Any shark owners on here?

[Hitman]

I would also recommend an open top sump for the gas exchange you won't be getting in the DT.

Sump is a 100 gallon Planet Aquarium tank, skimmer is a Reef Octopus Regal 250, seeing I’m building a fish room I’ll be running a 2” pvc pipe outside then step down to 1/2” silicone tube at a CO2 scrubber and Carbon filter then 1/2” tube for about 3 feet to the skimmer is my plan.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Sump is a 100 gallon Planet Aquarium tank, skimmer is a Reef Octopus Regal 250, seeing I’m building a fish room I’ll be running a 2” pvc pipe outside then step down to 1/2” silicone tube at a CO2 scrubber and Carbon filter then 1/2” tube for about 3 feet to the skimmer is my plan.

That sounds good, I'd be careful with the CO2 scrubber. Make sure there aren't any ferrous metals touching the water, as the sharks are very sensitive to those metals.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

my idiot lfs has 2 leopard sharks and usually a couple horn sharks along with a dozen or so eels in a pretty small (relatively) tank. they suck

Leopard sharks are cousins to the smooth hound sharks and need a ton of room as well. Unfortunately LFS usually only seem to care about themselves and think only in the short term.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Sump is a 100 gallon Planet Aquarium tank, skimmer is a Reef Octopus Regal 250, seeing I’m building a fish room I’ll be running a 2” pvc pipe outside then step down to 1/2” silicone tube at a CO2 scrubber and Carbon filter then 1/2” tube for about 3 feet to the skimmer is my plan.

You may be a little low on skimming power depending on how many fish you plan on adding. Don't underestimate how big of a bioload sharks are. 1 shark produces more bioload than 10-20 fish imo.

 

[mattzang]

Leopard sharks are cousins to the smooth hound sharks and need a ton of room as well. Unfortunately LFS usually only seem to care about themselves and think only in the short term.

yeah i know, the worst part is i live in california so it's not like these sharks are some unknown. they're off the coast here, i've swam with them, they get 5 feet long. idk if the ones they have are the japanese version, but seems those grow to a similar length

these guys have them in a mayyyyyyybe 6 foot tank that's mayyyyyybe 3-4 feet wide and only a couple of feet tall. watching the leopards do laps is pretty sad.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

yeah i know, the worst part is i live in california so it's not like these sharks are some unknown. they're off the coast here, i've swam with them, they get 5 feet long. idk if the ones they have are the japanese version, but seems those grow to a similar length

these guys have them in a mayyyyyyybe 6 foot tank that's mayyyyyybe 3-4 feet wide and only a couple of feet tall. watching the leopards do laps is pretty sad.

Yeah that is very sad and even more so it's common for LFS to do that. All leopard sharks get big and need to swim all day to pass water through their gills unlike the sharks we were discussing. Those sharks should really be kept in a circular tank.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

@Hitman a couple minor points on keeping sharks as well. Substrate has to be fine (I use caribsea fiji pink). I would recommend using a uv sterilizer in your tank as well as elasmobranches of all kinds are susceptible to bacterial infection. They are quite sensitive to high nitrates (I try to keep mine below 20) so I'd recommend using a DSB refugium or biopellet reactor.

 

[Hitman]

I have a 120 watt pentair aquatics UV and a Lifeguard Aquatics XL bio pellet reactor. The CO2 media is the BRS color change stuff in one of their plastic RO style reactors. Not sure but I don’t think anything in that set up is ferrous metal.

 

[Hitman]

Oh and I have 600 lbs of Oceans direct special grade being delivered Friday for substrate. I was told by a local ray tank guy it was the best of the best and what he has in his ray tank.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I have a 120 watt pentair aquatics UV and a Lifeguard Aquatics XL bio pellet reactor. The CO2 media is the BRS color change stuff in one of their plastic RO style reactors. Not sure but I don’t think anything in that set up is ferrous metal.

Very nice units, I know what you mean for CO2 scrubber. That should be fine. It sounds like you will have a very nice system. I would just watch your skimmer once everything is fully stocked.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Oh and I have 600 lbs of Oceans direct special grade being delivered Friday for substrate. I was told by a local ray tank guy it was the best of the best and what he has in his ray tank.

