# Bala/Silver shark acting weird



## BUBBLES (Oct 14, 2009)

I have a 16 gallon tank with two bala sharks init, now i know this is way too small for them but they are at the moment only nearly 4inch big. I have tried looking for any advice on them but getting no where. One of them keeps flipping on his back and when you spot him he turns over again. Now i have been having problems with my guppies too they keep dying i have lost 7 in a week, I have done water changes etc. but they keep going on me,

Any one have any ideas what it i doing? these fish are driving me mad :chair:


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

More info will be needed. Please post the stats of your water, and what fish are living with your sharks and guppies.


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2009)

*Agreed*

*A LOT more info needed. besides being a small tank, please provide
1. How long has tank been running
2.Temp
3. All chemistry, PH etc.
4. substrate
5. filtration
6. Water source

All above will be a good starting place *


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## BUBBLES (Oct 14, 2009)

tbh i dont have all the water info as i get some one else to test it for me as i dont know what im looking for. So i make sure it done.
So you know there is

5 neons, 
4 redglow tetras, 
4 guppies.
2 platys. 

i also have two silver dollars in there too (which are being rehomed on saturday as the store i got them from never told me how big they get. at the moment they are tiny) 

Im going to try to re-home the bala sharks too as again i now how big they can get too.

Im figured some thing out that they may have ick. i did added three guppies two days ago, and i have lost them. all fish were fine till then, maybe they were ill. so i treated the water today when i noticed the fish one by one started rubbing against plants.

Im used to my coldwater fish as i have had them for two years, (its a 80gallon with 9 fantails in) So i know that my tropical is over stocked with the sharks and silver dollars as they grow too big for the size if tank i have. Although it took a while to get used to the fantails, and their ways, they are now happy as larry, i have even managed to mate my shubunkins, and i spot anything wrong straight away. one thing i do with my fantails is when ever i add new fish i always add treatment to the water just incase they are ill etc. Should i maybe do this with my tropical?

Since treating the water today the sharks have stopped doing this.

Also the tank has been set up now for 9 weeks. We have had a baby from the platys too. Can i also add im in the uk. Just as i know litres and gallons are differnt here than say in the usa. x


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2009)

*Good move*

*That is a very smart approach, because with a 16 gallon tank, it will be very easy for things to get out of hand for you. Over stocking is one of the biggest problems i see or hear with fairly new hobbyist. I know that everyone cant afford or have the room for huge tanks, and there are soooooo many nice fish out there but, patience and understanding will go a long way toward you becoming a successful hobbyist. Have you ever considered a theme tank ??? pick a fish you like, study that fish extensively, where does it come from?? what is its natural enviornment like, what kind of plants are in the water there?? Then build that mini-enviornment. Some of the most beautiful and serene tanks ive seen contained only substrate, driftwood, a few stones and lots of plants, with java moss growing naturally on the driftwood. But only maybe a few nice colorful shrimp, moving around, and a small school of tetra, or whitecloud mountain minnows all moving in harmony as a group, and thats it. You dont have to have 200 fish in a little glass cube to have the nicest tank on the block  *


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## BUBBLES (Oct 14, 2009)

I so agree. I added lots of plants yesterday, and it looks great, i will take photos soon and add them. Getting to know the fish i have is fun to watch, each with their own little mood. Just hope i dont loose any more. I did want lots of guppies but then found out that they breed like mad lol so i will leave them, i have fallen in love with platys, they look so cheeky.

Like with the fan tails, even though people said i shouldnt of mixed them with the shubunkins (they tell me after i got them) it actually the fantails that are bullies lol.

Do you think i should just treat the tropical like i do with the cold (even though they are the same temp for some mad reason.) for example water treatment etc Is the illnesses they get the same? x


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2009)

*Hmmm*

*well tropical prefer temps in the 72-80 range, and ive never kept goldfish by choice, but the Natives i keep are also considered cold water fish, but have no problem with higher temps, and actually endure higher temps in the heat of summer in creeks etc. Also ive noticed they have no problems in my tanks that are not cooled, their metabolism just seems to speed up, they want more to eat etc. So my ruling would be cater to the tropicals, as they are more prone to disease at cooler temps and the cold water fish should be fine, just make sure there is plenty of surface agitation to accomodate *the increased oxygen needs.


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