soon to be shark owner

[RachelS.]

I am new to the forum and my boyfriend and I are currently planning to make a saltwater shark aquarium for a juvenile marbled cat shark and juvie coral cat shark. I am going to the petstore tomorrow to buy a glass tank and all the extras. I have being doing a lot of research on the sharks themselves and also the best pricing and such for the materials I will be needing. (Btw, Petsmart is cheaper than Petco haha). I have kept reptiles, mostly snakes, all my life so it's actually kind of natural for me to know how to research and try to find the best means of husbandary for any animal I own.



My question is, what is the best way to keep these sharks, and is there any possibility I could add a ray or maybe a moray eel to the aquarium?

These are the products I've found and was planning to get: Aquarium tank, lighting fixture (probably not the hooded type because I couldn't find any that were made for over 100 gallon tanks, unless SeaClear makes any for their acrylic tanks, I could probably use one), Pentair Aquatics Lifeguard Bed Filter FB300 for up to 300 gallons / Pentair Aquatics Lifeguard Aquarium Filter System for up to 100 gallons / Rena Filstar Canister Filter for up to 175 gallons, Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix, CaribSea Aragonite Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand, Seachem Prime Conditioner, Aquarium Products Saltwater Biozyme (yes/no???), and a Live Meter Master Test Kit. I might also put a few plants and decor in the aquarium. It really depends if the sharks will just knock them over or plow through them, whatever they do.



Is this a good list? Is there anything I'm missing or that you would recommend over any of the other products? Which of the 3 filters would be best for this type of Aquarium? Also, how would I go about feeding the sharks? I was thinking of having an extra aquarium just for live food that I could stock once a week. I also have a large freezer that I could use for frozen foods that I once used to bulk rabbits, rats, and mice in for my snakes. What are your thoughts on carnivorous commercial foods?



That's really all I can think of asking. Any and all information is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all your help :)



Rachel

[Fishguy2727]

What is the max size for each species? What size tank are you getting?

[cocoa_pleco]

i think i can safely say for 70% of sharks like black, redtail, and i.d's youre lookin at about 175-250g

[Severus]

These guys are saltwater and chances are they might get to 3-4' +....
That is going to be one BIG tank if that is the case.

[cocoa_pleco]

youre lookin at like a 400g DIY tank for a real shark

[Severus]

yea, depending on how big it gets fully mature. Maybe more

[cocoa_pleco]

a 400 is like the worst case scenario. If a shark owner had any heart for the pet, it'd be a tank about the size of your living room. Sharks need exercise to develop and have a good life. If you cramp it in something less that a 600g DIY tank, its going to slowly waste away by not eating

[RachelS.]

The max size for these 2 species I read was about 2 feet in length. I was planning on getting a 180 gal, but I can go for a 200 gal if needed. I understand the bigger the better.

Is there anything else I need to know? Thank you

[cocoa_pleco]

200g would be best.

Just be careful with large fish. Theyre bad for being bored and bang up filter tubes and smash glass heaters and the tank itself.

[Chrona]

The max size for these 2 species I read was about 2 feet in length. I was planning on getting a 180 gal, but I can go for a 200 gal if needed. I understand the bigger the better.

Is there anything else I need to know? Thank you

What is the species? I would think 180 - 200 is too small. If they get up to 2 feet, they would just barely be able to turn around in the tank (180g is 6 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft). Plus sharks need a bit of room to swim around, and the tank would only be 3 times their body length. It would be the equivalent of putting a 2x 2-inch long fish in a 6 inch by 2 inch by 2 inch "tank"

I would look for smaller species or think about building your own tank.

EDIT: Nevermind, I reread the post. I looked around, and it seems like various sites say the marbled sharks get to be anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 feet....lol

[RachelS.]

I wouldn't mind building a tank actually. What is the best way to do this? I used to build cages for my snakes, but they were made out of wood and glass. Can you give me an idea on materials and pricing and such??

BTW, I read somewhere that sharks need at least 3X's their body length in space, so I thought a 180 gallon would suffice. If I don't end up building, I know a private dealer that sells all sized wholesale acrylic aquariums.

