Bala Shark
Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Also known as: Silver shark, Tricolor shark, Tri-colour shark
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 450 litres (120 gallons)
- Lifespan: 10–15 years
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: middle-and-top
- Diet: omnivore
- Minimum group size: 5
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 22–28°C
- pH: 6–8
- Hardness (GH): 89–268 ppm (5–15 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
A sleek, silver, genuinely shark-shaped fish that is one of the most consistently mis-sold animals in the trade: bought as a lively 6 to 8cm juvenile, it grows to 30 to 35cm and is a fast, nervous, jump-prone shoaling fish that needs both a group and a tank measured in metres, not centimetres. Bala sharks are peaceful and hardy, which is exactly why they survive long enough in undersized tanks to become a problem, growing stunted and stressed rather than dying outright. They are not sharks but large cyprinids (carp relatives), and a proper shoal cruising a big aquarium is a striking sight. Honest framing matters here as much as for the oscar and common pleco: the fish is fine, the standard tank it is sold for is not.
Tankmates
Peaceful and not predatory by temperament, but a 30cm-plus fish will inevitably eat nano tetras, small rasboras, and shrimp simply because they fit, so the small community species it is sold beside as a juvenile become inappropriate as it grows. Bala sharks are nervous, jumpy shoaling fish that must be kept in a group of at least five; lone or paired specimens are skittish and prone to crashing into the glass or leaping from the tank. They suit a very large community of robust, active, similarly-sized fish: larger rainbowfish, congo tetras, bigger barbs, and clown loaches. A tight-fitting lid is essential, as startled bala sharks are powerful jumpers. The binding constraints are tank length and the group requirement.
Compatible with
- Boeseman's Rainbowfish
- Congo Tetra
- Clown Loach
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Pearl Gourami
- Kissing Gourami
- Black Ghost Knifefish
Avoid keeping with
Common Problems
- outgrowing the tank (reaches 30-35cm)
- stress and skittishness when kept in groups smaller than 5
- jumping from open or poorly-covered tanks
- predation on small tankmates as it grows
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-20