Shark Balu was first described in 1851. According to one theory, Thailand was considered the birthplace of the fish, or rather the Mekong River. At the end of the last decade, this information was refuted, since there were no “traces” of the residence of this fish.
Now the official habitat of the shark ball is considered to be southeast Asia. Also representatives of the species can be found on the territory of Sumatra, Barneo and the Malay Peninsula.
Interesting Facts
The fish has several names: the shark ball and the shark bar. In Russia, this handsome man is called black-necked balantioheylus.
This aquarium inhabitant looks like a shark only in appearance.
The fish is listed in the Red Book. It actively disappears from its natural habitat.
Those representatives of the species, which are sold in pet stores, appear from farms in Thailand and Indonesia. There they are specially bred for sale.
Shark Barbus - fellow flocking. It is advisable to keep 5-6 fish. If the ball is forced to live alone, he begins to show aggression towards his neighbors of other species.
This fish is quite shy and has a peaceful disposition.
Balu can make sounds. These are pretty loud clicks.
This type of fish is among the long-livers.
Adaptation of the ball to a new place of residence lasts about a month.
Being near the aquarium with these fish you cannot make loud noises, knock on the glass of the reservoir and make sharp movements.
Balu do not differ courage. And during the adaptation period, they are completely capable of committing suicide by jumping out of the aquarium.
The shark ball fish belongs to the carp family. Externally, it is very reminiscent of a shark. Their similarity lies in the structure of the body and the long spin of the fin. At this "relationship" ends.
This aquarium fish has a long body resembling a torpedo. Large bulging eyes are well adapted to search for food. The pride of the fish is the shape of the tail with a characteristic color: the edging is black, and in the middle is a golden mark in the shape of the letter "V".
The color of the shark ball (in the photo in the article it can be clearly seen) is gray. The fins have a black border with a white or yellow stripe in the middle.
The size of the shark barb is very impressive: its body length reaches 35 cm, therefore a spacious aquarium is necessary for it.
The average life expectancy in captivity with good care - 10 years.
Care and maintenance
The maintenance of the shark ball requires a large aquarium. Given the size of the fish and the fact that it is a schooling one, the minimum size of a tank for 5 individuals should be 300 liters. This is the best option for the young, which is still growing. Over time, the aquarium will have to be replaced by a reservoir of twice the volume. In addition to a large displacement, the length of the aquarium is also important. Shark Barbus is very active, loves to swim for a long time, therefore, the length of the aquarium should be at least 2 meters, so that the fish had where to turn.
The aquarium should be closed with a lid, as the ball is quite capable of jumping out of the water.
A powerful filter is required. In the natural environment, the shark ball lives in reservoirs with a strong current. Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions close to the natural, and in its current refuge. Filtration and flow must be good, as well as water saturation with oxygen.
As for shelters, they are not needed for this fish.
Optimal conditions for the content:
- Water temperature is from +22 to +28 ° С.
- pH is 6.0-8.0.
- dGH ranges from 5 to 12.
One of the main conditions of detention is clean water. Aquarium fish shark ball live in clean water in natural conditions. The aquarium is a closed system that needs regular water changes. The best option would be a weekly replacement of 25% of dirty water from the total displacement of the tank.
For aquariums in which these representatives of cyprinids live, bright illumination is required. Light day is from 8 to 10 hours.
As for the aquarium vegetation, it is necessary to design the design with the help of hard-leaved plants. Anubias and Ekhinodorus become an acceptable option. Can be planted in the tank and Vallisneria.
The design in the form of snags and stones of various sizes is suitable for a moving silver "shark". And the back wall of the aquarium in dark colors perfectly set off this fish.
Compatibility
Shark Balu is an aquarium fish with a calm disposition. And yet, thanks to the impressive size, they should not be kept with every little thing, since the ball is simply eaten by the fact that it is smaller than them. Here is a list of fish that can not be planted to the ball:
These kids will be a snack for shark barb.
Shark Ball can be kept with other representatives of the barbs. These fast and brisk fish grow very large, so before you sit down to the "sharks" of your neighbors, you should take into account the size of the aquarium so that the fish are not cramped in it.
Types of fish that will become good neighbors for shark barbs:
For a flock of the ball is very interesting to watch. However, they are shy and rarely show off in front of their master.
Food preferences
With shark ball compatibility sorted out. And how to feed this handsome? These fish eat everything and are unlikely to refuse the proposed feed. Balu eat throughout the day. They are suitable as live and dry food. In order for a small “shark” to feel well, vegetable food must be present in its diet - up to 15%. These include spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, green peas.
