New Build! 1100g Shark/Ray/Eel Tank

[srcleary]

New 1,100 Gallon Build! Shark Tank!

I honestly thought my 800g build would be my only monster build. When I first started my build I had a pair of Banana Morays that I was planning on putting in the new tank. But when I purchased some smaller fish, I decided not to for obviously reasons. So the Banana's lived a while in a 125g I had as a holding tank.

Then I decided to add a large male Japanese Dragon Moray and decided to upgrade to a 300g I purchased used for a great deal. And then I purchased a Blue Dot Diamond Stingray and a pair of Epaulette Sharks. I think I have a disease.

Now I love the shark/ray/eel tank even as mush as my 800g FOWLR. But it obviously will need an upgrade and I began to keep my eyes open for used 600-750g tanks. (I also have a baby small Brazilian Dragon Moray, growing fast!). I was at one of my fav fish store (School of Fish) and mentioned I want to upgrade to a larger tank, but no rush. But he immediately told me about a customers 1,100g acrylic tank that needed t be removed!

So I met the guy with the 1,100g and he offered me a great deal on the tank with the condition I move it out of his house, and just to be clear, his house was built around the tank! LOL The tank is 30" deep, 4' wide and 15' long.

So now we have a plan. He has removed the plumbing from the tank and I have raised it off its stand and put on rollers. In the next few weeks, I will cut 2" off the top and side of his stone wall and push the tank through unto hydraulic lifts I will rent from my other favorite LFS (Dallas North Aquarium "DNA").

I need to do this tank at a much lower budget than my 800g build. (I am limited the the points I have on my company credit card LOL!) With the help of a friend, I will begin building the stand in a few weeks, at my office, with wood I already have. DNA offers me a great deal on some Kessill lights and I am ordering the UV sterilizer from SoF.

I plan on building my own sump(s) and looked at the 300g rubbermaid stock tanks today. I think 1 should be enough. Thoughts? I am planning on adding a large refugium to grow Ulva. I currently have a 125g refugium for the 300g and it helps keep the nitrates at 5!

I am looking at the MRC Beckett skimmer. I have contracted to have the tank polished, the overflow rebuilt, and to add glass covers.

I have also purchased a pair of large Orange Shoulder Tangs and plan on adding more. These may be my only fish. I also have two more rays on order and once the tank is established I will look for some Brown Banded Bamboo Sharks! Should be fun! I'll take some pics of the current sharks, eels and ray that are in the 300g waiting for the upgrade.

Steve

 

[EricR]

Nice work!
What's up with the jack? Hopefully not intended for permanent weight load -- not saying it's likely but seals in hydraulic jacks can fail.

 

[srcleary]

Nice work!
What's up with the jack? Hopefully not intended for permanent weight load -- not saying it's likely but seals in hydraulic jacks can fail.

lol. No. I jacked up the tank to put some PVC pipes under it so I can roll it through the opening. I had to Jack it up 1.25” to clear the bottom without having to cut it.

And now I can roll it without much effort.

 

[Krj-2501]

Now that is what I would call a tank that is made to keep sharks in.

There are several species of benthic sharks which would be good to keep in that tank (not all at the same time, naturally).

Yes - a pair of Epaulettes
or a trio of Coral Catsharks
or maybe a pair of Short tailed Nurse sharks

as just a few options.

 

[srcleary]

Now that is what I would call a tank that is made to keep sharks in.

There are several species of benthic sharks which would be good to keep in that tank (not all at the same time, naturally).

Yes - a pair of Epaulettes
or a trio of Coral Catsharks
or maybe a pair of Short tailed Nurse sharks

as just a few options.

Thanks! I’m thinking of a trio of brown banded bamboo sharks. I’ve heard they are a bit more active.

my female epaulette is very active whenever I am near the tank out feeding. She has even come to the top of the tank to eat. I’ve only had her for a few months and she has already grown over 4” bigger.

but my favorite fish is the stingray in that tank. I have her coming up to my hand to eat. Just have to be careful of the dragon eel when I do! LOL

thanks for following.

