OH MY GOD

[Becca]

So...we're at the Fish Store last night checking out some new potentional tank-mates and we see a tank with baby Bala Sharks, about the size of the one I used to have - 3" - 4". My husband says "Those are cool, we should get some more." And I said, "Fine, if you want to buy me that bigger aquarium over there..." (Pointing ever-so-slyly to the bigger than life 180-Gallon...I know it's not needed, but hell, if I get a bigger tank, might as well go for the Gold, right? )

Anyway, he's like "Why?". I said "Well, they get to be about 14"..." and then he says as we're turning around the corner "That's not all that big, I mean, it's about like so..." as he holds up his hands to show approximately how much 14" would be.

And then I stopped dead in my tracks and said "Yeah, or like that" and pointed to two Bala Sharks that I *SWEAR* were bigger than 14". BIG AND MEATY would be the key words. In the tank with another, much larger, fish, that appeared to be of Shark Lineage.

And it only gets funnier from here...

In the back of the tank, huddled (probably in fear) by the filter were two single goldfish. Nothing special - you're average $0.29 variety. So, Bri (my husband) says "Uh, are those Goldfish in the tank for a reason other than lunch?" LOL I was like "Dear, I'm thinking you probably hit the lunch thing right on the nose.."



EDIT: Please disregard the comment about the sharks being 14 inches in length. I'm awful with measurements and based on replies to this post, I seriously doubt the fish reached that length. More likely, I was just used to seeing baby Balas (3-4 inches) and when I saw a full-grown adult, I was stunned by the actual size of the Shark.

Since I do not have a ruler handy when I normally visit my LFS, I have no actual proof of their size. If I have time, I will stop in and take a picture - but most of you are probably right, the fish is most likely only 10 inches, max.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I've never seen a FULL grown bala, but I have seen some pretty huge one's (10")!

 

[shoboy]

I have had 4 full grown Bala's. They are HUGE. But mine NEVER ate another fish. I may be wrong, but Bala's are not carnivorous.

 

[Becca]

Nah, I don't think the goldfish were snacks for the Balas, I think they were lunch for the other fish who was about twice as big as the two Balas combined. I wish I would have asked what kind of fish this guy was - he seriously looked like part Nurse Shark. They had these fish in a 50-Gallon, and this fish was thrashing about rather animatedly...he really had no where to go - took up about the entire tank by himself. Poor guy!

 

[Inchworm]

Awwww...................

I'd have bought those goldfish. ) (And yet another tank to put them in, )

 

[Cian McLiam]

Are you sure they weren't Tinfoil Barbs? Thy do look slightly similar, but I've never seen a Bala bigger than 11" in captivity, or any accounts of fish this size on the web. Tinfoil Barbs are quite common fish for display tanks in pet shops, they get to 14" and have shiny silver scales and roughly the same shape as the Balas:

Grosvenor Aquatics over here in Belfast have two fish over 12" that I have head lots of people call Balas.

Ken

 

[Becca]

Nope, I'm quite positive they were Bala Sharks. I've had one myself...and I'm quite familiar with how they look.

They looked exactly like this:
Bala/Silver Shark

Sorry if my reply sounds snotty, it's not meant to. My measurement of the Shark may have been off - but I do remember quite literally these suckers were rather huge, much bigger than I thought they'd be. (Especially since the baby I had was all of 3-4 inches). If I remember to, I'll stop in at the store tomorrow and grab a shot of it with my phone.

Edit: The differences between the fish you posted above and the one that I saw yesterday were the fins. The fins on the fish I'm pretty sure was a Bala were more "Shark" like, and black trimmed. And the fish was longer and more narrow, not as round.

 

[Doggfather]

i 'v seen some big balas over here, but nothing over the 10" mark...

 

[silver]

YES.......

Please DO stop by and take pictures!@@~
YAY!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sorrell]

I think a lot of fish look a lot bigger than their actual measurements when you see them in person. Plus, length is only half the picture, the actual body of the fish adds a lot to their size.

 

[leanne]

Been there!! At my LSF they have a shark of some species or another in one of their marine tanks. It is absolutely HUGE - must be at least a foot and a half! Well I went in there for a couple of large feather duster worms and a mushroom. The LFS guy had his hands full and when I asked about a feather duster in this one particular tank he said "Pick it yourself if you like. They feel really strange." So I did. ANd then with my hand in the tank I noticed the shark... The tank was near the floor so with the shark being at the top and the boarding hiding it I didn't spot it... Needless to say I withdrew my hand pretty quick. He was a cute guy though (the shark not the LFS guy).

 

[ryan]

I know there are a few people on here who have kept or currently own some big Balas in the region of 8-10" but never have I heard or seen a 14" fish in captivity, I did see a 11-12" Bala at the London Aquarium.

 

[Becca]

Ok.. I apologize. I *THOUGHT* the fish was about 12-14 inches based on how big it was along side of the fish that must have been about 2 feet in length. But, if everyone is in agreement that they've never seen/heard them getting over about 10 inches, then chances are I've mistaken the size (as I said above, I could have been wrong on the measurement)

So, in a nutshell, I apologize for the 14" remark. I must have been mistaken. The original point of my story wasn't that they were 14", it was that they were just simply huge compared to the little babies I'm used to seeing. Regardless of whether they were 8, 10, 12 or 50 inches, I was just impressed and astounded to see how much they grew and am quite happy I didn't try to keep my Bala - there's NO way he would have fit in my 29 Tall.

 

[Pointy_kitty]

they use goldfish as "safe" fish
not only for cycling but when they have to bleach a tank due to diseased
they (after rinsing and refilling) use the goldfish as a "failsafe" way of making sure there are no traces of bleach or disease left in the tank
then once they add the new inhabitants they just leave the goldfish in the tank
i am not saying that this is right but in their defense it is alot cheaper then putting the expensive fish back