bamboo catshark

[ABATTLEDONKEY]

ok, in the time i have been a member, and before that when i was simply reading the RC forums, i have found all the members to be intelligent, nice, and above all help full. i also have known them to be very intuitive..... the reply's to this thread make me nauseated at how HORRIBLY wrong i was about the CERTAIN members replying. not only are you all HORRIBLY failing to actually READ the original post: i.e. he IS<---------!!!!!!! going to be getting a bigger tank. READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he is also NOT concerned with the bio-load, compatibility of his current fish, OR interested in simple bashing. he came to you all for help. a little hasty in his decisions yes, but asking some pretty simply questions. you all have lashed out on him like hes a Harlem gangster who is out for nothing but trouble. he is OBVIOUSLY not trolling as he has replied addressing some of our concerns and asking his original question yet. what is REALLY pathetic is the lack of help given, the apparent inability to read by certain members, and the accusation thrown about like a retard at a shooting range. i cant believe the despicable attitude this thread has shown and i have to say to all who apply, shame for your immature approach to someone who obviously should have done more research but made a simple mistake.

and for all you tofu-farting hippies out there, who think fish are as fragile as the crisp leafs in autumn, he bought this tank ALREADY established as he has pointed out before and he has LESS fish now than when he bought it so OBVIOUSLY the load isn't to high.

now for a REAL reply:

iraqi, if you REALLY like WMDs you love this shark cause you will have massive problems. my suggestion would be to take it back to your LFS if possible and try to do more research in the future. you really jumped in the deep end and should slow down a bit. ya gotta know how to swim, before you dive head first. the triggers have had a historical problem but if they work great, great not all fish are the same. some are more temperamental than others. but when that shark hatches, if you keep it, monitor EVERYTHING very closely. good luck........


P.S. i am 20 with more manners than all these grumpy old farts. now THATS pathetic
P.P.S. moderators, please dont strike this, as these folks REALLY need this little lesson. i look forward to the battles.*rolleyes*

-Paul

 

[steri]

Paul I read his post, and replies, and just simply don't buy it, but that's just my opinion. I offered advice, on the off chance this is a real case, but like I said, I just don't buy it.

Anyways, I hate the idea I would even post this reply, as I know it feeds the trolls and keeps them fat and happy.

Well, regardless as to what anyone may reply, I'm done posting on this thread, which won't matter, I'm sure, because this is well on the road to getting shut down now....as it probably should.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Folks, if you think this is a poster who is asking a question to inflame things [troll] ... then ignore it if you have nothing to add to the discussion.

This is supposed to be a welcoming community, where people can learn from mistakes and avoid jepardizing the marine life we all care about.

I'm not trying to excuse poor care of marine life, it's something that bothers me intensely.
But negative responses will either cause this person to leave this site [and skip any good care information we can give, hopefully to give these creatures a long and decent life] ... or it will just inflame the situation [feeding any desire to inflame].




This is the New to the Hobby forum.

Please be patient with new posters - and if you think something is meant to get you angry, don't take the bait. The only person who controls your response is you.

Just my opinion, but let's represent the best of our community - not the worst.

 

[pagojoe]

Thanks Mark. It's pretty easy to forget that we have all done things that we probably wouldn't repeat, and years of screwing up makes you a wiser, if more judgmental, reefer. Let's try to take the new guys' questions at face value, without showing our instant indignation.

iraqiwmd asks a fairly legitimate question. Bamboo sharks feed primarily on invertebrates, so if he read that, he might have wondered if the shark was going to hatch out and jump right on his triggerfish. I think it would be neat to raise one from an egg, and might even hatch him in a small tank if I were in the process of converting a bedroom into a shark haven. That said, I'd get some satisfaction out of keeping it for a few months and observing its behavior, even if I had to find it a larger home soon. I saw a baby one in a restaurant tank a few months ago, maybe a 40 gallon tank, and he wasn't there the next time I went in. It made a neat display, and I'm sure the LFS guys who kept the tanks stocked just took it back to the store to a larger home.

