Bala Shark Odd Behavior

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This is why bala sharks should not be sold as pets
I think i will keep a horse in my one bedroom apartment
aren't these the fast growing food fish from china
 
I don't know if any of you are aware (or just forgot) that when you buy these "Bala sharks" from the pet store as many have done including myself.. the information says they can be kept in a 30 plus gallon tank.... For those like myself that were new at one time didn't know the proper questions to ask and assumed we weren't being led wrong.. I too have my Bala's which one has lasted a year in a smaller than recommended tank (according to reports posted here) do I plan on upgrading? Of course.. I Love my tanks.. however not all of us can go run out and spend thousands of dollars on upgrading to a 100+ gal tank... The fish in my tank are fine and seem happy.. They are small enough to fit in the tank, it does take them awhile to grow, they don't get 10 inches in a month! I don't look at my fish as I would a horse or a child... I look at fish as a "Hobby" nothing more. I don't look at it as inhumane as some of you do.. however do I agree the bigger they get the more room they need which I plan on giving them before you all start bashing me too.

Mikel I think your's could just be skittish as they do at times. They aren't the brightest fish lol. I'm glad to hear they are eating from your hands again
 
Are there any types of sharks that you can keep in a smaller tank?
 
Eventually you will have to euthanize them or find them a new home. I would really try to find them a decent place to live before you get too attached to them. It is hard to put down a fish you have had for too long. Do a forum search for pacu and euthanization. There is a very sad story to be read.
 
Something to also keep in mind is that the sizes that are recommended on some of the pictures are bare minimum requirements for 1 fish before they are full grown (or at least, that seems to be the trend). When you start to add more fish that tank requirement is drastically changed, along with when you consider a full grown fish. You also need to take into consideration how much work you want to put into maintaining the tank and other factors. Use some sense, if a fish is going to be 12" long by the time they are full grown, do you really think they (and some buddies if they are schooling fish) will survive in a tank that is only 20-24" long and 10-12" wide?
I'm not sure we should go to the length of suggesting that bala sharks should not be sold as pets. I mean, they get large but people just need to make sure that they are educated about the fish species before buying it. It would be a very sad world if a person could not buy a horse or a large dog just because it would out-grow their current living situation, its just that people who buy mammals and "normal" (in relation to non-fishy people here) pets generally spend more time getting to understand what they are truly getting into.
 
I also agree with them just being skittish because of their nature. I have 3 Balas as well, they are in my 450g. pond and are about 9 inches. I've had them for 2 years and when i got them they were about 4 inches, so they've grown roughly 4-5 inches in 2 years, being fed on omega one and bloodworms, so this gives you an idea how slowly they grow, its not like you have to run out to get a bigger tank within 1 month. If yours are 3" max. right now, they're just babies still. Its not like you need a huge tank right away! I think some people are going to far with this, i mean, yes, he/she (mikel) bought a 29g. tank, maybe didn't do enough research on the balas and brought them home. Now they're acting skittish for whatever reason and trying to figure out why. Atleast he/she is trying to do the best they can with what they've got to work with, regardless of the fact that the balas will EVENTUALLY out grow the tank. It could be worse, it can always be worse. So, to end this off, they may just be acting skittish because they are quite a skittish fish. Also, since you were gone for a week or however long, they may became accustomed to the food coming into the water but no one around the tank. Then, all of a sudden you come home and they're not used to that. It might take them a while. I have never left my balas (or any fish) with an automatic feed when i leave. They can go without eating for a week or more.
 
Squirt0170 said:
I don't look at my fish as I would a horse or a child... I look at fish as a "Hobby" nothing more. I don't look at it as inhumane as some of you do..
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You should not be in the care of any living creature if you have no concern for it's well being.
 
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