# 40 gallons enough for bala sharks?



## davedudeman (Jun 25, 2007)

I seem to be a bit confused on a proper size for 3 bala sharks I am intrested in giving a home. Online I have read 50-75 as the bare minimum and have been told 40 would work even to adult size by my local pet shop. Any idea what the minimum size would be?

Also I have a very strong dresser which I'll be keeping the tank 36x19. If I was to purchase a tank 36"wide would I need to worry about a glass tank buckling under pressure on the bottom?


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Pet shops will tell you anything...


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2007)

simple quick answer. no. you are talking about houseing 3 fish that get over a foot long each, and are very fast swimmers. 6 foot long minimum tank size for these fish.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

As for the dresser, personally I can't see any dresser being strong enough to handle a tank that size with all the water weight too...but if you are adamant about doing it anyway I'd place foam under it just in case. You really never can be too careful. I got the lids from some of those foam fruit and veg boxes at my local green grocers and they work a treat..they are at least 1" thick, if not more, so there is a lot of cushioning in them.


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## davedudeman (Jun 25, 2007)

What if I were to get 4 barbs and an algea eater? Would that work for a 40 gallon? If 40 gallons doesn't work for the barbs I may just set up a 40 gallon reef tank. They look really cool and I would love to learn & maintain a more complicated set-up.

I guess I'll also get a stand that fits with the tank and put the dresser in another spot.

Thanks for the advice everyone.


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

5 barbs in a 40 would be cool, 6 would be better.


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

It depends on the dresser, but I would think it work. I have a 30g on a dresser and another on a small tv stand. Your glass should be fine, but styro wouldn't be a bad idea. My buddy has a 40g on a stand that was on his porch beside his grill.. used kind of like a table before hand. I also had a 55g on a kitchen counter. This is just to say the dresser should be ok.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2007)

I have a 55 gallon on a dresser in my room....have never had a problem. 

And I for one would go for the reef or even just a FOWLR. Saltwater is a lot of fun and you certainly do learn a lot. 40 gallons is a good starter size tank as well.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

The dresser is a possibility, but when you're dealing with aquaria, you can figure about 10 pounds per gallon of tank size (to make allowance for gravel, decor, etc.) So your 40 gallon aquarium would weigh about 400 pounds, which is a lot for a piece of furniture that is not designed for such a function. Of course it's your room, but I wouldn't trust it. At one point I kept a 30 gallon on a dresser for a few months and when I removed the aquarium there was a very noticeable bow to the dresser top.

40 gallons would be a decent size for saltwater. it all depends on what you're looking for. Just make sure, especially if you go saltwater, that you do LOTS of research before you buy your fish. Good luck.


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## davedudeman (Jun 25, 2007)

Thanks for the advice.


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## bscman (Mar 23, 2007)

If it's a quality dresser, it should be fine.
However, the words "quality" and "furniture" don't typically belong in the same sentence these days, unless the word "crappy" is also used. MDF/Particle board is NOT going to support a 350-400lb tank.


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## davedudeman (Jun 25, 2007)

Yeah, I never was really worried about the dresser holding the weight. My only issue with the dresser was the fact I'll be using a 36" wide tank on a 36" wide dresser. If the tank for some reason was a bit wider would this be something I should worry about?


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