TankmateChecker

Can ghost shrimp live with bala sharks?

Verdict

No

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

Ghost shrimp

Ghost shrimp65–82°F · pH 7–8

Bala shark

Bala shark72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 72–82°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: ghost shrimp the bottom, bala sharks the mid.

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

	Ghost shrimp	Bala shark
Temperature	65–82 °F	72–82 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	13.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 4+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for ghost shrimp

All ghost shrimp tank mates

Better tank mates for bala sharks

All bala shark tank mates

Questions

Can ghost shrimp live with bala sharks?

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

What temperature suits both ghost shrimp and bala sharks?

72–82 °F. Ghost shrimp need 65–82 °F, bala sharks need 72–82 °F.

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

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