smallest free-swimming shark
- Thread starter ae2359
- Start date
Well - there is a list of small free swimming sharks.
The general guigelines for free swimmers is that the pool is round or oval(no sharp corners), and is at least 3 x the sharks' maximum adult size. Also the tank's depth should be at least 2 to 3 x the shark's height(belly to dorsal tip).
Here's the basic list of small free swimmers. The gallon listing is gallons per single shark. So if you had 3 sharks of one species means the tank(volume in gallons will need to be three times as large.
1) Brown Smoothhound - about 3 ft long - at least 1,200 gallons (9' diameter x 2' deep)- water temp - 60-70F - lives in Californian waters - Price about $ 150
2.) Grey Smoothhound - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons (12' diameter x 2.25' deep) - Water temps- 60-70F - Californian waters - about $ 200.
3.) Dusky(Atlantic) Smoothhound - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons( 12' dia. x 2.25' deep) - water temps - 68-78F - east coast,USA - about $ 250.
4.) Spiny Dog Fish - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons - water temp - 68-78F - eastern US coast - about $ 235
5.) Atlantic Sharpnose - about 3.9 ft long - at least 2,100 gallons (12' diameter x 2.5' deep) - water temp - 77-86F - SE US coast - about $ 450 - smallest species of requiem shark available in USA - related to the Blue shark - but is a coastal species that can also be found in coastal estuaries.
6.) Bonnethead - about 4.6 ft long - at least 3,400 gallons (14' diameter x 3' deep) - water temps - 76-85F - SE US Coast - about $ 800 - smallest hammerhead species - also a coastal species that is sometimes found in estuaries.
7.) Blacktip reef - about 6 ft long - at least 7,600 gallons(18' diameter x 4' deep) - water temps - 74-82F - SW Pacific - perfers tropical reefs - about $ 1,200 - most common of the requiem sharks in the US Fish trade.
8.) Leopard - about 6 ft long - at least 6,600 gallons (18' diameter x 3.5' deep) - water temps - 60-70 F - Californian coast - about 1,000(for a 3' shark)
Hope this helps .
The general guigelines for free swimmers is that the pool is round or oval(no sharp corners), and is at least 3 x the sharks' maximum adult size. Also the tank's depth should be at least 2 to 3 x the shark's height(belly to dorsal tip).
Here's the basic list of small free swimmers. The gallon listing is gallons per single shark. So if you had 3 sharks of one species means the tank(volume in gallons will need to be three times as large.
1) Brown Smoothhound - about 3 ft long - at least 1,200 gallons (9' diameter x 2' deep)- water temp - 60-70F - lives in Californian waters - Price about $ 150
2.) Grey Smoothhound - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons (12' diameter x 2.25' deep) - Water temps- 60-70F - Californian waters - about $ 200.
3.) Dusky(Atlantic) Smoothhound - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons( 12' dia. x 2.25' deep) - water temps - 68-78F - east coast,USA - about $ 250.
4.) Spiny Dog Fish - about 4 ft long - at least 1,900 gallons - water temp - 68-78F - eastern US coast - about $ 235
5.) Atlantic Sharpnose - about 3.9 ft long - at least 2,100 gallons (12' diameter x 2.5' deep) - water temp - 77-86F - SE US coast - about $ 450 - smallest species of requiem shark available in USA - related to the Blue shark - but is a coastal species that can also be found in coastal estuaries.
6.) Bonnethead - about 4.6 ft long - at least 3,400 gallons (14' diameter x 3' deep) - water temps - 76-85F - SE US Coast - about $ 800 - smallest hammerhead species - also a coastal species that is sometimes found in estuaries.
7.) Blacktip reef - about 6 ft long - at least 7,600 gallons(18' diameter x 4' deep) - water temps - 74-82F - SW Pacific - perfers tropical reefs - about $ 1,200 - most common of the requiem sharks in the US Fish trade.
8.) Leopard - about 6 ft long - at least 6,600 gallons (18' diameter x 3.5' deep) - water temps - 60-70 F - Californian coast - about 1,000(for a 3' shark)
Hope this helps .
ae2359;320432; said:
Your better off starting with what was mentioned before... Catsharks, bamboos, and epaullettes. All will cruise for food when they are hungy, and if you feed them the same time every other day, or every 2 days, they will start to cruise just before feeding time! Those 3 species do best, and can stay in relatively smaller quarters. I ruitinely feed all my sharks on a regiment, and an hour or 2 before feeding time, usually night, they begin to cruise. The 3 species mentioned are generally all nocturnal, so they sleep/hide all day and cruise/hunt all night. Thats where moonlights come in handy...
