I'm fifteen years old. Sounds stupid to be making a shark and ray pond at my age right? Well I'm fifteen but I attend a college and have always had a great interest in sharks and rays. Not to mention I helping out with the Fresno Aquarium here in California which is just starting up. I know a lot about elasmobranchii and I love keeping fish and I have a great passion for shark conservation and I see this as a great opportunity to help with it. I currently have a 150 gallon fw tank filled with cichlids and plants. My plan is to find some above ground pool that will work to keep native Californian small sharks and rays. So does anyone have any suggestions for an above ground pool to use that doesn't contain any metal and is in 15-20 foot diameter range and around 3-4 feet deep? Also any recommended commercially available filters. I was thinking about making my own filter hough using a fountain pump and a box containing the filter media before the water gets to the pump. Also any good protein skimmers, and sump systems?
There is a local sand supplier in Fresno although I live about 50 miles from it in Merced. They legally take sand from around Monterey bay that is natural and really good especially for marine aquariums. It also contains some of the natural microbial organisms which is always beneficial and would be coming from my aquatic life's natural area. Not to mention its at a great price. Is it possible to put sand in an above ground pool that is not inflatable? Also I was thinking about 2 leopard sharks either that or 2 swell sharks, a few round rays, 1 shovel nose guitar fish and thats as far as the elasmobranchs go. I'm also thinking about adding some native fish too. Would this be a good group. I don't have much knowledge about mixing species together and stocking a tank I have a feeling that this might be too many fish in one aquarium. I have researched to death how to care for these guys. Legally it will be my mother or father that owns this because I'm still technically a minor but I will be the one taking care of it and I guess my mother and or father will oversee it to make it legal. Are there any other legal requirements to keep the species I have listed like special permits?
Thanks,
Serafino
There is a local sand supplier in Fresno although I live about 50 miles from it in Merced. They legally take sand from around Monterey bay that is natural and really good especially for marine aquariums. It also contains some of the natural microbial organisms which is always beneficial and would be coming from my aquatic life's natural area. Not to mention its at a great price. Is it possible to put sand in an above ground pool that is not inflatable? Also I was thinking about 2 leopard sharks either that or 2 swell sharks, a few round rays, 1 shovel nose guitar fish and thats as far as the elasmobranchs go. I'm also thinking about adding some native fish too. Would this be a good group. I don't have much knowledge about mixing species together and stocking a tank I have a feeling that this might be too many fish in one aquarium. I have researched to death how to care for these guys. Legally it will be my mother or father that owns this because I'm still technically a minor but I will be the one taking care of it and I guess my mother and or father will oversee it to make it legal. Are there any other legal requirements to keep the species I have listed like special permits?
Thanks,
Serafino