Minimum tank size for 4-5ft long shark?
- Thread starter xenon
- Start date
Rockitmakr
New member
OCEAN...IMHO
Unless you want to take on a tank that big, I hope you are rich.
:beer:
Unless you want to take on a tank that big, I hope you are rich.
:beer:
CMcNeil
New member
2000 gallons thats sad.im not a shark expert but id imagine you should have at least 20,000 gallons for a 4-5 shark.what are the dimensions on that 2k tank?i cant imagine he has alot of room to swim around.like rockiymakr said OCEAN or at least a city aqaurium that has the tank to house it. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/FISH/Gallery/Descript/WTReefShark/WTReefShark.html
Hormigaquatica
Active member
Its one of those animals that has no business being in captivity- it Will die unless it is bought by a dedicated shark enthusiast. A minimum of 20,000 gallons would be needed, and that would still be enough for a 5' adult to essentially swim in circles- thats slightly more than say a 25x25x4' tank, or about 5x the length of the shark, which is still extrordinarily cramped for such an active animal, and the stress alone would probably kill it, not to mention the need they have for essentially pristine water quality and close attention given to their diet. Sad to see. Makes you wonder- if thats how they treat their display animals, what kind of care do they give their temp. sales animals..? I sure wouldnt shop there.
Rockitmakr
New member
If the LFS had a heart, they would contact Sea World or someone like that to take the shark before it dies. It really bothers me when animals die in captivity when not properly cared for.
:beer:
:beer:
RichConley
New member
Who says seaworld wants the shark? Most of the aquariums can't just take animals like this. It costs them thousands to quarantine and treat these animals, and they often dont fit in with the biotope/etc setups that the aquariums have.
These places just shouldnt buy fish like this. Giving them to an aquarium isnt always an option, and should never be the plan.
I am sorry but I dont think a White Tip Reef is suppose to be sitting on the sand. That is very cruel, I have seen some pretty bad shark exhibits in LFS but never a 5' White Tip in only a 2,000 Gallon. A White Tip needs atleast 20,000 gallons to be happy. You should say somthing to your LFS, and please take pictures. Its sad to see what some people will do to attract customers.
JohnM99
Premium Member
White tip reef sharks are largely nocturnal, and in fact spend a large part of their time motionless on the sandy bottoms or in caves. They tend to live in groups, and will often pile upon each other like logs in their caves or on the sea floor.
They rarely come to the surface, and are usually more commonly encountered on dives at night, or around sunrise or sunset. They feed on bottom dwelling creatures - octopus, crabs, lobsters - as well as medium size fish. Their main threats are larger sharks like tiger sharks, groupers, and of course humans, who catch them and eat them more often than they put them in small tanks. They are not regarded as a threat to humans, and can be hand fed (not that that is a great idea).
They reach sexual maturity at about 1 m length, and can grow to just over 2 m, although most are around the size you describe - 5 ft. maximum.
They are know to live at least 25 years. Although they are one of the 3 commonest sharks in the ocean (found all over the Pacific) they are listed as "near-threatened" - which I think is mainly due to loss of habitat.
Should you keep them in an aquarium? Big philosophical question. I personally think that the spectacles over the last 50 years of forcing creatures like killer whales to live in virtual bathtubs may have been cruel to the individuals, but caused them to act as martyrs for their species - they are the ambassadors who made people think of whales as friend, not food, and changed worldwide attitudes towards whaling. Most people thought whales were big, dumb fat fish, good for oil and meat until they became anthropomorphized by being in our faces.
Sharks face extinction, made worse by human hysteria, with movies like Jaws making people think the only good shark is a dead shark. While I dread the prospect of an attack while diving as much as anyone, it is hard not to appreciate their magnificence, and their role in the oceans, once you have become familiar with them.
Maybe the IMAX is a better place for them than a 2,000 gal tank, though. Still, I have no doubt that the sharks that you see in the flashy retailers tanks draw a lot of new people to the hobby, and in the long run, raise awareness of the fragility of our underwater world.
