Can't decide what shark I want!!!!

[Techie_]

Just curious, what r the average prices for these sharks?

A quick google search returns somewhere in the ballpark of ~$1000-3000

 

[rock_lobster]

I cant wait to have this problem one day

 

[LadAShark]

Looks like this thread has lost everyone's interest

My suggestion is to go the shark ray central and look at the care profiles. The stats I posted are mostly from there and based on the studies and trial and error of experts.

Google shark ray central, and get an account there to ask around. They unfortunately aren't as nice as the people here on Reef2Reef, but they'll give you the best answers as pretty much everyone there ha experience with Sharks/Rays

 

[Seadragon1]

Okay I'll be contacting an expert thanks everyone for all the help. I don't think I will be doing a BRTS any more. I am going with a smaller shark (-:

 

[LadAShark]

Okay I'll be contacting an expert thanks everyone for all the help. I don't think I will be doing a BRTS any more. I am going with a smaller shark (-:

I suggest white tip reef sharks. They should do fine in tanks that size. Pretty much the most sizable shark you can fit into that tank. You could easily get a few of them. They're not as active as the BTRS, but they are just as long.

Size isn't the limiting factor with the BTRS, it's how fast they swim and their overall swim pattern. They are fast swimmers that dart around, hence they need a much larger tank to accomodate that.

 

[Mike in CT]

Looks like this thread has lost everyone's interest

I think it is because the scale and numbers your talking about are so big, that no one here besides maybe a select few, can even offer advice on a system the size your considering. Look up Bill Wann, if your not familiar already and it will give you some good insight on what it takes to build and maintain large tank.

 

[jeremy.gosnell]

My personal opinion on the matter is that no shark species belongs in a home aquarium, even a massive tank. I worked in public aquaria, where there were multiple shark species kept and was shocked by the challenges all species of sharks pose. They are difficult to quarantine, as sharks are both sensitive to hyposalinity, while copper and many other common medications will kill them. They are prone to various skin infections and feeding is a major concern and often monumental challenge. The aquarium where I worked nearly lost two adult zebra sharks due to stress and reduced desire to feed. Sharks need a lot of food and when they go on hunger strike, it usually ends badly. It's not that it can't be done in the home aquarium, it's just a massive commitment that I think even seasoned aquarists are prone to underestimating. When you have a team of biologists and aquarists on-call 24/7 caring for an animal, combined with the best of everything and shark specific QT protocols and 100k+ gallon tanks and sharks still pose a real challenge, that speaks for itself.

However, it sounds like you're committed and taking the right approach. Having a tank custom built for sharks is a good first step, putting you quite a bit ahead of other would-be shark keepers who cram sharks into inappropriate tanks. Circular corners is a good step and I see issues with humidity, etc in your home have been addressed. Filtration is going to be a major concern. The water volume will be helpful in this regard, but sharks react very poorly to nutrients in the water and any measurable chemistry fluctuation. I would suggest 2-4 sumps, each based around one area of filtration. One could be dedicated to de-nitrification and employ either ceramic bricks, zeolite, sulphur reactor or any other filtration designed to remove phosphates and nitrate. Another could be a large refugium, not so much geared toward de-nitrification but as a place to both encourage micro-invertebrate growth/sponge growth/aiptasia growth. Yes, I recommend aiptasia in the refuge, largely because when kept in a chambered area, they are helpful at eating food chunks and minimizing solid waste. There are several ways to prevent them from entering the main system, but passing the water over high micron filter media before return to the tank often works best, as it's able to remove any aiptasia tissue spores. Also, UV sterilization or ozone treatment of water exiting this sump would be helpful. The third sump could be dedicated to ozone/UV sterilization. While it's well documented that ozone and UV cannot cure or eradicate external parasites, they can weaken their numbers in the water column and weaken infectious bacteria populations. I see them worthwhile in a shark tank where you need all the ammunition against infection you can get. I would run ORP at around 375-400 mv. This could be a three chambered solution - denitrification first, refuge with natural filtration (sponge,aiptasia,etc) then UV and ozone - to help kill off potential aiptasia spores before re-entry to the display.

