Silver Bala Shark - Mating?

[siôn.griffin]

I have two 8 inch Silver Bala Sharks - one always chases the other 24/7, whenever I look at the tank. Could they be mating? Also, the other day the tank was very cloudy.
Any ideas?

Thanks,

-siôn-

 

[komodo182]

Do you ever see them rubbing against each other?

 

[Chromobotia]

Balas haven't been bred in an aquarium to my knowledge. More than likely it is just aggression between the two.

 

[komodo182]

Balas haven't been bred in an aquarium to my knowledge. More than likely it is just aggression between the two.

have you done a google search,lol
they have been bred.

 

[sharkyjc]

i have 2 about the same size they always do that i dont think they are mating,i have mine nearly 3 years now

 

[Chromobotia]

have you done a google search,lol
they have been bred.

Then let's see some pics.

 

[komodo182]

Then let's see some pics.

Mine have not bred, but if you do a simple google search, lots of articles about breeding them pop up.

So I would not say they do not breed in aquaria just because you have never seen it or its not to your knowledge.

 

[Chromobotia]

Mine have not bred, but if you do a simple google search, lots of articles about breeding them pop up.

So I would not say they do not breed in aquaria just because you have never seen it or its not to your knowledge.

I have done a search. One site said you can bred them in a 55, which is a joke.

"It has been reported to have been bred in an aquarium". Does anyone know someone that has been sucessful? I'm interested if this has truely happened as one site said these fish aren't even commercially bred. If Balas are so easy to breed and are extremely popular, why aren't they commercially bred.

I highly doubt that the OPs Balas are breeding.

 

[komodo182]

That one article I read was confusing, but there are others.
They are not easy to breed, but just because they are not easy to breed, I do not think its safe to say they do not breed in aquaria.

http://www.balashark.info/bala_shark_mating.php

either way, this is getting side tracked. OP, let us know how things go.

 

[Chromobotia]

That one article I read was confusing, but there are others.
They are not easy to breed, but just because they are not easy to breed, I do not think its safe to say they do not breed in aquaria.

http://www.balashark.info/bala_shark_mating.php

either way, this is getting side tracked. OP, let us know how things go.

I saw your web page as well.

Taken from the very end...
Bala Shark mating is a very difficult project to carry out successfully in a home aquarium unless you have access to large aquaria and possibly the help of a breeding hormone extracted from Carp.

Bottom line is that the average aquarist, more than likely, not be able to breed these fish. My Balas were exhibiting the exact same behavior and I though the same thing, that maybe they were mating. In the end it is just aggression between 2 Balas.

Let's face it, Balas are not like Convicts. You can't just drop a few into a tank and have eggs some months later.