TankmateChecker

Can bala sharks live with bamboo shrimp?

Verdict

No

No. Bala sharks and bamboo shrimp should not share a tank. A bala shark is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.

Bala shark

Bala shark72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Bamboo shrimp

Bamboo shrimp72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerA bala shark is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.
Watch outBala sharks grow to 13 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for bamboo shrimp.

What works

Both are fine at 72–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bala sharks the mid, bamboo shrimp the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Bala shark	Bamboo shrimp
Temperature	72–82 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	13.0 in	3.0 in
Minimum tank	125 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 4+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bala sharks

All bala shark tank mates

Better tank mates for bamboo shrimp

All bamboo shrimp tank mates

Questions

Can bala sharks live with bamboo shrimp?

No. Bala sharks and bamboo shrimp should not share a tank. A bala shark is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.

What temperature suits both bala sharks and bamboo shrimp?

72–82 °F. Bala sharks need 72–82 °F, bamboo shrimp need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do bala sharks and bamboo shrimp need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the bala shark. Add space for each extra fish.