Protein skimmers will likely have to be custom made (suggested above call Bill Wann, good idea). Banded cat sharks and marbled bamboo cat sharks are both species that have better than average suitability for home aquariums. Anything outside of that is breaking through the barriers of what can really be kept in a home tank. Even these species get over 3' as adults and consume large quantities of food, often only accepting large live fare - such as whole crabs, squid, fin-fish, etc. You'll need a separate system to rear these animals on site, as it will be nearly impossible to rely on ordering/shipping the quantities you will need. Live food spreads debris throughout the water and raises the risk of environmental contamination with parasites, hence why the multi-tiered blend of mechanical and natural filtration.

I am not trying to sound rude or tell you that you're wrong to try to keep marine sharks at home. I just have worked with numerous aquarists, all with tanks in excess of 500 gallons, who've tried to keep sharks. All gave it up after losing several specimens and had greatly under-estimated how demanding shark keeping really is. Worse, they found the shark species suitable for the home aquarium much less exciting in reality, than it sounded on paper. Species suitable for home tanks are rather slow-moving, often hide and aren't strikingly beautiful or overtly unique. Most aquarists I know who've walked the shark keeping road, felt like they were spending a lot of money and time on something that wasn't quite worth the investment. Sharks topple corals, eat various tank-mates and are not reef compatible in any regard. All converted their shark tanks back into traditional reef tanks. Liveaquaria has an "expert only" designation that I think many aquarists ignore. It reads, "This species is best left to professional aquarists or research centers." They aren't kidding when they say that, and sharks fall into that category.

 

[Seadragon1]

I am not sure I even want a shark anymore. I will cut the size and keep some pretty angelfish and other interesting fish.

 

[LadAShark]

I am not sure I even want a shark anymore. I will cut the size and keep some pretty angelfish and other interesting fish.

If you let that discourage you, then yes, it is a good decision to give up.

If you still have any interest at all, I highly suggest going to MonsterFishkeepers and seeing whether you can get in contact with Matt Zoodiver. He's someone who literally designs aquariums for a living and has even been on television in regards to such information.

Going to Shark Ray Central will also help you a lot. Honestly shark keeping is not as complex as jeremy.gosnell suggests. On his level, with sharks that big, and that much water, yes, I can see where he's coming from. Cultivating a reef with a tank that big would seriously be harder (or at least more tedious) than keeping sharks. But he is correct on all that he said, especially regarding the exciting sharks no being keepable for aquarists. The sharks you can keep are relatively immobile, so unless you really like sharks (like I do), then sharks might not be for you. However, if you are willing to put in the effort, it's entirely possible to keep some relatively big sharks in there. Horn sharks would work, though many of them (if not all) are rather temperate temperature needing sharks. Houndsharks are also a possibility, especially if you avoid females. White tip reef sharks will work, as they naturally live in cramped areas. The standard catsharks and bamboo sharks should also work just fine in that tank. And there's also the short tail nurse shark, a personal favorite of mine.

The advantage to your tank is that you can look into larger predators as well. As for corals reefs? They're still possible, again, check with Zoodiver, he could really help. The catch is you need to take a lot of care in selecting the corals.

Worried about clean up crew? Actually, there are naturally a lot of organisms that can take care of the aquarium for you: urchins, star fish, (LARGE) conches (as long as you don't get horn sharks). Of course it's going to be hard, but it will be well worth it, and probably not much harder than a reef tank of that same size.

Don't get your hopes up for anything other than the horn sharks and white tip reef shark at the 5 foot size however. They are by far the biggest sharks that do well in cramped spaces.

 

[Pewmichael]

Hi seadragon.
I've kept a port Jackson shark which was quite boring. I can suggest a blue spotted sting Ray which can be very tame and good within a reef setup. I had one a several years.

