Bala shark

T

tbull72

Registered Member
Feb 28, 2006
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I saw this forum and many of the posts and figured maybe someone may be able to help. I have 2 balas, 2 silver dollars and a geophagus juripari. One bala shark has always chased the other around during feeding time and it used to be isolated only to the other bala, now he chases the silver dollars around. My concern is the silver dollars aren't as fast as him. The Juripari, who for the most part has pretty much ignored all of this, now too is showing agression toward the silver dollars. The irony is, the juripari for almost 6 months now would just go through the rocks and and just forget they were there, for the past couple of days, the juripari hasn't wanted anyone around him. I feed them fakes, these tetramin sinking pellets and bloodworms, and I'm not stingy with it.
Is the Bala being aggressive during feeding normal? I know the juripari is a ciclid but for a while he had the temperment of a cory. Does anyone have any suggestions, or past experiences with this?
 
Balas need to be in schools of at least six. Probaly why one is chasing the other. Also how big is your tank?
 
Sounds like fish are maturing and developing adult personalities and territories--it's unlikely they'll all get along, especially if this is less than 100 gallons.
 
its a 55 gallon. I have a feeling they are going to outgrow it soon. So, balas can get aggressive toward oneanother if the school is to small? Is that the same with tin foils? Do you have any suggestions with the geophagus, he doesn't seem to be biting, just almost raming, or pushing them with his mouth. The silver dollars are slower than the bala and the geophagus, do you have any thoughts on why maybe one day he would just get aggressive toward them?
 
balas with africans

In my experience balas can become quite aggressive. I was keeping a 55 mbuna tank when I first started the hobby and put some bala sharks in the tank to use as dither fish until they got bigger. Yes the are definately aggressive with food and will eat it all quickly, barely letting the smaller mbunas to have a chance. Also my fish population started to drop off and I think that the biggest bala was killing my Africans!
 
Would you remove the silver dollars? The problem is that they sort of slow and easy targets and eat of the bottom in awkward angles making them easy targets. Does it make sense to remove the agressive bala? The Juripari really just doesn't want them near him, he doesn't seek them out and chease them around in circles, like the larger bala.
 
The balas will eventually outgrow the tank anyway. Might as well find a new home for them now unless you have other plans. If the jurupari turns out to be a big one it may need a larger aquarium as well.
 
both the balas and silverdollars need to be in schools of 6 or more and i feel should be kept in nothing smaller than a 5 foot long tank, preferably 6 feet long. balas grow to more than a foot long and are hyper little things. they definately need more space. you could do a 125g tank and just have a school of silverdollars and the eartheater. so long as your sure your silverdollars aren't ACTUALLY redhooks (redhooks are often mistaken for normal silverdollars, but they grow more than a foot in diameter. you can tell the difference because their anal fin is much longer, bright red, and hooked backwards)
 
happens with mien. Just ignore it there not fighting. Well sometimes do it becuse they get pretty hungrey
 
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