 

[Krj-2501]

Thanks! I’m thinking of a trio of brown banded bamboo sharks. I’ve heard they are a bit more active.

Please - Don't. You have a truly incredible tank. Female Brown Banded Bamboos can exceed 48 inches. And they WILL eventually outgrow your tank. Plus, Brown Banded Bamboo are not more active than other bamboo sharks or Epaulettes.

A much better option for a Bamboo shark is the White-spotted Bamboo (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) as they max out at about 37 inches for females, with males maxing out at about 33 inches.

The Coral Catsharks are more active than bamboo sharks or epaulettes, especially at night or during feeding. Plus, a trio of Coral Catsharks will act as small pack and go into a mini feeding frenzy during feeding.

 

[srcleary]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I thought about the white-spotted but are they not sub-tropical? And would need a chiller?

I hear a lot of debate on how big the brown banded can get verses how big they average. But I would it want sharks to outgrow the tank. I think 15’ is big enough for me!

I thought about the short tail nurse but heard they were very lethargic.

I’ll check out the coral cats.

do you currently keep sharks?

steve

 

[mehaffydr]

I also have an 1100 gallon tank. Different dimensions 10’ x 5’ x 36”
I am using a 150 gallon Rubbermaid for sump and it works great so the 300 will be good
I am also a fan of MRC skimmers
I had the Beckett but it would get clogged and was a pain to clean
I now use the MRC with Reeflo pump and I love it. Works great and simple to clean

 

[srcleary]

I also have an 1100 gallon tank. Different dimensions 10’ x 5’ x 36”
I am using a 150 gallon Rubbermaid for sump and it works great so the 300 will be good
I am also a fan of MRC skimmers
I had the Beckett but it would get clogged and was a pain to clean
I now use the MRC with Reeflo pump and I love it. Works great and simple to clean

Great. All that is good to know.

I am looking at all reeflo pumps. I use them now on both my other tanks (my current 300g shark tank and the 800g DT). I ordered 6 Hammerheads today! Will use 5 and one for spare. I plane on running two closed loop systems.

Can you post pictures of your setup? Tank and sump.

What do you keep in your 1100?

Thanks.

 

[Krj-2501]

I thought about the white-spotted but are they not sub-tropical? And would need a chiller?

White-spotted Bamboos are a tropical species just like Epaulettes, Brown Banded Bamboos & Coral Catsharks. No chiller needed - unless you have a problem keeping your tank below 80-82F.

I thought about the short tail nurse but heard they were very lethargic.

Nope - they are a true species of Nurse Shark, just a species that stays very small. They are usually just as active as bamboo sharks, possible even more so.

Still - since you already have a pair of epaulettes and a stingray. It may be best to leave off the Bamboo sharks and either go with the trio of Coral Catsharks or a pair of Short-tailed Nurse sharks. Although the trio of Coral Catsharks will be much cheaper, and likely easier to find as well.

 

[Krj-2501]

I hear a lot of debate on how big the brown banded can get verses how big they average. But I would it want sharks to outgrow the tank. I think 15’ is big enough for me!

The size of Brown Banded Bamboos is not really a debate anymore. The sources that state that they max out at 40-42 inches are quoting information from about 18-20 years ago. When the largest recorded specimens where only known to be about 42". But in the last 20 years there have several specimens confirmed to reach 48" or more. The current(since 2015) maximum size is about 52" (132 cm).

Btw - Bertha the Brown banded Bamboo - which was originally claimed to be about 54" long, was later measured by the Ripley's Aquarium staff and found to only be about 43-44". Still, even at that size - she had pretty much outgrown her original 1,200-gallon aquarium. Which is the reason she had to be moved to the nearest public aquarium (Ripley's).

