Bala Sharks!

Hi there,

I'd like to find out if anyone has experience with Bala Sharks.
All I'd really like to know is how long do they take to get fully grown
(+- 400mm)

 

do NOT buy bala sharks EVER

they are EXTREMELY active and gets WAY to big for most tanks. unless you have 4mX2mX1m tank dont bother. i saw some half size ones at a shop last week that took a serious beating in their way to small tank.one of the eyes got cut on something in the tank.

yes they get to 40cm long but its a BIG bulky fish... 40cm long and 20cm high.... avoid man they just get to big

 

I'm afrain I've already got.

Thats why I'd like to know how quickly they grow. I'd like to get them a propper home before they get too big.
My parents live in J-Bay and are building on to their house. I want to build a big tank into one of the walls but building is gonna take some time. I've only just finished designing the house and foundations.

Ideally I'd like to build my own tank but I need a house before that, can't exactly build a 4m tank in a rented apartment.

If they grow too quickly I'll have to find someone whit a big tank for them.

Any idea on how quickly they grow?

Mine are only 5-6cm now and they're in a 500 litre tank.

When I first reaserched the bala's i found that they can live in a 70 galon tank (min) and mine's almost double the size.


Comon sense has cought up to me though, they need much bigger, like you said.

I appreciate the input.

 

I've found a few sites with info on how quickly they grow if anyone's interested.

http://www.balashark.info/
http://www.balashark.info/bala_shark_care.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070719225247AASngNs

There aren't any exact answers and I've even found sites saying they grow quite slowly. (not too sure if I believe it tho)

Apparently they'll grow to 15-17cm within a year or two and then their growth slows down.

 

i would take them back to the LFS... make them someone elses problem

 

i have 5 bala's in a 1mtr tank for abt 4years now and they didnt grow much got them when they were abt 6cm and now they are abt 8.5cm so i think they will b fine in your 500ltr tank for a while linchpin

 

Thats Just being ignorant. That doesn't solve the problem in any way.

I guess if people are educated, hopefully they will resist these fish and eventually the LFS will have to stop stocking these fish because no one wants to buy 'em.

 

they will b fine in your 500ltr tank linchpin dont take them back

 

Hows the altum asgar?

That is stunted growth btw....

 

so i dont feed them the right way?

 

They are what one calls a TANK BUSTER. Petshops should not sell them before explaining that they become to large for your common 3 ft tank

 

Is it not true that you stunt a fish's growth when you put it in a tank that is smaller than its normal enviroment ?...........Is it cruel or is it ok since the fish remains small and therefore remains happy with its space?..Just a thought!

 

if you put a fish in a tank that is too small for it it will be stunted. this leads to organ damage etc....

 

Found this statement on another thread concerning discus.....
I bought a Bala shark from my local LFS last week, and when compared to my othe shark, it seems to have large eyes in relation to its body size. So my question is, was this other (new) sharky stunned at some point in it's life? It is also much thinner than my older sharky

 

sounds like it

 

Will a fish that was stunned ever recover or will it stay "deformed" ?

 

nope - will never recover. Did you know that a Commet gold fish gets upto 50cm big and yet they are kept in 10L bowls

 

Henk, there is a lot of things wrong out there with people keeping fishies in conditions that are just not right....

 

yea true - was just using it as an example

 

I have a confession, I also have 2 bala sharks, they are 5cm in lengh and i have a 1 meter tank 256lt, this is just the right excuse for me to upgrade to a bigger tank at a later date. Hee! Hee! Because there is no way i can give my babies up! Sorry guys!!