In their natural habitat, small fishes enjoy eating insect larvae, insects themselves, phytoplankton, and small crustaceans. The fish contained in the aquarium, you can not always feed the same dry food. The fact is that the ball bothers one type of food and wants a variety.
If you can not feed the fish feed, then you can give them a minced beef or minced fish. Adult fish can be treated with shrimp, mussels and earthworms.
It feeds on a shark ball in any layer of water. He can even take food from the bottom. With good nutrition, the balls can double in a year.
Breeding
Shark bal extremely rarely gives birth to offspring in an aquarium. It is easier to buy these fish than trying to bring in at home. However, for those who have decided to persevere and succeed in breeding shark barbs, you need to know the following:
This fish belongs to the category of those who reach sexual maturity early. This is different from other medium sized fish.
Sex differences are almost imperceptible. It is believed that females have more rounded bellies.
To prepare for spawning requires a reservoir of 200-250 liters. The water temperature in it should be from +25 to + 7 ° С.
Water in the aquarium for spawning should be clean. Experienced aquarists recommend installing an internal filter with one sponge and no lid. He does not hurt the fry.
Before you start spawning, future parents arrange some kind of "dancing". The male is actively caring for the female.
After the female spawns, she begins to wave her around the tank. The father of the family fertilizes the spawn with milk.
There should be a good flow in the spawning tank. This will increase the chances of successful fertilization of caviar.
After the end of throwing future fry, newly-minted parents immediately forget about them.
Care of caviar is not carried out by adults.
Male and female are quite capable of eating their own eggs. Therefore, after spawning, they are planted back into the general aquarium.
Shark ball calmly behaves in its native tank after spawning.
What are sick "sharks"
Shark Balu has good health. The main diseases that can affect the fish - rubella carp or aeromonosis.
Aeromonosis is an infectious disease of fish. It is expressed in the fact that the scales begin to ruffle. The most common diseases are fish in overcrowded aquariums, where there is constant water pollution. Sick fish changes its behavior. She refuses to eat, often lies down on the ground, becomes lethargic and sedentary. In the fish the abdomen is inflated, blood leaks are visible on the body and fins. In the acute phase, scales ruffles throughout the body and disappears.
Is it possible to cure a pet? Usually this can be done only at the initial stage of the disease. The disease is hard to cure. Bacillin-5 or soluble streptocide is used for treatment. In the first case, there is a daily water change of up to 90%. In the second, 15 grams of streptocide is dissolved in 100 liters of water within a week.
In most cases, the shark ball dies from this disease.
Conclusion
The shark ball presented above in the photo is suitable for aquarists with experience. Beginners are not recommended to start this discreet, but in its own way a beautiful fish.
What should be remembered from the article?
Silver "sharks" are large. They need a big aquarium.
This is schooling fish. In addition, they are long-lived.
The ball is peaceful, but it is not desirable to combine them with small neighbors.
Balu are fearful, at the time of stress can jump out of the water.
In the diet unpretentious.
Appearance
Description shark ball should start with the body. It is narrow, compressed on the sides. Eyes and mouth are relatively large. The scales are large, its color is silver-gray with a dark border. Under certain illumination, the body becomes as if mirrored.
Fins have their own characteristics:
- pectoral - almost transparent, hardly noticeable against the background of the body,
- dorsal - located as in most species of sharks, that is, perpendicular to the back,
- dorsal, anal, caudal, abdominal - painted in light gray or yellowish, have a black border.
The shark ball owes its name to the dorsal fin. His behavior is completely different from a predator.
To distinguish the sex of these fish is almost impossible. There is information that males are larger than females. No other special signs.
Shark Balu: Description
Balu - elongated, silver fish with large shiny scales. Its fins are yellowish in color with a wide black velvet border. The dorsal fin is high, which, along with swiftness, gives this fish a resemblance to a shark.
It is just that pet stores usually sell youngsters 5-6 cm long, and inexperienced aquarists gladly purchase them in their small aquariums, not knowing that it grows to a ball up to 15-20 cm, and in small volumes feels uncomfortable and sick.
Balu - schooling, non-aggressive fish. Comfortable to them in the company of at least five individuals. Alone or as a couple, they behave restlessly, become fearful or cocky, are more demanding on water quality and oxygen content, and are more susceptible to diseases.
