Bala shark question

are bala sharks comunity fish? Can they go in with my molly and platys?

Keelo I would say" No ". They get huge !! I saw a tank once, they were all approx 12 inches!!

oh wow i thought they only got to like 5-6 inchs OOPS not a good idea for my 55 gal then :) ty!

Keelo I'm sure it will take years to get that large !!

the one i was going to adopt for free off CL is already 5 inchs though if it gets bigger it would start getting cramped i think since my tank is so heavly planted.

Bala sharks are very skidish. Not agressive. Can reach 18 inchs. Need lots of O2 in the water. As far as with livebrears thats up to you. Also they like larger tank.

Dr. Who is correct, they get skiddish, Plus they like to be in groups.

yeahhh not a good fit for sure :) i guess this ones been a single bala shark for a while but hopefully someone that knows more about them can take him!

they are not agressive but yes they are skiddish and can swim like crazy. had a group of them in my 225 tall and they got big. some where 16 inches long, and I had to buy a koi pond net to catch them.

bala sharks are a sad story, theyre practically wiped out in their native populations. and in the hobby they are often abused and poorly taken care of. they require large long tanks 4ft minimum and 100gals+. their name often puts them in tanks with aggressive fish like SA cichlids, but they arent suited for that. balas have small mouths and they should be fine in a large non/semi agressive tank with a bare minimum of 3 balas, but 5 is better. they get over 1ft long but they are slow growers. small tanks will make stunted and obese specimens. use your own discretion

Yes, so far they haven't gotten them to tank breed, but they will pond breed in warm regions. They ARE jumpers and do best in schools of 3-5. Must have a long-type large volume tank for longevity. And do enjoy munching on aquatic vegetation. Also, a strong current and/or bubbler is necessary.