The Intriguing Bala SharkThe Bala Shark (Balantiocheilos Melanopterus) is also known as the Tricolor or Silver Shark or the Shark Minnow. It is part of the fish family known as Cyprinidae but is the sole member of the Genus known as Balantiocheilos. However, this species is not in fact a true shark and is only called this because of its torpedo shaped body and large fins.They are generally peaceful and good companion to many other types of tropical fish, but as they are an omnivore they will eat other animals which are small enough to fit in their mouths, this will include other small fish and shrimp. Although they are widely available in most pet stores but are not marketed well since most aquarists buy them before actually knowing that they need a large environment to live in as they can grow to between 14 to 16 inches in length. The price of purchasing such a fish can range from $2.50 up to $7.50. However, but they do prefer to be grouped in 3 to 6 specimens (but they can survive alone if they need to). They are the type of fish which can tolerate temperature and pH changes as well as any other factors that other fish may be sensitive to. The Bala Shark is one of the easiest types of tropical fish to maintain. The tank it lives in should be large enough to provide it with plenty of swimming areas with also lots of live plants. As it is a very active fish it will cover all areas of the tank and will even go over the substrate picking up those pieces of food which other fish have missed. Also it has not specific feeding requirements and will accept all kinds of flaked food as well as supplements in order to live a full and healthy life. They prefer living in water which has a temperature of between 73 to 79 degrees and the pH should be slightly Alkaline to neutral. There are however a couple of drawbacks to having a Bala Shark. The first being that they will often grow to big for most home aquariums. So if you decide to purchase one of these you will need to look at purchasing as big a tank as possible to keep it in. The second drawback is that they are skilled at jumping so you will need to ensure that the aquarium tank you use for your Bala Shark has a tight fitting cover. |