Bala shark barely surviving

Question
Chris
We just bought our first bala fish today.  He is in a small tank with an allergy eater and barely breathing.  We are very new to fish and don't want him to die.  Please help.  We have a small filter, some rocks and we put tap water in the tank and have fed him.  What do you think is wrong?

Answer
Hi Susie;

Without knowing how big the tank is and what kind of filtration there is, I really can't say for sure what's wrong. I can tell you what Balas need and you can ask me followups from there.

Bala Sharks are tropical fish that need a water temperature of 78 degrees, so your tank will need a heater. They need a very big tank (50 gallons and larger) because they grow to be about 12 inches long. Even as babies they require at least a 20 gallon tank because they can be very hyper and injure themselves. Balas also like to be with their own kind. Schooling fish like these prefer to be in groups of 3 or more. Here is a profile page about them;

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/321.htm

Your tank is also probably going through a break-in period. Here is more info about it;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Followups welcome....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins