We are halfway through renovations of our house, and I've decided that after many years of wanting a large tank, it's about time I did something for myself and built the tank I'd enjoy.
Bit of background - I've been keeping marines for the last 19 years, mainly reefs, but also a couple or predator tanks. My curent tank is a 3.2m, 2000 litre fish only. I'm an ex provincial spear fisherman, so seen a few scary things in the ocean, and have been enthralled by sharks since my first dive.
Anyway, the space we have to build the tank would give us final internal dimensions of 3.6 X 3.6 X 1.2m. In feet that's about 12 X 12 X 4. Now the quandary is, I know it's too small for a "proper" shark such as a BTR. But would something like a nurse shark work? The other thought, which I'd probably prefer, is 3 cow nose rays? The point if this exercise is to have free swimming shark/s or rays, preferably rays. But with the proviso that I can still have my reef fish in the tank for colour.
I have taken things like filtration etc into account, which would not be an issue. My primary concern is what animal I could have, which would have a happy life in my tank. Our local zoo is happy to take larger sharks off the hands of hobbyists, South Africa isn't all that regulated with that kinda thing.
And finally, tank would be built out of concrete, with a glass viewing pane in the front.
Bit of background - I've been keeping marines for the last 19 years, mainly reefs, but also a couple or predator tanks. My curent tank is a 3.2m, 2000 litre fish only. I'm an ex provincial spear fisherman, so seen a few scary things in the ocean, and have been enthralled by sharks since my first dive.
Anyway, the space we have to build the tank would give us final internal dimensions of 3.6 X 3.6 X 1.2m. In feet that's about 12 X 12 X 4. Now the quandary is, I know it's too small for a "proper" shark such as a BTR. But would something like a nurse shark work? The other thought, which I'd probably prefer, is 3 cow nose rays? The point if this exercise is to have free swimming shark/s or rays, preferably rays. But with the proviso that I can still have my reef fish in the tank for colour.
I have taken things like filtration etc into account, which would not be an issue. My primary concern is what animal I could have, which would have a happy life in my tank. Our local zoo is happy to take larger sharks off the hands of hobbyists, South Africa isn't all that regulated with that kinda thing.
And finally, tank would be built out of concrete, with a glass viewing pane in the front.
