Nurse shark help.

[Zoodiver]

With nitrate at zero, I would guess there wasn't enough bacteria to support the biological load you had on the system. The nurse shark issue wasn't the adult size or growth rate, it was the load being put on such a small body of water.

Any metal in the water? Lead, zinc, copper, brass? What kind of powerheads where they? Electric current in the water?

Red ventral sides I'm going to write off as blood settling post-mort.

 

[LCPL_DSM]

Just going to put this out there but I have read an tried copper at a low dose (due to a ick problem) will not hurt the Nurse shark, Not saying all sharks. As far as rapid growth I have had my Nurse for almost 2 years now and she has grown some but not like I have read in almost every post or I should say at the rapid growth that a lot of people write about. I bought my nurse she was about 15 to 16 inch long she is now about 19 to 20 inches. Now when it comes to the redness I have never seen that in any of the shark I have had, if I had a gues it could be Flukes or Red Pest. Thats the only thing that I could find that match what you described.

 

[Zoodiver]

Copper at any level will have a HUGE negative impact on sharks/rays. I'd never use it in an elasmobranch pool at all.

As for your growth comments, that rate is very slow and suggests an issue somewhere. My two year olds are pushing 3 feet if not bigger. (Disclaimer: Don't ever attempt feeding by hand or interacting with sharks like this. It's a good way to have fingers removed from your hand. I've been dealing with sharks in settings like this for over a decade and spent hundreds of hours working with them in close contact situations.This is a captive setting and a somewhat controlled environment... not the wild.)

 

[LCPL_DSM]

I hand feed mine I have only been biten twice, as for the growth rate I just saying that some people make it out that they will out grow a tank so fast Yes I agree you have to keep up with the growth rate. However its not like in most post you go to sleep one night the next day bam the shark is over 3 foot long. As far as the cooper I not saying place what the recommended dose says on the bottle. I broke mine down into 5 dose over a 3 day time frame. (I may have a rare case so please don't do this if your scared that the shark may die and is not recommend for all sharks.)

 

[ericifish]

i'm just amazed that you guys keep nurse sharks at all. zoodiver is that your tank/aquarium or is that where you work?

 

[Zoodiver]

I know Cupramine brand claims to be 'shark safe', but it's just a buffered copper sulfate product, and is still pretty harsh with them.

 

[SimonL]

I know Cupramine brand claims to be 'shark safe', but it's just a buffered copper sulfate product, and is still pretty harsh with them.

Agreed, I've seen people try it with bad results on elasmobranchs of all kinds.

 

[~ocean]

Agreed, I've seen people try it with bad results on elasmobranchs of all kinds.

x3

BTW, zoodiver is the pro to ask about sharks!

 

[sikoko]

yes you never use copper based meds on any shark or ray its pretty much in every book and forum

 

[capo larzo]

Perhaps the copper is the reason your shark has grown 3 inches in two years. That's completely unheard of. I've seen coral cats, a much much smaller species grow almost that much in less than 7 months. How often do you feed the nurse??