balas mating

Gracie6363 · 06-14-2005, 09:58 PM

Hey! I came up to my bedroom tonight to get ready for bed and my balas were doing this dance I had never seen before.

At what age/size do they begin mating? and silly question, but what does it look like?

These two are normally sortof independent in the tank... occassionally chasing each other, but thats about it. Tonight they are constantly together, side by side... bumping together... getting vertical... swimming sideways and upside down around each other. They are also kindof nibbling each other, doesnt seem to be doing a ton of damage, couple of nipped fins and scales, but not severe injury.

So does this sound like mating to you? Tell me al you know!

maxpayne_lhp · 06-14-2005, 10:03 PM

It does
h/e I have never heard that it's difficult for successful breeding for balas before... wow this's neat

maxpayne_lhp · 06-14-2005, 10:06 PM

Well I really think it's quite rare so I just couldn't find any breeding resourse or info about mating...

Quote:

Breeding:

Egg layer, not known to breed in aquaria, but has been commercially bred in muddy ponds in SE Asia.

(From http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/prof...nids/bala.html

Then if it's true, congratulations...

Gracie6363 · 06-14-2005, 10:08 PM

thanks for looking so quickly... I hadnt even had a chance to research yet... i saw it and watched going on for quite awhile then decided to get online and make a post to see others thoughts... was just getting ready to do a search.

maxpayne_lhp · 06-14-2005, 10:14 PM

Ok

on my search, some said that it's rare and only successful in some farms in South East Asia (where I live :P) And some others say it's quite difficult and a very big tank is required. However, noone has reported the process of mating, preperformance (am I right) and so on... h/e I think google has offered so much that you can hardly go all over.

Larry-T · 06-17-2005, 05:23 PM

From what I've been told, balas would need to be about 8" long before they're old enough to breed. They are minnows and probably breed like barbs i.e. scatter adhesive eggs into the plants.

**Baby_Baby** · 06-17-2005, 08:34 PM

Ya. that sounds a lot like mating to me. How old and how big are they? I've never heard of balas doing this before. cool. I don't think the nipped fins will cause a problem unless your water quality is poor, then they might get an infection.

**TheOldSalt** · 06-17-2005, 11:26 PM

Hmmm... I dunno...maybe.
I think it could just as well be a battle for dominance, but I suppose courtship is a possibility. I would have bet against fish this young spawning, but I've been known to lose a few bets on occasion. I really think it's just a dominace thing, but I hope I'm wrong; an aquarium spawning of Balas would be really something.

fishboy · 06-17-2005, 11:36 PM

I think they may just be getting territorial because you're keeping 2 in a 40 gallon

06-14-2005, 09:58 PM	#1
Gracie6363 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Age: 29 Posts: 139	balas mating Hey! I came up to my bedroom tonight to get ready for bed and my balas were doing this dance I had never seen before. At what age/size do they begin mating? and silly question, but what does it look like? These two are normally sortof independent in the tank... occassionally chasing each other, but thats about it. Tonight they are constantly together, side by side... bumping together... getting vertical... swimming sideways and upside down around each other. They are also kindof nibbling each other, doesnt seem to be doing a ton of damage, couple of nipped fins and scales, but not severe injury. So does this sound like mating to you? Tell me al you know! __________________ 10 Gallon 1 orange white skirt tetra 1 chinese algae eater 40 gallon 2 leopard cory 1 bala shark 1 angel fish 1 pl*co 1 doberman 3 tabby cats 1 siamese 1 gray tree squirrel 1 husband 1 4.5 yr old son

06-14-2005, 10:03 PM	#2
maxpayne_lhp Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: West Michigan Age: 20 Posts: 2,174	It does h/e I have never heard that it's difficult for successful breeding for balas before... wow this's neat __________________ ~Nam Nguyen~

06-14-2005, 10:08 PM	#4
Gracie6363 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Age: 29 Posts: 139	thanks for looking so quickly... I hadnt even had a chance to research yet... i saw it and watched going on for quite awhile then decided to get online and make a post to see others thoughts... was just getting ready to do a search. __________________ 10 Gallon 1 orange white skirt tetra 1 chinese algae eater 40 gallon 2 leopard cory 1 bala shark 1 angel fish 1 pl*co 1 doberman 3 tabby cats 1 siamese 1 gray tree squirrel 1 husband 1 4.5 yr old son

06-14-2005, 10:14 PM	#5
maxpayne_lhp Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: West Michigan Age: 20 Posts: 2,174	Ok on my search, some said that it's rare and only successful in some farms in South East Asia (where I live :P) And some others say it's quite difficult and a very big tank is required. However, noone has reported the process of mating, preperformance (am I right) and so on... h/e I think google has offered so much that you can hardly go all over. __________________ ~Nam Nguyen~

06-17-2005, 08:34 PM	#7
Baby_Baby Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tulsa Posts: 3,823 Blog Entries: 1	Ya. that sounds a lot like mating to me. How old and how big are they? I've never heard of balas doing this before. cool. I don't think the nipped fins will cause a problem unless your water quality is poor, then they might get an infection. __________________ "By avoiding the very thing you despise the most, by trying to be "different" by striving to be so "unique", you've become the sole and center of all that you held so high on the pedestal of disgusting mortality deemed society."

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06-17-2005, 05:23 PM	#6
Larry-T Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Near Washington, DC Age: 60 Posts: 101	From what I've been told, balas would need to be about 8" long before they're old enough to breed. They are minnows and probably breed like barbs i.e. scatter adhesive eggs into the plants.

06-17-2005, 11:26 PM	#8
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,534	Hmmm... I dunno...maybe. I think it could just as well be a battle for dominance, but I suppose courtship is a possibility. I would have bet against fish this young spawning, but I've been known to lose a few bets on occasion. I really think it's just a dominace thing, but I hope I'm wrong; an aquarium spawning of Balas would be really something.

06-17-2005, 11:36 PM	#9
fishboy Custom User Title Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 17 Posts: 1,647	I think they may just be getting territorial because you're keeping 2 in a 40 gallon __________________ It is only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything

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