SHARKS

[Ornatapinnis]

I would have to assume that saltwater rays are legal in Cali because I buy them from distributors in the L.A. area regulary. The fresh water distributors in Cali do not have rays and say they are not alloud to have them. The cortez and California rays are collected in California. The Yellow is carribean though. You should be able to get a cortez or California ray for about $60.00 retail, they are cheap and easy to keep. Just drip acclimate for 1/2 hour to an hour befor dropping in your aquarium. Pretty cool little rays and they get real tame real fast, eat out of your hand in just a few weeks.

Joel

 

[kentobizmol]

hey; can you give me the website of people who sell s/w rays in l.a.?

 

[Ornatapinnis]

THe people I buy from are whole salers and importers and won't sell to the public however I'm sure that any local salt water shop can get them. THe local shops often time have the nicest fish because they can go to the whole saler and hand pick thier fish them selves. Mabye ask here at MFK for shop suggestion in your area, seems like there are many members out in Cali.

Joel

 

[Zoodiver]

Ever feel like nothing is going to be done right unless you do it your self? (I do all the time)

Yes, all the time. I hated taking days off.

Your therory is its a water parameter related issue that they do poorly. What do you think is missing or is present that causes the loss? I have had bonnets and lemmons from the same area I got the black tips and had very little problems with them. I wonder why it would affect one fish ond not another. I guess I have got nurse pups from the same area that don't seem to be phased by anything. I am very curious abouty your findings, I've wondered about this for a very long time. Keep us posted.

Joel

I've had bonnets, scalloped, sharp nose, bulls and black tips all pulled from the same area. Only lost the black tips. All were collected in the same mannor and transported in the same vehicle, same style holding containers, same water etc....

This Summer I'll be going back to do another run to collect more data and try to rule out more factors. Based on what we have right now, it looks like they are just that much more sensative. I'm working on getting some GPS style tracking tags for them to watch where they are moving. My guess is they stay were water is "best", unlike nurses and bulls who will venture almost anywhere that will keep their gills wet.

 

[Ornatapinnis]

I don't like bull's they are too fearless and un predictable. I get out of the water if I see one. In the last year or so I read where some one caught one fishing 200 miles up stream from the gulf in full blown fresh water. I can't remember where it was but thought that was weird that they would venture that far for food. I knew they went brackish & fresh but that's a long way up stream.

Nurse sharks are dumb. I was down in lower sugar loaf and could catch these things by hand or with a net. I had one that would come over to the pier and try to steal pin fish out of my bait basket, I had to zip tie the bottom of the basket shut. I netted this same nurse shark out of the water and let it go way down the beach several times. YOu'd think after being caught in a net it would at least swim away when it saw me or the net comming, not this one.....

 

[kentobizmol]

THe people I buy from are whole salers and importers and won't sell to the public
Joel

then how did they sell them to u?
are u a zoo keeper?

 

[guppy]

then how did they sell them to u?
are u a zoo keeper?

I would assume he has a retailer's liscense and tax #,and also buys in bulk. Up here a general retailers liscense only costs $28 a year and is very handy in buying things at gem shows and such.

 

[Zoodiver]

I don't like bull's they are too fearless and un predictable. I get out of the water if I see one. In the last year or so I read where some one caught one fishing 200 miles up stream from the gulf in full blown fresh water. I can't remember where it was but thought that was weird that they would venture that far for food. I knew they went brackish & fresh but that's a long way up stream.

Bulls have been found more than 1200 miles into freshwater rivers (including all the way up the Mississippi River), and in South America, there are areas with strickly freshwater bulls showing up. Alot of my field work was done in a river fed lake/estuary that connected to the Gulf of Mexico. The highest poplulations of them were up close to the mouth of the river.

And I have to laugh, because what you said about nurse sharks is so true!!

 

[SmOk3y]

they are medium sized sharks that get up to 4~5feet.
the average is 3~5'; which is still big for a small home "aquarium"

my friend has a black-tip reef shark(which are active sharks) but it's in some giant tank that is big enough for the fish to swim, feed, not interfere with obstacles, etc.
and swim happily.
you need LARGE tanks to house sharks.
they are left better in public aquariums or my friend's tank.

do u got a pic of your friends tank with the shark

 

[Ornatapinnis]

then how did they sell them to u?
are u a zoo keeper?

I own an aquarium shop