The garabaldi is the SW state fish of California and they're protected. However, you can get garabaldi that originate from Mexico. There used to be a garabaldi research center at Scripps Inst. I don't know if they're still around. But, they used to be allowed to sell a small percentage of their spawns to help fund their research.
leopard shark
- Thread starter rayman45
- Start date
Leopard sharks get to be around 6' long. There illegal to get under 3' in the state of cali. Before the law came into place it was easy to get them. They require a massive tank or pond around 4,000 gallons but bigger is better. They arent has aggressive has a black tip reef shark with is the other species of shark that is commonly seen the hobby that requires a tank in the thousands plus gallon range.
Ok - here's some important facts about the Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata).
The species maximum length is a about 6 ft long, average is about 5 ft.
They generally take about 7-10 years to mature - and can live for more than 25 years.
Males mature at around 3 ft, females closer to 4 ft.
BTW it's currently illegal to buy/sale or catch a leopard shark under 36" in length.
Also an adult leopard need a tank/pond/lagoon that is at minimum about 9,000-10,000 gallons - not the 4,000-5,000 gallons often quoted by websites or in "Aquarium Sharks & Rays". Basically either a circular pool with a diameter of 18' or an oval pond that is has a length that's 27' with a width that at least 14'.
Note: the length of the pond about 4.5x the maximum length of Leopards, while the width of the pond is equal to about 2.33x the maximum length of Leopards. and these are absolute minimum - any thing smaller is really too small for a 5-6 ft long swimming shark.
As for Water temperatures - so long as it's between 60-75F you should be fine.
Possible tanks mates - Horn Sharks (Heterodontus francisci) & Gray Smoothhounds (Mustelus californicus) are good options, as are the California Stingray (Urobatis halleri) are the best elasmobranches. Also you could pick other fish that are native or similar species that can tolerate water temps in the 60's to low 70's.
The species maximum length is a about 6 ft long, average is about 5 ft.
They generally take about 7-10 years to mature - and can live for more than 25 years.
Males mature at around 3 ft, females closer to 4 ft.
BTW it's currently illegal to buy/sale or catch a leopard shark under 36" in length.
Also an adult leopard need a tank/pond/lagoon that is at minimum about 9,000-10,000 gallons - not the 4,000-5,000 gallons often quoted by websites or in "Aquarium Sharks & Rays". Basically either a circular pool with a diameter of 18' or an oval pond that is has a length that's 27' with a width that at least 14'.
Note: the length of the pond about 4.5x the maximum length of Leopards, while the width of the pond is equal to about 2.33x the maximum length of Leopards. and these are absolute minimum - any thing smaller is really too small for a 5-6 ft long swimming shark.
As for Water temperatures - so long as it's between 60-75F you should be fine.
Possible tanks mates - Horn Sharks (Heterodontus francisci) & Gray Smoothhounds (Mustelus californicus) are good options, as are the California Stingray (Urobatis halleri) are the best elasmobranches. Also you could pick other fish that are native or similar species that can tolerate water temps in the 60's to low 70's.