The overwhelming number of these fish in our pet stores are caught in natural conditions, respectively, they are poorly adapted (and sometimes not adapted at all) to the content in captivity.
This is manifested in extreme nervousness, when, when cleaning the aquarium or simply abruptly switching on the light, the fish panic, try to escape without seeing the glass, and can be seriously injured and frighten other fish.
Therefore, during the first few weeks, when keeping a ball in caring for them, you need to be careful in minimizing the amount of stress.
Shark Ball: content
Balu is considered to be unpretentious, strong fish, usually not causing problems in an aquarist. This is true if the following conditions are met during its content.
First of all - and this is the most important thing! - Ball needs a large aquarium. Not less than a meter long and wide enough (not in the form of a screen). The volume should be at least 200 liters, preferably 350-400 liters.
Secondly, since in nature the ball lives in clean, fast streams, in the aquarium with them you need powerful filtration with the creation of a strong flow and high oxygen content.
The remaining conditions are less important. Fish live in water with a pH close to neutral, in a wide range of hardness, at a temperature of 22 ° C to 28 ° C. Water changes should be done weekly, from a quarter to half of the volume.
Balu plants with soft and soft leaves are damaged, therefore hard-leaved bushes are planted in the jar with them, or they are completely green without them, but in this case it is highly recommended to install a filter that will purify water from nitrogen and phosphorus and enrich it with oxygen.
When you make a pond for the ball, you should not abuse the scenery, stones, snags, or create thick high thickets. This fish needs a lot of space for free, speedy swimming, so all decorative elements should be located only around the perimeter, taking up a minimum of space. Shelter shark barbs are not needed.
It is recommended to make the background and substrate dark, then the color of the fish looks more contrast and attractive.
Like many other carp fish, the ball is omnivorous and voracious. They eat live and frozen food, as well as dry granules and flakes, vegetable food.
When feeding, you must comply with two conditions:
- vegetable food should be at least a tenth of the diet, you can use chopped salad, zucchini, spinach or ready-made dry food, for example, with spirulina,
- It is not recommended to feed the ball with moth, because they have weak stomachs that are poorly digested by the hard chitinous integuments of these invertebrates.
If you want to pamper fish with live food, you can use large daphnia for fry, and for adults you can use sliced earthworm or tangles of auroforus worm, which is easy to grow at home.
It should be borne in mind that the ball is preferred to be fed in the middle layers of water, food is taken reluctantly from the bottom, so the food should not sink quickly.
Shark Ball: Compatible
If the ball is contained by the rules, in a large aquarium and a flock, it can be called a problem-free neighbor.
And, of course, it is not worth making a ball with very aggressive cichlids. He can stand up for himself, but he will not survive in a state of constant terror.
That is, the ball can be held together with
- large barbs (for example, hazel),
- lobster fish
- catfish (thoracatum, plexostomus, pterigoplicht),
- quiet cichlids,
- medium sized non-viviparous viviparous.
In any case, the fish get along better if they are acquired at a tender age and grew up together.
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in keeping the ball. Spacious reservoir, good filtration, the right food - and you can be charged with the energy and swiftness of these little sharks for many years.
general information
Shark Balu, it is also called the black-nosed balantioheylus, shark barbus, has a deceptive appearance that makes the fish look like dangerous, cold-blooded predators - sharks. But whatever external similarities may be, mini-sharks are too friendly and do not have a fierce temper.
Sharks do not show aggression and can peacefully coexist with other peace-loving and non-territorial fish of approximately the same size. Smaller neighbors they can enjoy, considering them as food.
Balu prefer to live in the middle layers of the aquatic environment. If they are provided with suitable conditions, then the fish will become a real decoration of an artificial reservoir. Representatives of the species have a peaceful disposition and rather big by size. In the natural environment, there are 35-centimeter individuals, when living in an aquarium, they grow up to 25-30 cm in length.
They are gregarious inhabitants. There is a strict hierarchy in their community, and its members follow certain rules. If you place no more than 5 fish in one tank, the weaker ones will suffer from the dominant individuals. A single shark balu will become very aggressive and will not allow living to its neighbors.
What should be an aquarium?
These fish are active, mobile, but fearful, they need free space for swimming and vegetation, which they use to hide. To make pets comfortable, they need to equip a suitable home:
- It is important to take into account the size of individuals and schooling - the fish will need a large, spacious tank. Juveniles can be kept in a 300-liter capacity, and adult fish will need a 400-liter aquarium or more.
- It is advisable to choose an oblong rectangular container, whose length is at least 2 meters.
