Small Bala terrorizing all the bigger fish

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freeme

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 12, 2024
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Tank with really large tinfoils large pink kissers diver dollars and a 12inch Bala. The small Bala about 8inch has recently started terrorizing all the fish that are far bigger. What was a happy tank has ended up with all the bigger fish huddled on one side.
It would be laughable he is so much smaller than the other fish. Except happy tank is not to happy now.
 
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Welcome to the forum!
How big is the tank?
I’ve seen the same with my bala against my silver dollars (in admittedly too small a tank).
Really the best option is to separate out the fish, that goes for any aggressor.
 
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6ft long tank. We tried moving out silver dollars but they all been together for 15+ years. They got so depressed we had to move them back. The small Bala was living alone in very small tank and was tiny when he first moved in and hid most of the time. As he got much bigger his confidence has grown to much. He is a young fish as compared to rest just 4 years old. He has been fine until recently.
 
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Just wanted to add, we used to have another very large tank but with running costs we let it go we only have one other tank with Angel fish. So grateful for any suggestions.
 
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Fishnkdub said:
Some barbs do best with other fish of the same species. Too busy fighting amongst themselves to bother tankmates. You can try that if you have a big enough tank or rehome the agressor
Click to expand...
Yeah that's what we wanted to do unfortunately the only other tank is to small and has mostly hight which the Angels like. But wouldn't be suitable. We wonder if we should section of a corner of the tank for him. As he keeps all the huge fish huddled in a corner.
 
freeme said:
Yeah that's what we wanted to do unfortunately the only other tank is to small and has mostly hight which the Angels like. But wouldn't be suitable. We wonder if we should section of a corner of the tank for him. As he keeps all the huge fish huddled in a corner.
Click to expand...
There is another Bala shark about 3 times bigger than him and is as terrorized as the rest.
 
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What’s the full stocking? If it isn’t too full, you can try more balas and see if that distributes aggression among the other sharks and not the rest of the fish.
Adding more breaks in the line of sight (more hiding spots and plants) can also help reduce aggression.
 
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This is situation. We did loose elderly male Bala he was about 14 inches it was after he died that the speed of growth in the little one increased. We grow plants in Angel fish tank and plant excess in 6ft trouble is they eat it all. Maybe some fake plants may help. Thank you

IMG_20240212_184320.jpg
 
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