"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...


Robb Bloomfield wrote:

Well, the three fat ones look like this:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/specie..._page_ view=1
And the other one looks like this:
http://species.fishindex.com/photo_2...a_shark. html
So maybe they're just growing up fast?


Compared to the larger sharks, the thin one looks emaciated. Is it
eating as much as the other two? I've never seen an adult Bala Shark so
thin. Were the other ones as thin as the fourth before?

If the others are really pregnant then you are one lucky fish keeper. I
can only presume the fourth has been a very, very busy fish indeed!

Nikki


LOL, I don't think the 4th's condition would reflect much on the
condition of the other three, or even on his own condition unless he is
so amorous as to spend all his time giving chase.

In regards to the thinnest, this pic shows a thin but healthy Bala.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/barb-pictures/bala_1.jpg
Although a juvenile, anything thinner than this and I would be worried.
Balas travel very poorly. This and much worst is how they arrive in
North America. I would always quarantine Balas for 2-3 weeks before
selling any, and this picture is what they looked like at the end of
their quarantine. If you have had yours for more than 4 months, then
they should be fatter.

This one is probably more representative of an older specimen in good
condition.
http://www.sd53.bc.ca/TimeCapsule/TE...BalaShark.jpeg
It's normal for their height to increase with old age (how old are
they?).

Some trivia: according to fishbase:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...e=melanopterus
these characters are on the IUCN endangered list
http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=2529
Considering their origin is exactly where the Asian tsunami hit, you can
bet that they took a big hit.
http://www.scalare-online.de/aquaris...pterus_map.JPG
Other pics I've seen of the fish life that got destroyed have been
remarkable. In particular, the Balas are susceptible to water
conditions, and their water took a bit hit in terms of salinity, clarity
and all the smaller creatures which they feed off of (which are even more
fragile).

If you do see them scattering eggs, take note of the water parameters
before and after the event. There are always hobbyists trying to breed
fish, and extra effort is put on the ones which are redlisted.
If your German is up to it
http://www.scalare-online.de/aquaris...anopterus.html
does a good overview. Unfortunately the English translation is a bit
choppy.

Watch the scroll on the links.
--
www.NetMax.tk