question: Bala shark

[Rhys]

If anyone with any experience with these fellas could you give me some advice. Ok I have 2 bala sharks and they were both slender. Just tonight i was watching a movie and i was attracted to the way one of them was chasing the other and trying to nip it. The one that was chasing the other had its colours showing boldly but the other was dullish. So i went in for a closer inspection and the chasing one is nice and plump in the belly, from the gills to the anal fin. Could this be a female with eggs pressuring the male?? Or could it just be fun and games or mating season?? Can anyone tell me what the plump belly is??

 

[aquariumfishguy]

First of all, what size aquarium are these 2 bala's in? They get huge and require gallonage well into the 3 digits esp if you have multiple balas.

 

[carttman]

What is the smallest sized tank that you would recommend for 3. or 4 Bala sharks?

 

[Rhys]

my tank is a 125g. I know i have enough room.

 

[dethjam316]

125 at least...they get huge and need to be in a small school of sorts.

 

[JesseJ]

It could be that the big one is female but all healthy balas seem to get that look. they are only slender when they are fairly small. after about 4-5 inches they start to get that oval look.

As to tank size, bigger is better. These guys are very nervous fish to begin with. Keeping them in schools (4+) calms them down a bit but they still tend to zip around the tank and if they don't have much room they can whack right into the side of the tank.

 

[Grassguy]

Could be a territorial dispute as well.

 

[Hans]

you dont need a big tank, they do fine in a 10 gallon, they wont grow any bigger then they are now, and if they do for some reason, just release them into a river in your town.

 

[LMOUTHBASS]

your

joking right?

 

[dethjam316]

hans, not everyone can control genetics like you!!