Bala shark
The bala shark, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, is not a shark but a large cyprinid from Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, silver with black-edged fins and a strongly forked tail.
It is listed as endangered in the wild, and almost all fish in trade are farmed.
It reaches 30 to 35 centimetres and lives around ten years. It is also one of the clearest examples of an aquarium mis-sell: it is sold at five or six centimetres, alongside community fish, to people with 100-litre tanks, and it grows into a fast, powerful, shoaling fish that needs a tank most fishkeepers will never own. Rehoming an adult is difficult.
- Origin
- Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula
- Adult size
- 30–35 cm
- Lifespan
- About 10 years
- Minimum tank
- About 1,000 litres for a group — not a community tank
- Temperature
- 22–28°C
- Temperament
- Peaceful but very active; needs a shoal and open water
2 bala shark photos, newest first
Living with a bala shark
Be honest about the adult size before buying one. A 30-centimetre fish that swims fast in a shoal needs length above everything, and no standard household aquarium provides it. If you cannot house a group of adults, do not start.
They are shoaling fish and should be kept in groups of five or more. Kept singly they become nervous and skittish.
They jump, hard, and a startled bala shark will clear an open tank. A tightly fitting lid is essential.
They are peaceful but will eat anything small enough to fit in the mouth, so a full-grown bala shark is not a tankmate for neon tetras.
Strong filtration and good flow suit them; they come from rivers, not still water.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual fishs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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