 

[srcleary]

The size of Brown Banded Bamboos is not really a debate anymore. The sources that state that they max out at 40-42 inches are quoting information from about 18-20 years ago. When the largest recorded specimens where only known to be about 42". But in the last 20 years there have several specimens confirmed to reach 48" or more. The current(since 2015) maximum size is about 52" (132 cm).

Btw - Bertha the Brown banded Bamboo - which was originally claimed to be about 54" long, was later measured by the Ripley's Aquarium staff and found to only be about 43-44". Still, even at that size - she had pretty much outgrown her original 1,200-gallon aquarium. Which is the reason she had to be moved to the nearest public aquarium (Ripley's).

Thanks for the info. I have also continued to research and confirmed a brown banded is too large for my new tank.

And your comments about the coral cats also are very interesting and leaning me in that direction.

The sharks I find very little information on are the short tail nurse. These intrigue me and I just don’t see much information from people who have owned them.

I have heard some stories about the captive bred and wonder if they act any different than the wild caught and if the wild caught are even an option. Are they endangered?

what more can you tell me about the short tail nurse and experiences of those who have kept them?

thanks again. All of this has been very helpful.

as an aside my female epaulette is way more active than my male. She is starting to come to the top of the tank to eat and growing fast! She’s over 18” now and was 14” about five months ago. And the smaller male (about 14”) is way less active, hiding most of the time. So I know each shark has its own personality.

Steve

 

[Krj-2501]

The sharks I find very little information on are the short tail nurse. These intrigue me and I just don’t see much information from people who have owned them.

I have heard some stories about the captive bred and wonder if they act any different than the wild caught and if the wild caught are even an option. Are they endangered?

what more can you tell me about the short tail nurse and experiences of those who have kept them?

Yes - Short tail Nurse sharks are endangered in the wild - which is why I think they are no longer imported. But there 1 or 2 places that are captive breeding them in North America. The first and most widely known is ORA (Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums) - which often sales thru other companies like Live Aquaria, & Algae Barn.

I know that Chris Avila of Canadian Marine Aquaculture also had/has a pair/trio of Short tail Nurse sharks. He basically describes them are the perfect Nurse sharks for home aquaria. He said they are quite hardy, and easily to hand feed.

I have also seen several different keepers in videos with Short tail Nurse sharks.

Short tail Nurse sharks are also quite expensive - often about $1,500-2,000(U.S. dollars) each. Basically, you could get a pair of Speckled Carpet Sharks/Epaulettes for the price of a single Short tail Nurse.

 

[srcleary]

I’ve been researching the short tail nurse. Hard to find much info from people who have them. I’ve gone thru the forums and YouTube. Seen some of them on YouTube. I love how big their heads are!
They are now high on my list.

Price seems pretty varied and only going up. lol. I am not sure if there is more of a season to the captive bred.

And from one post, they do seem to grow slow. I am nervous to acquire too small as I have an adult dragon eel and wouldn’t want him to eat one!

I am about two to three months away from being ready. Maybe a Christmas gift!

thanks again for all the advise. Very helpful.

Steve

 

[Krj-2501]

Even as pups - short tail nurses are stocky (wide bodies) built. But they definitely have a very limited availability. Most likely you need to get a waiting list - with at least a 6-9 month wait time.

On the other hand - Coral catsharks are much easier to find, cheaper & generally much more available. I have seen several coral catsharks that kept with large eels like Zebra & Tessalata and even with some more aggressive
eels like the Jeweled Morays. Still, I am not sure how juvenile coral catsharks would fair with an adult dragon eel. But they will do very well with the Epaulette sharks.

 

[srcleary]

Even as pups - short tail nurses are stocky (wide bodies) built. But they definitely have a very limited availability. Most likely you need to get a waiting list - with at least a 6-9 month wait time.

On the other hand - Coral catsharks are much easier to find, cheaper & generally much more available. I have seen several coral catsharks that kept with large eels like Zebra & Tessalata and even with some more aggressive
eels like the Jeweled Morays. Still, I am not sure how juvenile coral catsharks would fair with an adult dragon eel. But they will do very well with the Epaulette sharks.

