Shark!!!
- Thread starter Titus77
- Start date
JRaquatics
New member
AnimaliA, you were not arrogant at all. Very informative nad correct. I have owned and taken care of a few different sharks sp. To say the least owning a shark to thrive is very costly. For bamboo/banded sharks, you can get away with an extra wide tank or square do to it being a bottom dwelling sp. Lepards, bonnets/hammer H., black/white reef tips etc. need round oval or round tanks or ponds unless you can provide 2,000 gal+.
An Ideal tank would be 500+ gal wide tank with a large sump for extra water volume. There are many ways you can filter a tank this size and cheap, except for the protein skimmer. Large and effective skimmer is required. These are messy feeders and produce alot of waste.
The cheapest way to house sharks for optimal captive living is to build an indoor pond, create your own filter, use farmer troughs for sumps " this is were I would place the live rock", correct size UV and oversized skimmer is were the $ comes in.
An Ideal tank would be 500+ gal wide tank with a large sump for extra water volume. There are many ways you can filter a tank this size and cheap, except for the protein skimmer. Large and effective skimmer is required. These are messy feeders and produce alot of waste.
The cheapest way to house sharks for optimal captive living is to build an indoor pond, create your own filter, use farmer troughs for sumps " this is were I would place the live rock", correct size UV and oversized skimmer is were the $ comes in.
The idea of an indoor pond just made me drool. That would be incredible, and may have to consider that in the future. Something that I've been thinking about. For one small shark, many hundreds of gallons is required, how about two or three? How much of an increase is needed with each additional animal?
JRaquatics
New member
You can place a # of sharks and rays together in a pond. It all depends on the size. Filtration just needs to be up to par.
I had one in a 50 gal from hatch to abought a foot long and felt so bad for it sitting there so i to gave it to a LFS and i say gave it to because they only pay like 25.oo for them so. and you hear shark and think cool something to watch, WRONG 95% of the time they are sleeping! not moving at all. You know what babies do right? Eat, Sleep, and Sh*#. Not quite as exciting as one would think.
mojoreason
New member
you would need a significantly larger tank to be housing a shark. and yes - it would eat your fish. it's a shark. it's not going to "fish are friends not food" courses in a sunken ship, dude.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
fwiw, catsharks all typically sit around doing nothing overly special. You'll never get that "jaws" feeling with a catshark. One of the local aquariums here in Oklahoma has a bunch in the kiddie petting tank (bamboo catshark). They'll just kinda lay around and may be a tad more active at night, seeing how they are nocturnal this way. Even though this is there typical behavoir, they'll still require a very large tank, not active swimmers, but still need the space. So unless you are going to have a very large shark setup with multiple specimens and the appropriate led night lighting for veieing them when active, you'll probably be somewhat disappointed in the results. I might also add that some species, such as the dog chainshark and coral catshark stay a tad smaller, about 24" instead of the 36+" that a bamboo catshark will get. But still need a good 300-500g tank.
REEF-n-Chicago
New member
Great info. I do not think many people realize how hard it is to keep a shark based on living conditions alone.
