Do bala sharks need to be in a school

do bala sharks need to be in a school if so how many

 

welcome to fishlore!!

Bala's will do well with one or many...BUT...they get to be HUGE up to 16" and need at least 100 gallons....

I have a lil guy ive been trying to find a home for so beware that they do get very very large

 

I thought balas needed to be 5 or more to be happy. You can get away with one?

 

I have one that is by himself, they will live if left alone but they tend to be really inactive and kind of boring, they will also hide a lot. Or sometimes they will school with other fish in your tank. Mine swims around with my 3 long finned black skirt tetras.

If you have the room and I stress the 'if you have the room' part because you don't want an over crowded tank, you can get more then one, but if you don't I would leave him alone, better to be alone then sick from ammonia poisoning.

 

yeah I have one bala and he is just fine by himself but he is very active and swims all over my tank...

 

I have 2 silver sharks and they tend to be more active than when I had 1 they also are getting to big for my tank rapidly and as I found out tonight 2 many or the wrong size fish in your tank can cause illness very quickly, I am now having to upgrade to a larger tank, either that or I will have to get rid of my fish

 

well good luck getting a new tank because getting rid of shouldn't be an option unless you give them to someone else of course

 

iv had just one in my tank for 2 years and it seems happy, its my most active fish and gets along fine with my more aggresive fish. but I have read that bala's like to school

 

iv had just one in my tank for 2 years and it seems happy, its my most active fish and gets along fine with my more aggresive fish. but I have read that bala's like to school

this thread is pretty old, I think la loser88 has already gotten an answer

just a friendly reminder, try to check the dates before posting and reviving old posts so that the new urgent questions can get answered