Is The Bala Shark: The Best Freshwater Shark Ever

The Bala Shark, also called a Tri-Color Shark or Silver Shark is a freshwater aquarium fish. Even though they look very much like a shark, these fish are not sharks. They get their name from their shark like appearance but they are actually part of a group of freshwater fish called Cyprinids. Bala Sharks are predominantly herbivorous and are very popular among freshwater aquarium owners.

Bala Sharks are capable of growing up to 14 inches in length which is too big for most small home aquariums. Full grown Bala Sharks should be kept in aquariums of no smaller than 75 gallons in size and really should be given a tank of over 100 gallons in size.

Bala Sharks a shoaling fish ad prefers to live in groups. Because of the size that these freshwater sharks can grow to, keeping a shoal of them is next to impossible. The biggest mistake people make when buying Bala Sharks is not knowing how quickly they can grow and out grow the tank they are being kept in.

Rainbow sharks or ruby sharks are smaller freshwater aquarium sharks that grow to be up to 6 inches in size. They are hardy and can live in a wide range of water conditions. They prefer to have the water temperature between 72 and 79 Fahrenheit with the pH between 6.8 and 7.5.

Rainbow sharks are territorial and show some aggressiveness. They may chase other fish of similar size and shape. They do not mix with other rainbow sharks and unless plenty of space is given, only one should be kept in an aquarium.

An albino rainbow shark is a popular color variety available in the aquarium fish keeping hobby.

Red-tailed black sharks are another smaller freshwater aquarium shark that also grow to be close to 6 inches in size. They are also hardy like the rainbow shark. They prefer to have the water temperature between 72 and 79 Fahrenheit with the pH between 6.8 and 7.5.

Red-tailed black sharks get their name from their coloration. They have a completely black body with a red tail. They are not shy at all, but are very active and are territorial. They may chase other fish of similar size and shape. Red-tailed black sharks should only be kept as an single shark because they will fight with other red-tailed black sharks.

The iridescent shark or Siamese shark is another freshwater aquarium fish that has a shark-like resemblance. They are not sharks but are actually catfish. Iridescent sharks usually grow to be around 8 inches in an aquarium but can grow to be much larger. In the wild they have been recorded to be as large as 39 inches.

Iridescent sharks like to live in shoals when young but become loners as they get older. They are very active and require a spacious aquarium. They prefer to have the water temperature between 72 and 79 Fahrenheit with the pH of about 7.0. They are peaceful but will eat smaller fish that are small enough to swallow.