fish. Bala sharks can't thrive when other fish pick on them.
Can bala sharks live with angelfish?
Angelfish Some angelfish will eat small tank inhabitants, which isn't a problem with the bala shark. They can also be prone to having their fins nibbled, but the bala shark is not usually guilty of this kind of behavior.
What size tank does a bala shark need?
Bala Shark Habitat and Care As previously mentioned, the key factor in the bala's environment is tank size. An aquarium of 125 gallons is needed to keep a school of adult bala sharks, and since they are active swimmers, a longer tank is recommended. These are active fish that startle easily.
Can you put a bala shark in a 55 gallon tank?
55 Gallon Tanks = 2, but not recommended, as they should be kept in a school of 3 or more. 125 gallon Tanks = 3-4, this is the ideal tank size for a small school. The bigger the tank the better.
Can you have only one bala shark?
Bala Sharks do fine all alone. Never put only two Bala Sharks together because they'll fight and one will become dominant and other will eventually die, always have at least 3. Bala Sharks are great and will do fine with just about any other fish.
How many Bala sharks are in a 125 gallon tank?
How Many Bala Shark in 125 Gallons. If you are housing a Bala shark, you can keep around 5 fish in one tank.
What do silver bala sharks eat?
Larger Bala Sharks eat prawns, earthworms , and also mussels. The silver shark even feeds on thaw frozen food, blanched spinach, and chopped food, which is an excellent addition to its diet. While in the wild, the Bala Sharks eat larvae and insects. They prefer mosquito and daphnia, which is better known as water fleas.
How to take care of a bala shark?
By taking good care of the Bala Shark, means you select the right tank and ensure better water chemistry. Also, you have to change the water on a regular basis, and give them core attention. That will not only make the fish grow fast, but also give you moments that you will surely be going to enjoy. 1.
How far can a bala shark jump from a fish tank?
8. Get a lid which is a tight-fitted one: Bala Sharks can jump at least 6 feet from the tank they stay in. So, make sure that you keep a lid tight enough to avoid Bala Sharks escaping the tank.
How hot should a bala shark tank be?
For better results, try keeping the fish in a water tank with the temperature remaining around 72 to 82 degree Fahrenheit. Keep the hardness of water between 5 to 12 DH. Peter Beeker, who first found Bala Shark in the year 1850, ...
How big of a tank do bala sharks need?
1. Deciding on the size of the tank: Since Bala Shark can grow up to 12 inches when held in captivity, they require a fairly big tank. While young, you can buy them at about 3 inches length and they will thrive in a tank carrying 30 gallons of water.
How big do bala sharks get?
For a Bala Shark to breed, it should grow up to 4 inches in length. To distinguish between a male and a female silver shark is quite a difficult task. So it’s always better to keep them in a tank in a group of five to six. The male fish is slightly larger than the female one, which is a bit rounded near the abdomen.
What is the condition of a bala shark?
Like any other freshwater fishes, the Bala Shark is vulnerable to all common diseases like an itch, dropsy , and parasites. Dropsy is a condition when the fish swells from inside suffering from parasitic or bacterial infection.
What do you feed a bala shark?
If you want to see your bala sharks reach their full potential for growth and vitality, feed them a healthy, varied diet of dried, live and frozen foods.
What are some good foods for bala sharks?
Some of the best live and frozen foods to offer bala sharks include bloodworms and brine shrimp as well as Daphnia and Artemia, which are both types of small aquatic crustaceans.
What do bala sharks eat?
In their native habitat, bala sharks feed on insects, insect larvae, phytoplankton, crustaceans and algae. In addition to accepting a variety of commercial, live and frozen foods in captivity, bala sharks will also scavenge in the tank for live algae growths and food leftover from previous feedings. Because these fish will graze on algae growths ...
Do bala sharks eat algae?
Because bala sharks are omnivorous you should select a dried flake or granule food that contains both meat- and plant-based ingredients to ensure balanced nutrition. These fish may also accept algae flakes and pellets as part of a staple diet.
Species Summary
Temperament and Activity Level
- These affable fish travel in schools when in the wild, and fish owners should purchase several of these Bala Sharks at a time as they like company. These tend to be very active, and they make great home aquarium fish as they are interesting to watch. They’re such active fish that there’s a good chance they will jump from time to time. This is why having a lid on your tank is a smart id…
Bala Shark Size
- Since these fish are rare in their natural abodes, most of these fish are bought from fish farms. These tend to be just 3 to 4 inches when first bought, and fish owners are often surprised to learn that the adult size can be up to 1 foot or 13 inches. As these Bala Fish grow larger, they should be switched to larger sized aquariums. Additionally, these fish should be closely watched as they gr…
Care
- Most experts agree that Bala Shark care is relatively easy if the fish owner has some basic knowledge of fish care. These fish tend to remain healthy, but fish owners should be sure to keep their aquariums clean and the water level and temperature stable for best results. Bala Sharks can be somewhat vulnerable if their tank water becomes dirty or when the tank water level lowers. W…
What Are Good Tank Mates For Bala Sharks?
- This fish is well known for its congenial manner, and they tend to do well living with many other different fish species. Some great tank mates for Bala Sharks are: 1. Rainbowfish 2. Tetra 3. Rasbora 4. Gourami 5. Other Bala Sharks However, there is the chance that the Bala Shark will eat smaller fish when they become larger, so the tank should alw...
How Do You Breed them?
- To breed your Bala Sharks, it is recommended that you determine the sex of the fish if possible. Females often have a slightly rounded belly area and body type. Males are typically a bit larger in size. It can be difficult to tell apart the sexes. When in captivity, the Bala Sharks only becomes able to reproduce when they are at least 3 years of age and at least 5 inches, or 13 cm, long. Fis…
Conclusion
- Bala Sharks are a rewarding and unique fish to keep in your aquarium. We hope that after reading this post you’ll have a better understanding of the fish in general, and the kind of care that you’ll need to provide. This information should be more than enough to give you an idea of if this is the right fish for you. Some aquarists decide they would rather go with something that doesn’t need …