My Fish Tanks

Scientific Name : Balantiocheilos melanopterus

Common Names : Bala Shark, Silver Shark, Tri Color Shark Minnow, Hangus, Silver Bala

Care Level : Easy to Medium, needs lots of swimming space and a larger tank.

Size : Up to 13 inches (33 cm)

pH : 6 – 8

Temperature : 72°F – 82°F (22°C – 28°C)

Water Hardness : 5° to 12° dH,

Lifespan : 8 – 10 years

Origin / Habitat : South East Asia

Temperament / Behavior : Peaceful and can be kept with smaller fish. However, don’t keep with tropical fish small enough to fit in the Bala’s mouth such as neon tetras.

Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Breeding is not recommended in the home aquarium due to their large adult size. See the video above which might be breeding behavior or a maybe a courtship dance of some kind.

Tank Size : 55 gallon minimum because of the large potential adult size of the Bala Shark. They will do much better in larger aquariums.

Compatible Tank Mates : Many, given the peaceful nature of this fish.

Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease – Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment

Diet / Fish Food : Good eaters, they will go after flakes, pellets, freeze dried and live foods. Give them a varied diet.

Tank Region : All

Gender : Hard to determine, but the female may be smaller than a male Silver Shark of the same age.

Picture :

Also known as the Silver Shark, the Bala Shark is a growing favorite among tropical fish hobbyists. This tropical fish isn’t a shark at all though. It belongs in the Cyprinidae family. They are named sharks because of their appearance and the shape of their dorsal fin. These “sharks” require large tanks because of their potential adult size of 13 inches. They are mostly peaceful but may eat smaller fish such as neon tetras when they reach a large enough size.

Also, be warned that Balas (Silver Sharks) are excellent jumpers. Have a hood on your aquarium to prevent your Silver Shark from leaping to its death. They are very fast swimmers and will dart around your aquarium very quickly. Be sure you don’t have any sharp objects in your aquarium that could injure your fish.

They are not recommended for the beginner because of their large tank requirements.

These freshwater sharks (not really sharks) will eat most types of fish food including vitamin enriched flake foods, pellets, frozen, freeze dried and definitely live foods with the key being a varied diet. They sometimes make a clicking noise while eating.