Yes that would be perfect for sharks, be careful with your sand sifting fish if you ever get any, they will cause a sandstorm, because that sand is very light.

 

[Hitman]

Yea looks like I should have gotten the Regal 300 dang it. Oh well it gives me a reason to tell the wife due to her wanting rays in with the sharks I have to order a new skimmer again lol

 

[Hitman]

Yes that would be perfect for sharks, be careful with your sand sifting fish if you ever get any, they will cause a sandstorm, because that sand is very light.

Yea the rays will do that worse I’m sure lol

 

[gafoley]

Many angels will pick at the sharks causing open wounds and irritation. My advice on angels would be maybe smaller angels like flames, potter's, etc.

 

[Thomashtom]

I have kept sharks in aquariums with fish but you have to choose the tankmates. The Queen and triggers will eventually nip at the shark. It may not happen right away but it will. Thanks

 

[nitrodude]

I'll add I'm looking to add 1 small Ray as well, thinking a Cortez or Blue Spot

Pass on the blue spot. Beautiful ray, but VERY hard to get to eat. If you do get one, I would put him in a smaller easy access tank tied to your main system, as theres a good chance you'll be force feeding him for a couple months so he doesnt starve.
Cortez ray is the better option, although not nearly as good looking.

A smooth hound shark would go great in that tank with some rays! I dont think angels will pick at the sharks, that is mainly tangs that try to eat the sharks eyeballs.

Nope. Smooth hounds get big and would outgrow this tank shortly. Angel's and triggers shouldnt be kept with sharks. They sometimes pick at sharks eyes. Tangs are fine.

Yeah that is very sad and even more so it's common for LFS to do that. All leopard sharks get big and need to swim all day to pass water through their gills unlike the sharks we were discussing. Those sharks should really be kept in a circular tank.

This isnt quite true either. While leopard sharks do get big and are active swimmers, they are in the same family as smooth hounds. They do not have to swim to breath.




If you do end up with sharks, look into sulfur denitrators, easy way to keep up with your nitrates, and "seaklear" to help with phosphates-much cheaper than gfo.
Also, you will want to get some Mazuri shark vitamins to keep your shark healthy and make sure you have a consistent source of fresh sea food available.

Good luck!

 

[KittieKatt]

I think while the sharks are small they are high risk for larger aggressive fish.. After some time when they have gotten larger and kinda established territory then the aggressive fish it may be ok.. I never tried those in the tanks with my banded cat sharks when I had them.. I went the route of throwing in a tang and a few things like that.. never had issues with that.. and unless you want to do live feeding you will probably have to hand feed.. I hand fed mine, was kinda fun ;Cat

 

[Jcar]

I think while the sharks are small they are high risk for larger aggressive fish.. After some time when they have gotten larger and kinda established territory then the aggressive fish it may be ok.. I never tried those in the tanks with my banded cat sharks when I had them.. I went the route of throwing in a tang and a few things like that.. never had issues with that.. and unless you want to do live feeding you will probably have to hand feed.. I hand fed mine, was kinda fun ;Cat

Thought I'd bump this thread see if it gets any action

 

[Ev8siveaz]

Ah good I like to consider myself quite knowledgeable with the atelomycterus sharks. Anyway the atelomycterus actually do better in pairs (Hiding together and hunting together). As far as having a catshark and bamboo I'm not sure. The marbled catshark is also fairly readily available, but the coral is actually really hard to get (took me 3 months of actively searching to find one). My marbled and coral I'd say are swimming around more than half of the time. Although when I first got them they hid literally all day, until they got comfortable.

How did you end up feeding them at first when they hid all day? I just got a juvenile 6 inch marble cat shark. He was eating at the LFS and when he went into my tank he has literally been hiding the whole time (Been about 2 days). Ive been trying to feed pieces of shrimp and squid with a feeding stick but even if I can see him, his head is usually under a rock. Do I just give him some time and wait til he comes out or should I be more proactive? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ev8siveaz]

Nevermind.... he is out and eating now!