 

[jeremy.gosnell]

White tipped reef sharks are known to exclusively inhabit coral reefs and spend a large amount of time on the seabed. However, they reach over 5' in length and as adults are powerful animals. I've moved white tipped reef sharks to new enclosures and was shocked by their sheer power. It took three people to move them without incident a short distance. The suitability of this species in the home aquarium is arguable at best. The short-tailed nurse shark is a smaller shark, reaching around 30" however it's listed on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as vulnerable, which is only one step away from Near Threatened. Based on that, I don't think it's a responsible species to be kept in the home aquarium. The short tail nurse shark has limited distribution and is endemic to areas that are known for overfishing. They are a conservation concern and efforts are being made to improve the survivability of this species in its wild habitat. I think overall, it's best left in the ocean. We get into some rocky territory when keeping certain sharks, largely because they are an Apex predator that helps shape species evolution and ecological hierarchies. These are all things that should be taken into account when choosing an aquarium species.

 

[BCT182]

I had a blacktip. If you search my username on YouTube you'll find a couple videos. Rounded corners was not necessary. The first 30-40 minutes he was bumping the glass but once he was familiar with the tank it was no longer an issue. You can see in the swim patterns that he was aware of his surrounding. I did keep minimal rock in the display (probably 500-600lbs) which helped.

Please don't take offense but you might not realize what you are getting yourself into based on some of the questions you are asking.

I ordered 14 buckets of IO just to fill the tank, a full bucket of IO was only a 10% water change for my tank. You have to resist the urge to feed daily or every time you have company. You have to source vitamins through companies that supply zoos and aquariums. My electric bill went up substantially, as did my water bill. Everything in my garage began to rust and it lowered the foundation of my home about 2 inches in the garage, which was visible on the second story roof line. I had a structural engineer review the blueprints for the stand I had built to accommodate for the very mild slope of the garage and also evenly distribute the weight. It still cracked the foundation in the garage terribly.

He was a model citizen for months and then started eating fish. Tangs, Rays and a golden puffer. He spent a very long time in the tank after that as the only animal except for a couple aggressive fish. The only thing that were safe were a 48" eel, a basketball sized lion, and a 24" banded cat shark.

I kept him for quite a long time, but my neighborhood had taken a turn for the worse when the housing bubble burst and I no longer felt safe parking my car outside. I moved the shark to a much larger system, drained the tank and sold everything for $2,000. Yes 2,000 for the tank, stand, pumps, plumbing and sump. I had a guy drive over from two states away to pick it up. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of people wanted it, but the reality of having to financially maintain the system makes it more of a commitment that most are willing to make. It took so long to sell the tank, I actually considered breaking it up with a sledge so that I could haul it to the dump as I desperately needed my garage space back.

As for the shark, when I turned him over to his new owners I thought that they were caring and qualified. I told them that if they ever had an issue with Cupcake they could call me for help. Sadly, they chose to feed him with a thin wooden dowl which he broke in half and partially swallowed. They allowed him to swim with it sticking out of his mouth until he died a few weeks later. I never received a call, and if I had I would have gladly gone into the tank and removed the stick. I had gotten into the tank with him many times before.

 

[BCT182]

One last thing, 99.9% of people believe sharks should be left in the ocean. Some feel so passionate about it that I world receive threats in the comment section on YouTube. I get paid for view or clicks or something. At least I was compensated for the abuse. LOL

In all reality, most marine animals not just sharks should be left in the wild. I read once that a powder blue tang can cover 40 square miles. I see powder blue tangs in 180's all the time. That's 8 square feet. I've seen powder blues in 40 gallon tanks, the tang police rant but no one gets threatened.

The most important thing is that if you decide to keep any animal you research in advance, you plan and budget. Unless your building a 20,000 plus gallon system to start with, have a plan in place for the shark when he reaches maturity. Sadly, I think some people think, "oh I'll find him a home when he gets too big", or "he will probably die before he grows to be too large to keep". The reality is the BTR is a very hearty animal and its very difficult to find a suitable large tank if you have to rehome it.


AND ZOOS DONT WANT THEM!!!! PUBLIC AQUARIUMS WONT TAKE EM!!!

 

[BCT182]

I nabbed a screenshot of Cupcake from my YouTube vid.

