Back like 6 years ago, my dad had 2 Nurse Sharks, 2 Leopard Sharks, and an Atlantic Stingray, in a 225 gallon tank (at different times though), I wanna get sharks now. So how big of a tank would I need, cause I want multiple species. So how big of a tank would I need for a common aquarium shark or ray? I am open to Fresh and Saltwater ones. So what I need is a list with, Common Name, Scientific Name, Minimum Tank Size, Somewhere in Chicagoland or on the Net I could by it, and estimated Price. Thank You.
I wanna get a new shark
- Thread starter Jntg4
- Start date
Ok before I get into this, let me just say this first, and say it with me now "R-E-S-E-A-R-C-H" It's fine to ask us all these questions, and myself and others are more than willing to help, but if you are serious about wanting a shark, there is a significant amount of research you need to do on your own before venturing into this.
My responses in PINK
Jntg4;2121016; said:Back like 6 years ago, my dad had 2 Nurse Sharks, 2 Leopard Sharks, and an Atlantic Stingray, in a 225 gallon tank (at different times though),
I sincerely hope so. That tank is too small to begin with, and I don't even want to think about it being stocked with more than one of these to boot.
I wanna get sharks now.
They are quite appealing - but are not easy, and have many more requirements than other fish.
So how big of a tank would I need, cause I want multiple species.
Multiple species in the same tank? Well even for the smallest ones (Bamboo Sharks), you will be needing several hundreds - to thousands of gallons to house "multiples". And if you want to mix them with other sharks, it only goes up from there. You need to be more specific, as "sharks" is not a catch-all, different species have different requirements.
So how big of a tank would I need for a common aquarium shark or ray?
There is no such thing as a common home aquarium shark/ray, as these animals are not exceedingly common in the home aquaria to begin with, however the most commonly seen sharks, within the small group of individuals who keep them are Brown Banded Bamboo, White Spotted Bamboo, Epaulette and Horn Sharks.
I am open to Fresh and Saltwater ones.
Well "close" that, because there are no true freshwater sharks. There are other freshwater fish which are nick-named "sharks" but they are bony fish and not members of the Elasmobranch classification.
So what I need is a list with, Common Name, Scientific Name, Minimum Tank Size, Somewhere in Chicagoland or on the Net I could by it, and estimated Price.
Well hun, first you need to do some homework and figure out your budget, the space you have available for a shark pond or large tank (as no matter which way you slice it, you will need at minimum, either a tank of several hundred gallons, or a small pond), the species you are hoping to keep, and what their basic requirements are. Though we have a lot of information we are willing to offer, you need to take some innitiative as well, and provide more specific questions, so that the answers you receive can be tailored to exactly what you are asking, and not broad spectrum, varying information. That will be the most beneficial to you.
A lot of basic information can be gained with a quick "google" or "yahoo" search, and will allow you to gain a better perspective of what you want to keep. Once you have some animals in mind, and an idea of what is feasible for you ($$$ wise, and space wise), and have more specific questions, post them up and I am sure several of us will be able to fill in all the blanks.
Thank You.
My responses in PINK
Yeah - that's a fairly short response for Emi.
Still - she's very correct on her info.
While - we all agree sharks & rays are very cool. Don't be in too big of a rush to get one. Because it can cost you & the shark/ray dearly. It's much better to take your time, Do research, & and learn from knowledgeable aquarists - so you can get every thing right, and have a healthy (for the shark/ray), happy & rewarding(for you) experience.
BTW- I also add - Nurse sharks & Leopard sharks aren't suited for most private aquarists. These species both require huge systems to keep for life.
Still - she's very correct on her info.
While - we all agree sharks & rays are very cool. Don't be in too big of a rush to get one. Because it can cost you & the shark/ray dearly. It's much better to take your time, Do research, & and learn from knowledgeable aquarists - so you can get every thing right, and have a healthy (for the shark/ray), happy & rewarding(for you) experience.
BTW- I also add - Nurse sharks & Leopard sharks aren't suited for most private aquarists. These species both require huge systems to keep for life.
First off - for Research - while some will say looking to books and magazine articles - while these tend to be pretty good about basic Shark/ray husbandary - they generally are lacking in good information about tank sizes. Still good basic Husbandary is an absolute must for keeping any shark or ray.
Also you may want to looking into a website with good information on keeping sharks & rays (such as this one, or the link below.)