- The tank must be provided with a lid - the ball may jump out of the tank and die.
- The aquatic environment must be clean - as for other river dwellers, this is very important for the ball.
- The filtration system is the necessary equipment; it must be a powerful external device that creates an intense current.
- The decor is important not so much for the fish, as for the appearance of the reservoir. The main thing is that the fish had a place for free movement. Plants are recommended to be planted in the corners and along the back wall; a snag can be placed in the center of the tank.
The owners note that these mini-sharks look most impressive against the dark ground and the darkened back wall of the aquarium, their scales literally sparkle and shimmer.
One of the features of the shark ball is their habit of looking for food at the bottom, picking up the remains, thereby maintaining its purity. В отличие от большинства донных обитателей, эти рыбки подбирают еду аккуратно, не выкорчевывая растительность и не взбаламучивая воду. А еще эти рыбки способны издавать звуки, напоминающие чавканье.
Обитание особей в природе
The first to describe these aquatic inhabitants was Bliker, and this happened in the middle of the 19th century. The habitat of these fish is the southeastern part of Asia, they are found in Sumatran reservoirs in Kalimantan and the territory of Malacca. It used to be that shark balls came from Thailand, the Mekong Basin. But at the beginning of the last century, this theory was documented refuted - there are no shark barbs in this region.
Due to the sharp decline in shark populations, barbs have fallen on the pages of the Red Book as a species that is on the verge of extinction. The researchers found that the number of these fish in the natural environment is steadily decreasing, but the reasons for this have so far been identified. This situation is not associated with the catch of barbs for aquarium content. Most likely, the environmental degradation is to blame.
Individuals from Thai and Indonesian farms more often go on sale, where they are grown and bred with the use of hormones.
Appearance description
These freshwater fish resemble sharks, but they are not. They have their own characteristics, different from shark representatives:
- in individuals the body is oblong, torpedo-shaped,
- large eyes - they help the fish find food,
- pectoral fins are almost transparent, when looking at a fish, they can be seen far from immediately,
- dorsal fin of small length, but of decent height, really resembles a shark,
- the body is covered with silvery scales,
- on the fins there is a strip of white or yellow color, edged with a black tone.
With good care, the life span of individuals is about 10 years.
The complexity of the content
Barbs of this type have good health and, with good maintenance, practically do not get sick. They do not require special nutrition, since they are almost omnivorous. The measures of the fish do not know, so the owner should take care that his players do not overeat.
The greatest difficulties in the maintenance of these inhabitants are related to their size. For aquarium fish, they are quite large, and standard aquariums quickly become cramped.
Size and longevity
In its natural environment, the fish grows up to forty centimeters in length. Under the conditions of an aquarium, the size of a shark ball is slightly more modest - twenty to thirty centimeters.
He lives quite a long time. The average is ten years, but there are individuals that live even longer.
The shark ball purchased at the pet store was most likely caught from a natural reservoir. Therefore, it takes a lot of time for adaptation in artificial habitats. Do not be surprised if the fish will behave inadequately, trying to jump out of the aquarium or beat your head against the wall. In a month she should calm down.
It is important not to scare the ball and give it time. He may die of severe stress, so it’s better not to create unnecessary noise and not to make sudden movements near the tank until the adaptation period passes.
Shark barbs are schooling animals. They will be more comfortable in the company of five or more individuals. It will be very interesting to watch this flock, since a strict hierarchy is built up in the group.
Conditions of detention in artificial environment
The content of the shark ball does not cause much trouble. The fish is quite unpretentious and strong. However, there are a number of requirements that must be met in order for a pet to live comfortably.
First of all, the flock ball needs a tank of impressive size. Its length should be a meter and more. The recommended volume is four hundred liters. Fish need a lot of space for games and growth. If you put them in a reservoir of insufficient volume, they will no longer develop normally, they will be prone to disease, they may die.
Plants and other decorative elements are better placed along the walls of the aquarium so that they do not interfere with the high-speed movement of the barbs. Planted better stiklistnye species of greenery, for example, Anubias or klinum. You can restrict artificial decorations. Soft plants with delicate leaves, these fish quickly hurt.
Balu needs living conditions close to natural, therefore the filter must not only enrich water with oxygen and clean it of harmful compounds, but also create a strong current. Water should be clean. Indicators of acidity and hardness can vary considerably. Water temperature - 22-28 ° C.
Water change must be performed once every seven to ten days to a third or half of the volume of the tank. If the aquarium is four hundred liters full, you need to replace 130-200 liters.
