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| Bala sharks in a tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Although the name suggests otherwise, the Silver Shark is actually a minnow. This fish has many monikers including, Bala shark, tricolor shark, tri-color shark minnow, hangus, Malaysian shark, and silver Bala. Last, but certainly not least there is also the scientific binomial name, Balantiocheilus melanopterus.
Silver sharks are found in the fresh waters of South East Asia. Although they are bred in captivity by professional breeders, the vast majority of them are still caught in the wild. In fact, so many are caught that silver sharks are making their way onto the endangered species list.
They are very easy to identify in an aquarium. When they are healthy, they have a shiny silver body and jet black bands on the back edge of their fins. Their dorsal and tail fins are reminiscent of a shark; that is why they are called silver "sharks". When fed certain foods they may have an additional yellowish color between the silver body and black fin bands. Hence the name tri color shark.
When bought in the store they are usually between 1 and 2 inches long. With proper nutrition and comfortable surrounds, they should be nearly 10 inches long after a few years. If yours are not that long, don't forget that all fish are individuals and their genetics have a large part in determining how large they will grow. After all, not all humans are 6 feet tall. The silver shark's maximum length is said to be 14 inches. A fish that big will require quite a large aquarium.
Silver sharks do best when kept in a shoal of 5 or more silver sharks. If you keep them in smaller numbers they may be aggressive towards other members of the aquarium community. If you are lucky enough to have 5 or more silvers and they all grow to be 12 inches or more long your tank will have to be at least 125 gallons. And make sure that you have a lid securely fastened over the tank because they are jumpers.
Silver Sharks are relatively weak when it comes to disease resistance. They will become sick before most other members of the aquarium. So if your silver sharks are coming down with something make sure you pay a little more attention to the health of your fishes.
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