They rarely come to the surface, and are usually more commonly encountered on dives at night, or around sunrise or sunset. They feed on bottom dwelling creatures - octopus, crabs, lobsters - as well as medium size fish. Their main threats are larger sharks like tiger sharks, groupers, and of course humans, who catch them and eat them more often than they put them in small tanks. They are not regarded as a threat to humans, and can be hand fed (not that that is a great idea).
They reach sexual maturity at about 1 m length, and can grow to just over 2 m, although most are around the size you describe - 5 ft. maximum.
They are know to live at least 25 years. Although they are one of the 3 commonest sharks in the ocean (found all over the Pacific) they are listed as "near-threatened" - which I think is mainly due to loss of habitat.
Should you keep them in an aquarium? Big philosophical question. I personally think that the spectacles over the last 50 years of forcing creatures like killer whales to live in virtual bathtubs may have been cruel to the individuals, but caused them to act as martyrs for their species - they are the ambassadors who made people think of whales as friend, not food, and changed worldwide attitudes towards whaling. Most people thought whales were big, dumb fat fish, good for oil and meat until they became anthropomorphized by being in our faces.
Sharks face extinction, made worse by human hysteria, with movies like Jaws making people think the only good shark is a dead shark. While I dread the prospect of an attack while diving as much as anyone, it is hard not to appreciate their magnificence, and their role in the oceans, once you have become familiar with them.
Maybe the IMAX is a better place for them than a 2,000 gal tank, though. Still, I have no doubt that the sharks that you see in the flashy retailers tanks draw a lot of new people to the hobby, and in the long run, raise awareness of the fragility of our underwater world.
barbra
Active member
A lot of the time your LFS has the really strange things because somebody bought a creature and found they couldn't properly care for it. My LFS has not only fish that shouldn't be in captivity but monkeys, snakes, etc. all because people gave them to the store, not because the store sought them out.
The store may not be an ideal home, but it sure is better than where they came from. It can be very difficult to get rid of an animal you don't want.
The store may not be an ideal home, but it sure is better than where they came from. It can be very difficult to get rid of an animal you don't want.
xenon
Owner of Canada Corals
GTR
Active member
Live rock $11.99/pound. I need want some. 
Ok they have the shark, it's in a fairly large tank that seems to be well taken care of. If they've had it for 2 years it looks like they at least must be given it a decent level of care.
I really don't see what else anyone could expect at this point. As others have said you can't just take an animal like this and drop it off at the zoo.
SteveU
Ok they have the shark, it's in a fairly large tank that seems to be well taken care of. If they've had it for 2 years it looks like they at least must be given it a decent level of care.
I really don't see what else anyone could expect at this point. As others have said you can't just take an animal like this and drop it off at the zoo.
SteveU
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
The 8.5"x11" Big Al's sign appears to be about 1/3 the size of the shark.
Unfortunately, sharks are a big draw, and retailers cash in on the sensationalism. I personally don't see anything in them as a display item. They're on par with a tank full of Piranha hiding motionless behind some rocks. Still, people flock there every tuesday to watch a high school student tease it with an octopus on a stick.
It's too bad those resources couldn't be invested into a large reef tank. I'd go out of my way to check it out every once in a while.
Unfortunately, sharks are a big draw, and retailers cash in on the sensationalism. I personally don't see anything in them as a display item. They're on par with a tank full of Piranha hiding motionless behind some rocks. Still, people flock there every tuesday to watch a high school student tease it with an octopus on a stick.
It's too bad those resources couldn't be invested into a large reef tank. I'd go out of my way to check it out every once in a while.
Not sure of the species but an LFS store in my area has two 3ft sharks and a 2ft (across) ray in a "petting" tank that is only about eight hundred gallons. It's extremely shallow. Of course this is the same LFS store that kept four sea horses in a full flow aquarium. It was sad to see those animals getting blown around the tank like that. This not even to mention it was impossible for them to eat. I will post pics of the "petting" tank tonight.
Serioussnaps
New member
My girlfriend's dad has a 36000 gallon pool and that shark wouldnt be happy in it.
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