What is that fish?? It is diamond shaped and freshwater and was $14.99 at petsmart...?

Question

I saw this fish it was flat and diamond shaped at petsmart. It eas $14.99 (I think) but their was no care sheet so I could not get a name. It kind of reminds me of the silver dollar fish and I want to get him and put him with my bala shark. Thanks for the help. On a side note, will bala sharks (not really a shark at all but still semi-agressive) eat feeder fish? I doubt it but anyone know for certain.

No its none of those. This fish is flatter and its more diamond like. The fish lady was saying something like they swim up to the top and grab their food and go right back down to the bottom and the other fish were copying them.

Answer 1

Could the fish have been a redhook?
http://z.about.com/d/freshaquarium/1/8/T/8/fw0016.jpg

As for the balas, they will eat feeders once they are quite large, say in the 8-10" range, but prefer things like worms.

I wouldn't recommend a red hook for a bala shark tank mate. Red hooks are touchy fish and hard to keep, also the bala will get far larger and probably harass the red hook as it gets big.

MM

Answer 2

You're right bala's are actually a type of tetra.

Go back to petsmart and ask the staff what it is. On their order sheet they will have either a common or scientific name or both. If the floor staff can't tell you, ask to speak to the fish department manager.

It sounds like some type of tetra, but MANY types of tetra all have the same description.

Full grown balas CAN eat feeder fish, but I've never seen one do it nor heard and actual account of it. They'll destroy shrimp, live food and frozen food though! Though mine didn't get to be full grown. I gave them away when they were about 7 inches, they were to big for my 75 gallon tank and use to stun themselves swimming HARD and FAST into the glass. I was also afraid they'd crack the top glass with the force they jumped!

I tried to transported them in a 5 gallon "pen pals" (the blue hard plastic ones from Hagan), the broke it.

Answer 3

To identify your fish..hmm..I think it is possibly from the family characin just like the silver dollar fish and possibly a black barred myleus or pacu but pacus tend to be cheaper since they're widely unwanted in the long run. (They grow too huge)

No way, for your second question, bala sharks are totally harmless to any fish except those small enough to fit its mouth but do becareful though, it is a crazy fish to me coz it goes berserk and jumps out of the tank at the slightest of provocation from both fish mates and external factors.

Answer 4

Is it a silver hatchetfish?

http://www.geocities.com/ramcichlid/Pictures.html