BALA SHARK - CARE GUIDE & Species Profile

[@jackanddan]

Nice aquarium....Balas have always been a fav....👍

[@CichlidBros]

Jack and Dan thank you! Highly recommend them as long as the tank is big enough 👌🏻

[@jackanddan]

Cichlid Bros ....hahahaha well that’s not an issue for us especially cause we help at the Fish Rescue....they’ve got some giant Balas there....👍

[@braveheartreefer525]

Great information especially about tank size

[@CichlidBros]

Braveheart reefer 525 thanks man!

[@LoganKohn]

Loved this video, super great! subscribed!

[@arreiszafantasy1438]

awesome aquarium my new friend here 105

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you!!! Checking out your channel now!

[@joemunoz1251]

Nice tank bro

[@CichlidBros]

Joe Munoz thanks man!!

[@helloaquatics5147]

May be you can help me to set up cichlid aquariums. love your channel. subbed you.

[@CichlidBros]

HELLO AQUATICS thank you! Happy to help 👍🏻

[@MichaelWilliams-xs3bj]

I just bought a 6ft long tank for my 3 bala sharks. Mine are fat and sadly they are in a 55 gallon atm. I think I will paint my background black with black and white substrate. I am gonna use 2 or 3 sponge filters and an eheim 5e pro 700 canister. I would do a sump but I need to get the tank going so they will have room. I seen a clown loach in this video and now I think I will get 3 to 6 of those. If they get to big I will get a 250 gallon tank. Thanks for the video! It helped me decide which background I want and clown loach also

[@Shadowdoe1]

Will they jump out of the tank

[@CichlidBros]

Yep, I would recommend a firm lid

[@iamOTHER44]

So these fish can be a signature fish in an aquarium by itself? Would these fish work with tiger barbs?

[@ashscichlids7057]

Awesome video!

[@CichlidBros]

Ash's Cichlids thank you!!

[@quinnhawkinson894]

Great video. Do you guys ever offer advice in setting up a new tank? We have a bala and moving from 33 gallons to 125. Thinking less agressive Cichlids

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! 125 gallons would be a good home, since they get so large. They'll do well with the less aggressive cichlids. Overall a very peaceful fish!

[@quinnhawkinson894]

@@CichlidBros Appreciate your channel. I am going to get the same 125G tank and mimic what you have done. Great setup.

[@smokycovestudios]

Put a few 4 or 5 together. They are more pack like and will chill out cichlids.

[@DawnMichele]

Hello!!! Very informative video!!! I wish people thought about that when it comes to Oscars!!!

[@CichlidBros]

Dawn Michele thanks! Definitely a similar debate there!

[@chanchalsethia1374]

@@CichlidBros annsbaqn4,

[@prestonsreef188]

Hello, great vid. I’m getting bala sharks in about two weeks. I’m going to start them out in a 75 gallon tank. I have two questions. First question, how long should I keep the shark in a 75 gallon. Second question how many bala sharks should I get? I heard they should stay in a group.

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! I had mine in a 75 for a year, and wouldn't recommend keeping in one much longer than that. Mine has been in a 180 for the past year and a half. I think they do just fine solo, but heard groups are great together as well.

[@prestonsreef188]

@@CichlidBros thank you

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

bala sharks are great

[@CichlidBros]

Agreed!

[@vikkitee4686]

Mine are about 6 years old and 8 inches. Do they continue growing or is this it? I can accommodate bigger. Was hoping bigger but seems to have stopped

[@CichlidBros]

It might still grow a bit. They do grow fairly slow for such a big adult fish

[@salvolondon]

Great videos man , I love bala sharks but they get way too big for my tanks . I do have tiger and rosy barbs though , that are from the same family of bala sharks

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks!