However if your heart is set on a more active species, i would stick with bonnetheads or smoothhounds.
krj-1168;485801; said:
I'll just comment on these three. The info is wrong. Maybe pups in that size holding is ok, but they won't do well for life. Bonnets are a pain - even for a pro. They don't feed well, once they do start feeding, any little change sends them off food again. Eye issues occur a lot due to tank edges and obstructions. Sharpnose are good feeders in captivity, but I've seen them close to 6'. With the speed they are capible of, that pool won't last long. The black tip - same thing....tank size is good a grow out pool, but not for life.
You're talking about putting highly active sharks in a tank that only allows them to swim three times their body length before making a turn. Short term effects of that are beat up noses. Anyone who has kept any of these sharks will tell you that a facial injury will start to tone down feeding. Sharks are a lot of work to get back on food once they go off. Long term effects are sharks that 'pace', poor muscle tone, failing metabolism and a host of other things.
Well - Zoodiver - I had actually heard that about Bonnetheads. And that the keeper needs to be a professional at shark keeping - to take care of bonnetheads .
As for Atlantic sharpnose Sharks - Living in N.C.(as I do) I seen dozens of these shark caught be fishermen both from piers & the shore during the simmer months. These are often called "sand" sharks. And I've never seen any sharpnose above 40 inches in length. I've heard of the reaching up to 4 ft in length - but the atlantic species never gets close to the 6 ft in length as you've stated. All of the biological sources(written by either marine biologists or shark experts), I've ever read on the Atlantic Sharpnose - state that the maximum length for this species of sharpnose only grows to be about 3.6 to 4 ft in length. And the only sharpnose species the actually comes close to 6ft in length is the Pacific Sharpnose or Milk Shark.
The fact is there are at least 5 different species of sharpnose sharks - The Atlantic, the Caribbean, The Brazilian, the Pacific(Milk), & the Australian. The Pacific is the largest(nearly 6 ft long), the Brazilian is the smallest (about 2.5 ft long), with the other 3 species, all about 3-4ft in length.
I know that The Atlantic Sharpnose prefer to living in schools, & perfer very warm water(about 79F or hotter).
Also for the record - my estimates for gallons size of each species is based on a single shark. So if someone were to keep 4 sharpnoses together - your tank would need to be at least 8,400 gallons(18 ft diameter x 4-4.5ft deep). Also I would recommend re-enforcing the walls with fiberglass or heavy plastic, plus an additional 2 ft plex-glass wall(above the normal wall) aroung the tank(to prevent jumping out).
Still I would recommend the Atlantic Sharpnose over the Blacktip Reef - any day for some one who's seriously considering a requiem shark - due to it's(sharpnose) temperment
As for Blacktip Reef Sharks - these guys are commonly seen in the trade - and alot of miss information about them. They will regularly reach 5-6ft in length, can get up to 6.5ft long. And yes, they are powerful swimmers. So like the sharpnose they really need a reenforced tank(as adults).
Of course some people actually confuse the Blacktip Reef(Indo-Pacific species) with the Blacktip(Atlantic species). These are by no means the same sharks. The Atlantic species is larger (averages 6.5ft , maxs out at about 8ft), and has a more aggressive personality.
Truth is the Atlantic Blacktip should only be kept by public aquariums or shark experts.
As for Atlantic sharpnose Sharks - Living in N.C.(as I do) I seen dozens of these shark caught be fishermen both from piers & the shore during the simmer months. These are often called "sand" sharks. And I've never seen any sharpnose above 40 inches in length. I've heard of the reaching up to 4 ft in length - but the atlantic species never gets close to the 6 ft in length as you've stated. All of the biological sources(written by either marine biologists or shark experts), I've ever read on the Atlantic Sharpnose - state that the maximum length for this species of sharpnose only grows to be about 3.6 to 4 ft in length. And the only sharpnose species the actually comes close to 6ft in length is the Pacific Sharpnose or Milk Shark.
The fact is there are at least 5 different species of sharpnose sharks - The Atlantic, the Caribbean, The Brazilian, the Pacific(Milk), & the Australian. The Pacific is the largest(nearly 6 ft long), the Brazilian is the smallest (about 2.5 ft long), with the other 3 species, all about 3-4ft in length.
I know that The Atlantic Sharpnose prefer to living in schools, & perfer very warm water(about 79F or hotter).
Also for the record - my estimates for gallons size of each species is based on a single shark. So if someone were to keep 4 sharpnoses together - your tank would need to be at least 8,400 gallons(18 ft diameter x 4-4.5ft deep). Also I would recommend re-enforcing the walls with fiberglass or heavy plastic, plus an additional 2 ft plex-glass wall(above the normal wall) aroung the tank(to prevent jumping out).
Still I would recommend the Atlantic Sharpnose over the Blacktip Reef - any day for some one who's seriously considering a requiem shark - due to it's(sharpnose) temperment
As for Blacktip Reef Sharks - these guys are commonly seen in the trade - and alot of miss information about them. They will regularly reach 5-6ft in length, can get up to 6.5ft long. And yes, they are powerful swimmers. So like the sharpnose they really need a reenforced tank(as adults).
