Bala Shark

The bala shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) is not a shark at all but a large Southeast Asian cyprinid, related to barbs. The appeal is the shape: a deep silver body, a high triangular dorsal fin, and every fin edged in a clean black margin over yellow. Shops sell it at a few centimetres long, and it grows into a very large, very fast fish that needs a tank most people do not have. That is worth settling before you buy.

Aquarium care

• Grows large and needs a long tank with a lot of open swimming space.
• Peaceful, but an adult will take fish small enough to swallow.
• Social. Keep a group of five or more; singles are nervous and skittish.
• A powerful jumper. A tightly fitting lid is not optional.
• Fast-moving, so avoid sharp decor.
• Omnivorous: flake, pellets, frozen foods and some vegetable matter.

Suits a large community with big barbs, rainbowfish, silver dollars and medium cichlids. It is not a beginner's fish, and not a fish for a standard community tank.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the current shark list.