Bala Sharks

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Hello,

Long time listener first time caller. Been coming into the site to read a lot of helpful information however finally decided to sign up and post. There’s so many theories on Bala Sharks and I’m hoping I’ll be okay with my new set up. I’m moving from a 75 gallon to a 220 gallon next week. I’ve wanted to for awhile but the Bala Shark purchase I shouldn’t have made a few weeks ago, kind of made me pull the trigger.

I have the 5 in my community take now, doing well. They are about 3 inches, and get along with everyone. Very cool fish, and definitely use all of the tank. I’ve been surprised how Nimble they are, upside down eating off the live plants.. I used to think they were dying when I first saw that.

I have mostly rainbows, 7 roseline sharks, and one electric blue acara that HATES any other cichlid or close to a cichlid I ever attempt to try to put in the tank, but super peaceful to everyone else.

My question is, will the 220, 6 foot long, 2 foot width and almost 3 feet high be enough for this fish long term or should I loook to move them now? I made this purchase maninly for them and to see them grow in the correct environment however the more I read, some even suggest 500 gallons the minimum.

I’ll be running two FX6s that I customized to hold way more media, mechanical and biological.

Open to any suggestions. Thx in advance!
 
Well, they don’t give you a ton in the FX6. So putting what they give in the top compartment, removed one of the black sponges and added a FX6 pad instead to make it fit. Putting a large portion of my current media in the middle compartment, and added Matrix from seachem too.

Then in the third adding in more media with a purgien and polishing pad. I also took the side sponges out and cut pond sponges together. Picked that tip up on YouTube.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback I really appreciate the insight. The tanks you guys have are incredible. Setting up the 220 Monday. Having a few guys from the local fish store help. I don’t had any friends into the hobby and if i was going to do this I need a few people to help. Sometimes it’s better to pay for the help I guess lol.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback I really appreciate the insight. The tanks you guys have are incredible. Setting up the 220 Monday. Having a few guys from the local fish store help. I don’t had any friends into the hobby and if i was going to do this I need a few people to help. Sometimes it’s better to pay for the help I guess lol.
you're paying for it now, not down the road when your tank crashes or something fails
 
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I would get two cans with the outputs on one end and the in takes on the other to set up kind of a riverine flow
 
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Looks great, is it hard to maintain (ie manual cleaning), with my fish I have to siphon out the waste and pass it through a brine shrimp net to filter out the poop and stuff and then I put the clean water back into the tank
 
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