Compatibility brief
Can Bala / silver shark live with Neon Tetra?
Risky. This mix is commonly discouraged for typical setups.
Compatibility score
Profile confidence: medium
Order of checkstank volume vs adults → predation mouth gap → temperament / fin nipping → shared water windows.
500L
Combined minimum footprint reference for these two species: about 500L (larger active fish often want more length).
Bala / silver shark (35cm adult) may treat small Neon Tetra (~4cm) as food once grown — plan adult sizes, not shop sizes.
Bala sharks grow to about 35 cm and will treat a 4 cm neon tetra as food once the mouth catches up. Shops sell both as community fish, but the risk is size, not temperament — balas eat anything small enough to swallow. Juvenile balas co-raised with neons do not stay small; the neon school thins one fish at a time. Stock balas with large midwater companions in a long tank, or keep neons without giant tank mates.
Assessment details
Compatible temperaments
Both Bala / silver shark and Neon Tetra share a peaceful temperament.
Bala / silver shark may eat Neon Tetra
Top issueBala / silver shark (35cm) is predatory and Neon Tetra (4cm) is small enough to be eaten. This pairing is unsafe.
Compatible temperature range
Both fish can comfortably share similar water temperatures.
“Bala / silver shark (35cm) is predatory and Neon Tetra (4cm)…”
Bala / silver shark may eat Neon Tetra
Next steps
Concrete changes, not "research more" filler.
- •Do not stock bala sharks with neon tetras. Keep neons with peaceful fish that stay outside an adult mouth, or plan bala tanks around large companions in a long aquarium of several hundred litres.
- •Bala / silver shark should be kept in a group of at least 5 for best health and behaviour.
- •Neon Tetra should be kept in a group of at least 6 for best health and behaviour.
- •Bala / silver shark reaches ~35cm: tank length and turning room matter more than the litre number. A tall, short tank of the same volume is not equivalent.
Try instead
- →Build a species-only tank for the larger fish, or restock with fish too large to be eaten at adult sizes.
- Seriously Fish. Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
- Seriously Fish. Paracheirodon innesi
Supports: aquarium size, water chemistry, temperament and compatibility (primary care reference).
- FishBase. Paracheirodon innesi
Supports: taxonomy and wild maximum size — translate to tank stocking, not a target number.
- Wikipedia. Paracheirodon innesi
Supports: general species background and common-name orientation only.
Try this next
Build the full stocking list with Bala / silver shark + Neon Tetra
Plan further
Check each species’ mates list, size the glass, then verify the full stock in the builder. Methodology explains how verdicts are produced.
Individual fish vary in personality. Fishori uses conservative hobby rules. Observe any new introduction closely, feed thoughtfully, and keep a quarantine or backup plan. This is not veterinary advice.
Profile data confidence: high. Checked against several solid care sources that mostly agree.