Some of you guys gave him good advice about the fish/food chain already, but I'll add, since nobody else did: the shark can, and might, eat your snails, as it's well equipped to crunch them.

Cheers,


Don

 

[kathainbowen]

To everyone talking about manners and such, while many of the posters may have been a bit harsh in your opinion, this is an online discussion forum, with many passionate people about their hobby and the animals we all care about. You have to be prepared that your opinions and your situation may anger other people, especially with a hot button subject as a shark in that small of a tank. Many, many, MANY (did I say many enough times?) people are going to be angry and bothered by the thoughts of putting any animals into that sort of a situation.




To the subject at hand.... just because your LFS greenlights something does NOT make it right.

I could tell you hundreds of stories of LFSs greenlighting seemingly foolish and moronic ideas. When I was 8 years old, for example, I discovered this firsthand when I was sold dyed red devils to go in my 10 gallon tank with neon tetras. Yes. You read that right. The LFS also told me the red devils were "parrotfish" (what I now know full well are actually hybrid red devil X severum). Not all LFSs are up to notch on animal husbandry and ethical animal husbandry, so you have to be really careful and use your best judgment, even if you have noble intentions of buying a larger tank eventually. In addition to that, LFSs are a business, and many will rush you into a sale by telling you things that are either complete fabrications or mere bending of the truth.





With this in mind, let's look at your situation again.

1.) Triggers tend to outgrow 60 gallon tanks rather quickly, establishing tough territory and often fighting. You're going to have to keep a big eye out for this.

2.) Triggers, eels, AND sharks are all predatory animals with large biomasses, meaning they tend to mess a tank much more quickly than other animals (even aside from waste production and excretion, just look at how tiggers feed- it's a super awesome act that I feel deserves a meat grinding sound effect). Install a huge skimmer, keep a well maintained refugium, and be super aggressive with water changes to combat this, as well as being uber careful to test, test, and test again to keep an eye on everything.

3.) Triggers tend to get "too big for their britches," and many will pester sharks by nipping. Cat sharks, particularly the bamboo, tend to be a bit of pushovers if the animal is fairly large and if they don't really have anywhere to go. This can result in some pretty harsh nips and abrasions. Keep your eyes peeled for any aggression towards the shark and be prepared to banish an offending trigger to a large sump or QT tank.

4.) If the triggers are rather small specimens, the opposite can happen, the shark may nip or attempt to eat the triggers. Again, be prepared to banish the triggers, as the shark really should get priority tank space. Why? Is it because I favor sharks over triggers? No. It's because, between the two types of animals, triggers are generally hardier animals, whereas sharks tend to be much more sensitive to water quality. A trigger will better deal with mediocre water quality in a QT tank than a shark.

5.) Feeding time is going to be interesting. Bamboo cats seem to fall into two categories as young. There are those which are absolute pigs who will eat everything in sight, and those who are like supermodels, refusing even the most desireable food stuffs. In the case of the pig-type-eaters, you shouldn't have a problem. But, in the case of a reluctant feeder, the triggers again could pose an issue as many triggers see no problem in snatching food from other animals, especially slow eaters.

6.) I hope you have a grounding probe in the tank already. If not, go get one and install it. Trust me. Worth its weight in gold, and then some!

7.) Be sure you have a sugar or powder fine substrate. Any gritty or coarse substrates can scuff and scratch the soft tummies of sharks, leaving red streaks and abrasions there. Ouch!





I think everything got covered in that mess, except for the fact that I must emplore you to go outfit yourself with the larger tank very soon or take the animal back. Sharks are not the best pet for newbies at all, often an impulse buy that end up wasting away and dying senselessly. If you must keep the animal, upgrade that tank, and soon, and please read up and research before purchasing anything else with the LFSs' advice alone.