Bala/Silver shark in a brackish tank

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Mr Dank YT

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Sep 21, 2017
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Hi, i am thinking about having a brackish tank and i want bala/silver shark, are they able to be in 1.005 salinity?
also wondering about odessa barbs and denison barb, yes i know they arent really monster fish but i am planning to keep all of those fish with archerfish and maybe argus fish
 
Mr Dank YT said:
Hi, i am thinking about having a brackish tank and i want bala/silver shark, are they able to be in 1.005 salinity?
also wondering about odessa barbs and denison barb, yes i know they arent really monster fish but i am planning to keep all of those fish with archerfish and maybe argus fish
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I know the Columbian Shark Catfish can thrive in Brackish water but never heard of Bala Sharks in Brackish.
 
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Neither Denison nor Odessa like salt, even a little bit I added when I had Denisons caused them to stress and swim erratically. I still have a couple female Odessas that freaked out and beat themselves on the glass when i added salt to their tank. I thought one of the fish in their tank had ich(was wrong about the ich my eyes were seeing things) I believe a friend of mine had Balas when he had an ich outbreak and they did well during treatment but I can't speak to brackish levels.
 
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ok i found out balas actually like a little bit of salt and are perfectly fine in brackish, so now i will keep archer fish bala shark and possibly green scats
 
Balas have not evolved in brackish waters. Most balas in the hobby are commercially bred in fresh water.
Long term exposure to brackish conditions could prove undoubtedly uncomfortable if not eventually fatal.
Damage to the liver and gills will probably be the first symptoms causing the fish to stress.
May I ask what size is your tank?
Balas are a energetic shoaling fish that can pass 14 inches and like to be in groups of 6 or more.
 
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i know its not enoug for long term, they're only juveniles so when they get big i'll just buy a bigger tank!
but i think i will have archer fish in another tank
 
I would skip the balas if you want a brackish tank.Despite size issues they will not do well in brackish conditions.
There is a difference in marine salt and salt used for medicinal purposes.
I would stay with species that have evolved to live in brackish water, like scats for example.
Some cichlids are brackish water tolerant and some may venture into full marine conditions.However these will be regionally placed to have made such adaptions. Other cichlids of the same species may have never left full fresh water and would not be salt tolerant even if they are the same species.
I would look at scats,archers,and some livebearers like certain mollies.
The pike top livebearer is another interesting fish that does well in brackish water as is the 4 eyed fish anebleps.
Just try to find out if the fish you buy, whatever the species is used to full brackish conditions.
 
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