In the wild, carp representatives have a fairly diverse diet. Therefore, for aquarium development, it is necessary to maintain such diversity. She willingly eats live and dry food. It can be fed with artemia, daphnia, finely chopped meat of mussels and shrimp. From vegetable food, lettuce, spinach, nettle will do. You can give green peas and fruit. But from the moth is better to refuse, because the ball is poorly digested chitin.
Food should be given two or three times a day in small portions. Fish should eat everything in two minutes. They are quite voracious and prone to overeating, and for most aquarium inhabitants it is bad.
Breeding
Breeds of carp in captivity are reluctant and rare. And aquarists do not particularly want to breed shark balls. This is due to the high cost of the huge size of the tanks.
This does not mean that they are not bred in the artificial environment. There are special farms. They are located in Asia. There are created conditions as close as possible to the wild environment.
For spawning, one female and two males are deposited in a reservoir of one and a half thousand liters. The water is made soft and slightly colder than usual. At the bottom is placed a layer of javanese moss. It is in him that the female will spawn. Fish reach sexual maturity by the age of four.
During the breeding season, the female must be fed mainly with vegetable feed. Males should eat live food with a high content of protein. Spawning is artificially stimulated by the introduction of special injections into the pituitary of fish.
The female will produce up to ten thousand eggs. After that, adults are otsled. In two days, the eggs will become larvae, and in another day they will begin to swim. Fry will stay in flocks. The first food for them is live dust. If the conditions are met, the little ones will grow quite quickly.
Diseases
With proper maintenance, the shark ball is resistant to the main types of diseases. But in an overpopulated aquarium in which water is changed out of time, fish may have ichthyophthyriosis. The disease affects many aquariums. In everyday life it is called "manna disease" for small whitish grains, which shower the body and fins of fish.
To the disease leads ciliate activity ciliate. Single-celled in water is not uncommon. In insignificant quantities they are present in many water reservoirs, getting there with live food, an infected new settler. The disease manifests itself, if the animal is under constant stress, is contained in poor conditions. The illness is treated with the help of modern medicines.
Ball has a predisposition to aeromonosis. In common parlance, it is called "rubella carp." The causative agent is a Gram-negative bacillus aeromonas hurofila. A sick individual has tousled scales, inflamed skin, there are foci of hemorrhage. Treatment depends on the stage of the disease. For starters, you can try salt baths. If they do not help, you should use chloramphenicol, methylene blue.
The origin of the aquarium fish shark ball
The first description and study dates back to 1851. In the wild, they are found in the water area of Southeast Asia, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. The popularity and practice of breeding in Russia, the fish received two decades ago.
In nature, the predator grows to 40 cm in length
The name of the kind of fish comes from ancient Greece: Βαλαντιο (balantio) - "wallet" and χειλος (cheilos) - "lip". The species is also called μελας (melas) - “black” and πτερον (pteron) - “wing”, which means the black border of the fins.
Kinship shark balu ocean predatory beauties far. Bala did not adopt their characteristic habits, but the technique of movement is similar. Bala is a member of the carp family.
Features of appearance
The body structure is narrow, oblong, in the form of a torpedo, slightly flattened laterally. Silver color, scales from the lightest gray, almost platinum tone, on the abdomen smoothly turns into a steel shade on the back. Large eyes facilitate the search for food, and the location of the mouth makes it easier to lift food from the bottom of the reservoir.
This barbus got its name thanks to the dorsal fin
Shark-like high dorsal fin of trichromatic color, with smooth flow of silver-steel color through white or yellow strip to charcoal black. The tail is identical in color, in shape - two-bladed. Pectoral fins transparent, yellowish with black edging.
Diet and feeding regimen
Balu have an excellent appetite and picky. They can eat almost any feed that is used to feed aquarium fish. Owners of the ball need to consider two features:
- Vegetable food accounts for approximately 10% of the total diet of individuals - fish can be treated to finely chopped vegetables and greens or prepared dry foods containing spirulina.
- The rest of the diet of fish consists of insects and larvae, but it is not recommended to give the ball to the ballworm - a weak stomach of individuals is not intended to digest such hard materials.
Youngsters can be treated with large daphnia, adults will not give up cutting into pieces of earthworms or tangles of auleforus worms, which many aquarists grow at home. It should be borne in mind that these inhabitants like to eat in the middle layer of the aquatic environment, can pick up food from the bottom, but when they lack the basic diet.