 

[LadAShark]

White tipped reef sharks are known to exclusively inhabit coral reefs and spend a large amount of time on the seabed. However, they reach over 5' in length and as adults are powerful animals. I've moved white tipped reef sharks to new enclosures and was shocked by their sheer power. It took three people to move them without incident a short distance. The suitability of this species in the home aquarium is arguable at best. The short-tailed nurse shark is a smaller shark, reaching around 30" however it's listed on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as vulnerable, which is only one step away from Near Threatened. Based on that, I don't think it's a responsible species to be kept in the home aquarium. The short tail nurse shark has limited distribution and is endemic to areas that are known for overfishing. They are a conservation concern and efforts are being made to improve the survivability of this species in its wild habitat. I think overall, it's best left in the ocean. We get into some rocky territory when keeping certain sharks, largely because they are an Apex predator that helps shape species evolution and ecological hierarchies. These are all things that should be taken into account when choosing an aquarium species.

I'm only listing possibilities. What you said is ultimately more correct, however I like to give as wide of a perspective as I can before narrowing it down. As for white tip reef sharks being particilarly powerful? Well yeah, pretty much every shark is solid muscle. As long as the glass is well supported, however, its strength will not compre to the water pressure. The only problem is if you try to physically handle it or if you don't properly secure the rocks and such in the exhibit/aquarium.

As for the short tailed nurse sharks, I'm slightly of the belief that breeding them in captivity is a necessity. It has been done, and I know private shark keepers who have successfully bred them, and it's actually not that hard to accomplish (relative to many fish). They're also a pretty easy to keep species of shark overall.

 

[stunreefer]

Everything in my garage began to rust and it lowered the foundation of my home about 2 inches in the garage, which was visible on the second story roof line. I had a structural engineer review the blueprints for the stand I had built to accommodate for the very mild slope of the garage and also evenly distribute the weight. It still cracked the foundation in the garage terribly.

This happens much more frequently than people think. When we get into big builds most of the cost is in preparing the home/office rather than the equipment, tank, livestock, etc.

I'm very sorry to hear the new owners lost Cupcake, BCT182.

 

[LadAShark]

This happens much more frequently than people think. When we get into big builds most of the cost is in preparing the home/office rather than the equipment, tank, livestock, etc.

I'm very sorry to hear the new owners lost Cupcake, BCT182.

Huh. I was in the process of building a 600 gallon pool in my garage, I might need to look into what I have to prevent such an ordeal. Then again, where I live is one of the most humid cities in the USA, so odds are my garage is built to handle it.

 

[stunreefer]

Huh. I was in the process of building a 600 gallon pool in my garage, I might need to look into what I have to prevent such an ordeal. Then again, where I live is one of the most humid cities in the USA, so odds are my garage is built to handle it.

600 gallons generally wouldn't be a huge concern for weight in a garage, but it should definitely be looked into.

Salt in the air is the killer in most of these situations. I have the air turned over multiple times per hour exhausting outside, and pulling in fresh air from outside.

 

[fab]

The humidity problem for such a massive aquarium and its support equipment is not insignificant as it will have some salinity. It will not be just water vapor. This will play havoc with your home's HVAC system. Ductwork and fans will corrode. Your entire heating and cooling appartus will corrode. This happened to me years ago with a much smaller, but still large, aquarium system. $10,000+ later I felt I had learned an expensive lesson...and I got away without having to tear out corroded ductwork. Prices have only gone up since then.

 

[Rydogg420]

• I have to jump in here. A tank this size almost needs the house to be built around it. Meaning that you need so much work to the house and not just setting up the aquarium. Like others said before, you will need water and vapor proof walls, an extremely good ventilation system, a new dedicated electric panel and probably 10 plus new outlets ran all over, a big generator when the power goes out and so much more! The list is huge! If I had to put a nuber on the project, it would be 75,000 dollars or more Imo to get a contractor and crew to build and the electric installed. If you have a basement you will need to beef up the support for the floors. I truly think this is over your head and whoever is building this tank is not truly telling you what you need to know about how to set it up properly. Not being rude, but I've been in saltwater for 15 years and this project is over my head! Lol. Id need a second job to to pay the running costs of this setup and sell my GF (if she didn't leave me after I built this tank in our house) to fund the rest of the costs. I hope you are rich! Lol.