Yeah the wide head would certainly be in their favor. Dragon morays are just unpredictable I know. He lets us know when he is hungry. Sticks his head clear out of the tank when we are feeding! To be honest it’s a little unnerving.

but he never bothered the small male epaulette when I got him and he’s grown a bit bigger now.

my LFS is starting to ask around about some short tail nurses. He’s pretty resourceful. We will see.

I’m waiting for the contractor to finish grinding/polishing the floor in my office and then I’ll start the stand. Building it out of some left over wood I have from other projects. Glad to save some $$$ there.

after the stand I’ll hang the lights. I have most of them on hold. Buying dealer demos and such to save $$$

I have the reeflo pumps on order.

just contracted with Jeff at Lifereef to custom build an 84” skimmer!

bought two 300 gallon tubes for sumps. Going to build my own.

have a commercial 8 bulb UV on order.

And starting to plan out the aquascape. I know I need mostly sand bottom but I do like places for the sharks and eels to hide. I try to build it so I can always see them. It will be easier with the peninsular tank. I’ll glue together some large Marco rock and ledge rock. My female epaulette does like to climb around the rocks.

lots to do!

 

[Krj-2501]

Well - I don't know specifically how juvenile Coral Catsharks would fair with an Adult Japanese/Hawaiian Dragon Eel. I do know that juvenile (12-16") Coral Catsharks can be kept with adult Jeweled Moray Eels with no problems. And the Brazilian Dragon is in the same genus as the Jeweled Moray, so they should be okay. Still, I have never heard of any major issues between Coral Catsharks and smaller eels (under 48").

On the other hand, I have heard of Nurse Sharks(Atlantic/Pacific species) actually eating Eels. Even some juvenile Nurse Sharks eating Eel tank mates. Although I have never heard of Short tail Nurses eating Eels. But then I only seen a couple of Eels and Short tail Nurse sharks being kept together.

 

[srcleary]

Well - I don't know specifically how juvenile Coral Catsharks would fair with an Adult Japanese/Hawaiian Dragon Eel. I do know that juvenile (12-16") Coral Catsharks can be kept with adult Jeweled Moray Eels with no problems. And the Brazilian Dragon is in the same genus as the Jeweled Moray, so they should be okay. Still, I have never heard of any major issues between Coral Catsharks and smaller eels (under 48").

On the other hand, I have heard of Nurse Sharks(Atlantic/Pacific species) actually eating Eels. Even some juvenile Nurse Sharks eating Eel tank mates. Although I have never heard of Short tail Nurses eating Eels. But then I only seen a couple of Eels and Short tail Nurse sharks being kept together.

At this point I am most interested in the Short Tail Nurse. I wish there was more information available. Maybe I need to do a post to see who here on the site has or had one.

 

[srcleary]

UPDATE: Building the Stand

This week we started the stand. I had some old barn beams behind my barn I thought I would repurpose. Last Saturday my son and I dug them out and I cut them into smaller pieces to bring to the office. Finished height will be about 47". These things weight about 100lbs a piece!

I picked up a power planer yesterday and today we started pulling all the nails and such and beginning the refinishing. We will naturally keep a lot of the character in the beams. The tank stand will have 8 total legs. I also found some leftover 2" x 10" in the barn I will use for the framing.

I was so excited to see them come back to life after just the planing. Sanding will be next.

See images below of the beams and I included a picture I took tonight of "Kimmi" my Kuhlii Blue Spot Ray. She has quickly become my favorite and always eats from my hand. I am sure she will love the new 1100g tank!

 

[srcleary]

This weekend we burned the beams we are using for the stand to bring out the grain. Hope to be able to cut them to size and begin building the frame this week. I also order more rays and I am putting up a temporary tub (rubbermaid 300g stock tank) as a temp holding tank and to get them eating.

The floor of my new office space is still being worked on so I am not able to get in to start building the stand. Hoping the workers have it done earth this week!