Of course some people actually confuse the Blacktip Reef(Indo-Pacific species) with the Blacktip(Atlantic species). These are by no means the same sharks. The Atlantic species is larger (averages 6.5ft , maxs out at about 8ft), and has a more aggressive personality.
Truth is the Atlantic Blacktip should only be kept by public aquariums or shark experts.
Opps - I made a little mistake(okay 3 small mistakes) -
The first is - I said there were at 5 different species of sharpnose - there's actually 7.
The 2nd - I said the smallest was the Brazilian(R. lalandii) - actually, the smallest is the Australian(R. taylori) - it's grows to about 27 inches(68 cm)
The 3rd - is saying that the Milk shark & Pacific Sharpnose are the same - they aren't - they are two different species.
The Milk Shark(R. acutus) maxs out at 70 inches(1.78 meters) in length - it is the largest of the Sharpnose Family - and it is found in the Indian ocean, and possible the eastern Atlantic(near the African coast).
The Pacific Sharpnose(R. longurio) - max out at just around 5.5 ft (about 168cm), but usually average about 4.9 ft (150cm) They home range is in the eastern Pacific - from Southern California to Peru. In fact they are very common just off the Southern Californian & Mexican coasts.
The Caribbean Sharpnose(R.porosus) - grows to about 3.6ft (1.1 meters). It's home range is the Caribbean Sea & the coastal waters of northern central & South America. And is considered to be by some a possible southern sub-species of the Atlantic Sharpnose(R. terraenovae).
The Atlantic Sharpnose(R. terraenovae) - maxs out at 3.9ft(1.2 meters). But it averages about 3.4-3.6 ft (1.03-1.1 meters). Also the Atlantic is the only species that sports small light spots along it's back as adults. It is commonly found along the entire eastern coast of the U.S. and into the Gulf of Mexico. But it seems to prefer the coastal estuaries of the North Carolina,South Carolina, Florida, & Texas as it's main nursing grounds.
It should be noted that all species of sharpnose are greyish in color with whitish bellys
The first is - I said there were at 5 different species of sharpnose - there's actually 7.
The 2nd - I said the smallest was the Brazilian(R. lalandii) - actually, the smallest is the Australian(R. taylori) - it's grows to about 27 inches(68 cm)
The 3rd - is saying that the Milk shark & Pacific Sharpnose are the same - they aren't - they are two different species.
The Milk Shark(R. acutus) maxs out at 70 inches(1.78 meters) in length - it is the largest of the Sharpnose Family - and it is found in the Indian ocean, and possible the eastern Atlantic(near the African coast).
The Pacific Sharpnose(R. longurio) - max out at just around 5.5 ft (about 168cm), but usually average about 4.9 ft (150cm) They home range is in the eastern Pacific - from Southern California to Peru. In fact they are very common just off the Southern Californian & Mexican coasts.
The Caribbean Sharpnose(R.porosus) - grows to about 3.6ft (1.1 meters). It's home range is the Caribbean Sea & the coastal waters of northern central & South America. And is considered to be by some a possible southern sub-species of the Atlantic Sharpnose(R. terraenovae).
The Atlantic Sharpnose(R. terraenovae) - maxs out at 3.9ft(1.2 meters). But it averages about 3.4-3.6 ft (1.03-1.1 meters). Also the Atlantic is the only species that sports small light spots along it's back as adults. It is commonly found along the entire eastern coast of the U.S. and into the Gulf of Mexico. But it seems to prefer the coastal estuaries of the North Carolina,South Carolina, Florida, & Texas as it's main nursing grounds.
It should be noted that all species of sharpnose are greyish in color with whitish bellys
Well - ae2359 - It's kind of complex question.
Smoothhounds are generally easier to keep than Bonnetheads, the Atlantic Sharpnose, or Blacktip Reef. They are generally very hardy sharks - but while the smooth hounds are considered free-swimming(and they do about 85-90% of the time). They also known to rest on the bottom for brief periods of time.
the smallest free-swimmer is the Brown Smoothhound(@ 3 ft in length) - which is a cool water species (needs water temps - least than 70 F).
The Dusky or Atlantic Smoothhound is possible the best Smoothhound - since they prefer warmer waters (between 65-79 F) - but the average 4 ft long.
The Brown Smoothhound would require at least a 10ft diameter pool.
While the Dusky(Atlantic) Smoothhound require at least a 12ft diameter pool
But as Elasmofreak - stated - the best sharks to begin with Bamboos,catsharks, & eppies. Also I would like to add the Horn as a really good choice. All of these could be kept in a small pool. About 6ft in diameter for smaller species like the catsharks or Grey or Arabian Bamboos. About 8ft. in diameter for larger species like the Brown-banded, Epaulette, & Horn sharks.
