Live food feeding

Question
I just got 2 new Bala Sharks.  I understand they will eat fish as long as the fish is smaller than what wil fill in their mouths.  When should I begin feeding them live fish, and what kind of fish should I use.  I am currently just using flakes until they get bigger at least.  I hear they should grow to be about 8 inches long given the proper tank. Is there a length of the fish that is good to wait for before feeding live fish?

Answer
Hi Matt
Just saw your question in our answer pool, so sorry for the delay in answering.

I'm not a big fan of using live feeders for fish.  It's a good way to spread disease in your fish tank, because feeders are usually kept in poor conditions at the pet store-because they're "only feeders".  If you do insist on using live food, breed your own feeders, either guppies/livebearers or goldfish would work.  But, you'll need at least 2 other tanks, one for the parents and one strictly for the babies/fry.

Bala sharks are omnivorous, so meaty foods as well as plant based foods will be good for them.  You could supplement the shark's diet with frozen bloodworms, frozen krill, frozen brine shrimp, frozen beefheart(can buy this at the grocery store meat section as well, cut up in small pieces and freeze for later)flake food, sinking pellets,  spirulina flakes, algae wafers.  They're not very picky.  I'd say you'd be better off going with a variety of these that I mentioned, rather then feeders.  

Hope that helps and good luck!

Christy