Features of the arrangement of the aquarium
Bala dimensional and mobile fish, so the aquarium should correspond to its size, not only in volume but also in shape. Length from 100 centimeters, width from 60. The capacity of the aquarium is 250 liters, ideally up to 400.
To bring conditions closer to natural, filters must be powerful enough and create a strong current.
Water filtration is necessary high, while ensuring a strong flow. There should also be a high percentage of oxygen in the water. Water hardness can be in the range of 12 to 16 degrees, the pH is close to neutral and is equal to 6.5 - 7.5. The temperature is ideal in the range of 22-28 degrees. Replace the water every week, the displacement from a quarter to half the capacity of the aquarium.
Plants in the aquarium is better to choose strong ones, because the ball is very active and can damage them. Wallisnerias or echinodorus would be an option. The rest of the entourage can be ornamental stones, snags and other pleasant decor aquarist. The only thing that should be considered in the interior is the absence of clutter in the aquarium. To contrast with the color of the ball it would be nice to pick up dark shades.
Lighting is to create close to natural, a period of eight to ten hours.
Feed Requirements
Bala is unpretentious and omnivorous fish, so suitable live species, such as daphnia, Artemia, mussels, worms, shrimps, vegetables - spinach leaves, lettuce, cucumbers and fruits - and dry food. The only conditions are the class and variety of feed. And the higher the quality, the healthier the “aquarium shark” will be.
Bala will not give up fresh cucumber
Sharing content with other species
Many aquarists think about the compatibility of Balu fish. So, this representative is a good neighbor for all kinds of household fish of a size similar to it. Sword bearers, tetras, large barbs are excellent candidates. They are non-aggressive and playful.
The shark barbus is a fairly peaceful aquarium inhabitant, except for the spawning period
If you purchase a shark pack at the same time as other fish, then conflicts are excluded.
Diseases of the ball and their treatment
Shark barbus is resistant to most diseases. Balu will not get sick provided proper nutrition of fish and keeping the aquarium clean.
Symptom semolina are characteristic white dots
The treatment of fish is carried out by raising the water temperature to thirty degrees, by introducing a methylene solution, baths with salt. More information about treatment will be required for clear signs of disease.
The silver fish, resembling the shape of a shark, will be an excellent addition to the collection of both amateur hobbyists and professionals. And its mobility, playfulness and similarity with a beautiful, but dangerous ocean predator, will add exoticness to the aquarium.
How to care for a ball home?
In this matter, no difficulties arise, standard procedures are required:
- weekly water change of 25%
- food residues are cleaned everyday.
It is important to keep the water clean. Since any biological waste quickly decomposes, poisoning the aquatic environment with toxins, it is necessary to promptly clean the tank of food residues. Certain water parameters should be maintained:
- acidity - 6.0-8.0,
- rigidity - 5.0-12.0 dGH,
- temperature - from 22 ° to 28 ° C.
In order to control the state of the aquatic environment, it is better to provide the aquarium with measuring instruments and periodically evaluate the indicators.
Who do little sharks get along with?
If you do not take into account the dominant behavior of males in the spawning period, the shark barbs are quite livable. They get along well with fish of the same size, which do not have high aggressiveness and territoriality. They can be settled with:
- other representatives of the barbus species,
- gourami
- minors
- rass collections
- iris,
- tetras,
- catfish
Life will not be sweet to a ball with large, evil cichlids, which, even if they are inferior in size, can terrorize their neighbors to death. Not the best company for barbs are and slow, phlegmatic scalar. And the latter will not like the fussy and overly active mini-sharks, causing their irritation.
A peaceful and non-conflict ball, however, can spoil, pestering neighbors with luxurious fins, mercilessly tearing them off. Therefore, to settle them in one aquarium with veil representatives of the underwater world is not worth it. Sharks are not predatory fish, but they are capable of swallowing small fellows - neons, danios, guppies and other modest-sized live-bearing fishes.
Features breeding shark barbs
There is information that some breeders manage to get the offspring of these original fish in captivity. However, while most of the individuals fall into the sale of Asian farms. Many owners agree that breeding shark balls is not an easy task, and it is better to buy them at pet stores.
When are individuals ready to spawn?
If small fish are ready to breed almost to 6-10 months of age, then such large individuals as shark barbs need to grow to 10-15 cm in length. Since they do not have sexual characteristics, one can only hope that there will be at least one pair of heterosexual fish in the pack. Males grow faster than females, and the latter have a rounded abdomen.
