

Anything under 4 or 5 inches in length is not a good tank mate, as anything it can fit in its mouth will be considered food.Ģ. These freshwater sharks should not be kept with fish that are much smaller. They tend to be fairly calm and peaceful, but they are still called sharks for a reason. Make sure to feed them 3 times per day and feed them as much as they can eat in 3 minutes.īala sharks, as mentioned before, should be kept in schools of 3 or 4. You can feed them high-quality fish flakes, live black worms, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, chopped fruit, shelled peas, blanched spinach, and a variety of smaller seafood. They enjoy a broad diet and many different foods. This freshwater shark is not very picky eaters and they are omnivores. A little aquarium light is something else you will need here. These freshwater sharks require a high-quality filtration system that engages in all 3 major types of water filtration, which can also move at least 3 times to the total volume of water in the tan per hour. The water will need to have a pH level between 6.5 and 7.8, with a water hardness level of 2 to 10 dGH. In terms of water conditions, Bala sharks require the water to be between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so you will probably need to get a heater. A few plants around the perimeter and a bit of driftwood to provide hiding spaces is more than enough. This freshwater shark should have a tank that is 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, but this will have to be considerably larger for 4 of them.īala sharks need plenty of space for swimming so don’t overcrowd the tank with items. These freshwater sharks need to have around 75 gallons of space per shark, so if you get 4 of them, this means that you will need a freshwater aquarium of 350 gallons.

Therefore, Bala shark should be kept in quantities of 3 or 4 at the least. Moreover, if kept in pairs, there will usually be a dominant one that will bully the others. If kept alone, they can become very aggressive towards other tank mates, or they can behave very oddly. One thing to keep in mind about these freshwater aquarium sharks is that it is actually a schooling fish and should not be kept alone or even in pairs.

These are actually not sharks at all, but they do have a shark-like appearance due to their rigid dorsal fins and bodies that look like torpedoes.īala sharks can grow up to 20 inches in the wild, but in captivity will usually top out at around 12 inches. This is a freshwater fish found in Southeast Asia. The Bala Shark is the first of the common freshwater aquarium sharks that you can get your hands on. Bala Shark Image Credit: Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova, Shutterstock
#Flesh water shark how to#
Let’s talk about the 7 common types of freshwater aquarium sharks, their characteristics, and how to take care of them. When it comes to freshwater sharks, there are actually 7 common types of them that you can keep in a home aquarium. We will also be going over their care needs, general requirements, feeding needs, tankmates, and more.