[Chrona]

I don't know about exact plans, but here is a good place to start

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/

They have a couple of articles about shark/big fish tanks.

[cocoa_pleco]

glass or acrylic. It'll cost alot, maybe 2500$

[Severus]

I read a whole writeup once about aguy that built a 1000 gallon tank for under $1000. It wasnt halfassed either. I wish i could find it. That didnt include anything else though like filter, heater, gravel, etc...

[cocoa_pleco]

I read a whole writeup once about aguy that built a 1000 gallon tank for under $1000. It wasnt halfassed either. I wish i could find it. That didnt include anything else though like filter, heater, gravel, etc...

heaters and filters would be ALOT.

Imagine a huge ass UGF. lol

How the hell would you heat that thing? like 10 300w heaters

[RachelS.]

Okay well I can buy a 200 gallon acrylic tank for under $500. So building wouldn't be necessary for me then. Did you see that article on the Canadian who made his basement into an aquarium. Crazy nuthead

[cocoa_pleco]

i.d will work in that case as i.d's will have trouble smashing a acrylic tank

[cocoa_pleco]

WTF, i just changed my username and put peach for the new color, and somehow i got coal colored. lol

[Chrona]

Peach isn't a "normal" color, so it probably isn't on the menu. You just wasted points.....:hmm3grin2orange:

[cocoa_pleco]

DANGIT! ive always put in names, like my last one i put chocolate

[Severus]

heaters and filters would be ALOT.

Imagine a huge ass UGF. lol

How the hell would you heat that thing? like 10 300w heaters

It would certainly be expensive. Eat up some electricity too!

[cocoa_pleco]

Imagine the initial set-ups water bill. Youd have to have your hose on for like 36 hours to fill it.

and you wouldnt be able to do water changes, and eventually so much crap would build up. And gravel, that'd be a doozy. at least 500$

[Severus]

You would need superior filtration

[cocoa_pleco]

filtration would be hard. You could use like 5 fluval canisters, but the hoses are so small it wouldnt really work.

[Severus]

You would need like 5 Refrigiums and 5 wet/dry filters and a few canisters

[Chrona]

Meh, I say 6 ft tall protein skimmer :)

[cocoa_pleco]

i have to agree with severus on that one

[Severus]

Thanks cocoa. lol. i just wouldnt want to deal with serious filtration like that

[cocoa_pleco]

man, that'd be hard to filtrate, unless you had a enlarging ray and could enlarge a canister filter.

If you heavily planted a 600g with like 20 cardinals and 5 corys, then you would need no filtration or maybe 1 canister

[Severus]

Yea, a light bioload and a lot of live plants would work out good

[cocoa_pleco]

and how would you light that tank?

25 ductaped fluorescent lights later maybe. lol

[Severus]

haha, that would be another challenge. You would have to hang custom lights overtop or something

[Chrona]

I think a skylight would be a good choice, unless you want to pay for a massive metal halide fixture that runs your electricity bill up like no other.

[Severus]

Skylight would be very convienent if you could position the tank right under it.

[Chrona]

Skylight would be very convienent if you could position the tank right under it.

I think the idea is to place the skylight over the tank and not the other way around :)

[cocoa_pleco]

the only skylights in my place are in 1 bathroom, 1 hallway, and 1 in the kitchen.

[Chrona]

Well yeah, but it's much easier to install a skylight over a 1000g concrete tank than it is to install a 1000g tank under a skylight, lolz.

[Severus]

I think the idea is to place the skylight over the tank and not the other way around :)

You kind of lost me...
i was saying build it under the skylight...

[cocoa_pleco]

You kind of lost me...
i was saying build it under the skylight...


AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwkkkkkkkkward. lol:1: :1: :1: :1:

[Severus]

haha, im not sure i know what chrona is talking about

[Chrona]

It's much easier to build a skylight (drilling a hole and fitting the window into it) over a 1000g tank, because the 1000g tank can only go in certain places, ie where your floor can support 5 tons of weight. The skylight can go just about anywhere. I've even seen skylights that go into the basement using a highly reflective tube.

[Severus]

Ok i got ya. lol. I kind of wasnt really thinking...