breeding bala sharks

Question
currently i have one bala shark, recently i began thinking about getting another so i can breed them. first of all i have no idea as to how to tell the sex of the one i have, and second i was wondering if they will breed in captivity. i also have 2 angels, a black molly, a red platty, and a gourami, is it a good idea to breed with all these fish? i have bred fish before, mainly molly's, and i'd really like to breed some bala's, please tell me how to identify the sex of bala sharks

Answer
Hi Travis;

Balas really can't be sexed by looking at them. Females get rounder bellies than males but many will just eat more than the others so it's not a reliable way to tell. They are egg layers, but haven't been bred in home aquariums anyway because they get so huge. Commercial breeders in tropical countries put hundreds of them together in huge ponds to breed on their own. The balas just do what comes naturally and babies are harvested for sale later on.

Their adult size can be over a foot long and they are very hyper so they need a 55 gallon or larger as babies and 200 gallons or more as adults. They are schooling fish so they really should be in groups of three or more. Hopefully your tank is large enough. They can get pretty nippy with other fish as they grow and may even eat some of yours too. Just watch them to be sure they all stay safe. Here are some profile pages on balas to help you know more about them;

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/cyprinids2/p/balashark.htm

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/freshwater/cyprinids/bala.html

http://www.aquariumlife.net/profiles/cyprinids/bala-shark/100085.asp

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=89

Have Fun and good luck!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins