Oscars and Bala Sharks

[EdW]

Hey all, 1st'ly would like to say hello to everyone! I have been reading the forum's for a couple of days now and scouring the net for information and preparing myself for my first tank! This forum is great! Stacked full of useful info and I have read tonnes already, but it feels like I've only just scratched the surface!

I think i will aiming for 50g tank, but haven't fully decided yet. I was wondering (hypothetically) if an Oscar fish and a Bala shark (or more) would be compatible with each other in a (hypothetical again) 50g fish tank. I've looked online at compatibility tables, they either are too vague (cichlids v sharks) or they say they are possibly compatible without giving a lot of information about them!

Also, if they were compatible with each other, what possible scope would i have for other fish to go with them and how many/what size?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DeRo316]

An Oscar will get pretty big in time and will eat anything smaller than itself which would eventually be the bala shark. Most people on these boards suggest an Oscar should have a 50gallon tank to itself.

 

[Genral72]

A 50 gallong aquarium is too small for either a bala shark or an Oscar. Both need at least a 75 gallon. Also Bala sharks like to school and should be kept in groups of 6 or more and that would create too much of a bioload for even a 75 gallon.