At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Torpedo-shaped scaled minnow
A sleek, streamlined silver fish with large eyes and tall fins. The dorsal, tail, anal and pelvic fins are edged in black, which gives the striking three-tone look behind the name tricolor shark. Grown females are deeper-bodied than males.231
Personality what they are like
Calm and non-aggressive, but its size and energy suit it to large, sturdy tankmates rather than small or slow community fish. Within a group the fish settle into a pecking order.2
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A fast, open-water swimmer that needs a long tank with plenty of free swimming room. It is a strong jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is important.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Large, well-filtered tank with regular water changes. Water: about 20-28 C, pH 6.0-8.0 (near neutral preferred), hardness about 2-15 dGH.21
Home where they are happiest
A big aquarium: Seriously Fish suggests a base of around 240 x 60 cm (about 860 litres) for adults; FishBase gives a minimum length of over 150 cm. Open space down the middle with planting or decor at the edges.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. In the wild it eats small crustaceans, insects and their larvae and some plant material; in the aquarium it takes good dried foods with small live or frozen items and plenty of vegetable matter.12
Company who they like around
The story where it all began
Pieter Bleeker described the species in 1850. It became a staple of the aquarium trade, while wild numbers dropped in many of its native rivers after the 1970s. Today the fish on sale come from commercial breeding farms.32
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Despite the name it is not a shark at all but a member of the carp and minnow family, Cyprinidae.3
- 2
It earned the name tricolor shark from its silver body and black-edged, yellowish fins.1
- 3
It is a skilled jumper, so aquariums housing it need a secure cover.3
- 4
Captive stock is produced on fish farms, which means the trade does not depend on wild-caught fish.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Vulnerable (assessed 2019 per FishBase).1
- Aquarium trade
- Fish sold in the trade are produced on commercial farms rather than collected from the wild.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Bala Shark. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Water changeAbout 30 to 50% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseevery 2 weeks
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Balantiocheilos melanopterus fishbase.seused for distribution, length, water, IUCN, diet, group size
- Seriously Fish: Balantiocheilos melanopterus seriouslyfish.comused for care, tank, water, diet, behaviour, description, trade
- Wikipedia: Bala shark en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, history, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.