[@deluxmakescash]

Nice video my brother

[@bipolaraquatics]

nice

[@williamgonzalez6849]

I got 2 bala shark and 1red tale shark they doing ok

[@carlossolorzano4509]

What do you clean ur tank with

[@CichlidBros]

Python water changer

[@christinarushing7859]

Can you keep 1 ballshark in a 75 gallon

[@CichlidBros]

You can probably, but I would recommend something larger for an adult if you can

[@jflowers8913]

What is that yellow round fish

[@CichlidBros]

J Flowers it’s a red spotted severum

[@tyrike123thomas6]

When I try to feed my bala tropical pellets, they sink to the bottom of the tank, so my bala won't eat them. my bala hasn't ate in a couple of days what do I do. 🥺

[@tyrike123thomas6]

Plz help

[@TharangaUdagedara]

Doesn't he tend to jump out?

[@CichlidBros]

Yes I would recommend firm lids

[@SpiritKingY]

How big can a Bella shark will get

[@CichlidBros]

Mine from this video is at about 8 inches now and continuing to grow. They can get over a foot long

[@jovilferras6314]

Does bala sharks grow slowly? Because I baught one on October 2019 it's a juvenile around 3-4 inches and on February 2020 I bought a 4 inches small paroon shark and a 2-3 inches senegal and now moths later june 2020 my paroon shark is triple the size of my bala shark and even the senegal bichir has grown for like 4 inches more. Is it normal for bala shark to grow this slow? From what I observe he only grows for like a centimeter or two.

[@CichlidBros]

Mine is about 7 inches after the first year and a half. He’s put on a lot of girth over the last few months. Expecting him to grow another 4-5 inches this year

[@dhammaboy1203]

Hey Troy, I’ve been researching Bala Sharks online & it feel like I walked into WW3. (Why be nice to people who share your life’s passion when there is good old arguing to be had right!?) Hmm…🤔 How did you decide on the Bala? How does a person navigate the hugely conflicting opinions online about this fish? (Is aggressive/not aggressive, must be kept in groups of 5 or more / fine on it’s owns etc). Have you had any issues thus far. My plan: I would be putting 1 Bala Shark in a 180 gallon (6x2x2) with Geos, Angles, Elect Blue Acaras & (maybe) a Macaw and a coupe of Rainbows or Keyholes? I’d like a Chocolate Cichlid too. I would add the Choc. Cichlid & Bala last - in 12-18 months as all my fish are around 2-2.5” right now. Any advice? Any fish above you’d leave out? Thank you good Sir! 👍🏻

[@CichlidBros]

Hey there. My recommendation would be a 6ft 180 minimum for an adult, so you should be good there. They do well in schools, but mine has been solo and has thrived. Completely normal behavior and activity. Balas are not aggressive at all, unless they’re crammed in a small tank. I think your stocking list is great. The Nicaraguan might be slightly more aggressive and will be dig quite a bit. But overall it should work fine

[@dhammaboy1203]

@@CichlidBros that’s so helpful! Thank you! I’ve wanted a Bala shark for years. I think you at e right that any tank much smaller than a 180g long term for a Bala would increase the likelihood of territorial issues. Good to know the Nicaraguan is a little more aggressive too. 👌🏻 They’re pretty cool but I’ll think further!

[@TayJohnson23]

My bala is upside down or acting weird, need help

[@lifewithlala1001]

Mines is doing the same. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong 😟

[@TayJohnson23]

@@lifewithlala1001 hey, try changing your water and using enough conditioner, remove artificial plants if have and water change, clean filter spmges but use them over and over again for the beneficial bacteria. Do a 35% water change every 2 weeks

[@lifewithlala1001]

@@TayJohnson23 I’ve been doing that I just started this journey with my fishes and I got conditioner, water cleanse and I even got medicine because I thought maybe it’s parasites from the fish place I just got my bala shark yesterday even a bigger tank but idk what I’m doing wrong 🙁

[@lifewithlala1001]

@@TayJohnson23 btw thank you for replying

[@TayJohnson23]

@@lifewithlala1001 how big is the tank

[@yournumberonepal]

Yeah, these fish really would be best in an 8ft tank with strong water flow.

[@1cjl2]

I'll take the guy without the dorsal