Also generally speaking for keeping sharks or rays - you are actually better off with ponds, instead of aquariums.
As for the best species for private aquarists. They generally belong to the following Genera.
Sharks
- Bamboos Sharks (Genus - Chiloscyllium)
- Epaulette Sharks (Genus - Hemiscyllium)
- Coral/Marbled Catsharks (Genus - Atelomycterus)
- Horn or Bullhead Sharks (Genus - Heterodontus)
Rays
- Round Rays (Genus -Urobatis)
Also you may want to looking into a website with good information on keeping sharks & rays (such as this one, or the link below.)
Also generally speaking for keeping sharks or rays - you are actually better off with ponds, instead of aquariums.
As for the best species for private aquarists. They generally belong to the following Genera.
Sharks
- Bamboos Sharks (Genus - Chiloscyllium)
- Epaulette Sharks (Genus - Hemiscyllium)
- Coral/Marbled Catsharks (Genus - Atelomycterus)
- Horn or Bullhead Sharks (Genus - Heterodontus)
Rays
- Round Rays (Genus -Urobatis)
I'd go on http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+41 for sharks and http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+288 for rays go from there they give you some basic info as to min tank size for 1 and the size they can reach but i'd google any other questions you may have and keep in mind there may not be a lot of species on there but those are the easiest to keep and the smallest but if you dont like any of them again GOOGLE and find a site that looks like it knows what its talking about.
bfhslilred93;2122985; said:
LOL No worries, several of us here know what we are talking about. Mainly he just needs to narrow it down a bit, get an idea of the species he would like to keep, and what he can afford, and then fill us in so we can run with it. At this point it's far too broad to cover all those species and their requirements.
Don't get me wrong, I could do it easily.... But you would have a migrane after reading it all.
But I am looking forward to his response after some general basic searches so that we can help him out.
And yes Brenden and Ken - that was Emi cliff-notes, LOL.
Well, I am not sure of my budget, my dad and I will have to save up. But is it really safe to have a pond? I have much younger brothers, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 rabbit, 1 guinea pig, and 1 Hamster, what if one of them were to fall in. So for a tank, I think it is cheapest to build them by myself right, and that way I can have maximum customization. Now, I want any species I can fit in the aquaria I would be making, if I can get the right supplies. i think I would try a 500g, just making one twice the size of the old one. Then I would be able to have:
-250G
Asymbolus vincenti
Chiloscyllium hasseltii
Atelomycterus macleayi
Heterodontus mexicanus
Taeniura lymma
Urobatis maculatus
251-500G
Chiloscyllium arabicum
Mustelus henlei
Heteroscyllium colcloughi
Sutorectus tentaculatus
Atelomycterus marmoratus
Chiloscyllium griseum
Hemiscyllium hallstromi
Hemiscyllium strahani
Parascyllium ferrugineum
Cephaloscyllium ventriosum
Orectolobus wardi
Urobatis concentricus
Urobatis halleri
Urobatis jamaicensis
Schyliorhinus retifer
except retifer needs cold water. My dad is an expert aquarist, and he released the sharks when they got too big, and I have a 5G Freshwater Tank, but have had 50G before, and my dad is still hee too help me if I can't manage it by myself. So, what do you reccomend
-250G
Asymbolus vincenti
Chiloscyllium hasseltii
Atelomycterus macleayi
Heterodontus mexicanus
Taeniura lymma
Urobatis maculatus
251-500G
Chiloscyllium arabicum
Mustelus henlei
Heteroscyllium colcloughi
Sutorectus tentaculatus
Atelomycterus marmoratus
Chiloscyllium griseum
Hemiscyllium hallstromi
Hemiscyllium strahani
Parascyllium ferrugineum
Cephaloscyllium ventriosum
Orectolobus wardi
Urobatis concentricus
Urobatis halleri
Urobatis jamaicensis
Schyliorhinus retifer
except retifer needs cold water. My dad is an expert aquarist, and he released the sharks when they got too big, and I have a 5G Freshwater Tank, but have had 50G before, and my dad is still hee too help me if I can't manage it by myself. So, what do you reccomend
Jntg4;2123610; said:
Do the recommended research. And, as you plan, plan on NEVER releasing a hobbyist-captive specimen back to the wild. Aside from being dangerous due to the possibility of introducing/releasing a pathogen to wild populations, it is illegal to release captive specimens back to the wild. Plan on 'keeping-for-life' as you design your system and size it for appropriate adult-size specimens.