Which needs the smallest tank?
- Thread starter pseudechisbutleri
- Start date
Your standard 180g will prob be 6' x 2' x 2'. When my sharks were 15" they were cruzin the tank. These sharks are very active at night time. If you can fit a 240g, I would go that route. It would only be 2' longer than your 180g your planning, but your shark will definately love it. And you can stock much larger fish too without issues.
Ok then, I'll stick to a 8x2x2 240 gallon tank, hopefully I can find a tank that size for a reasonable price lol. So we've established that a traditional rectangular enclosure would need to be 240 gallons, but just out of curiosity, could the tank's volume be smaller if it were round, like a kiddie pool or pond?
A 6' round pond would still prob be about 300+ gallons. Keep an eye on CL for a 240g tank. You can usually find them at a decent price.
Haha yeh, I get all my tanks off classifieds sites. I’ve seen large tanks for good prices (once saw a 6-foot tank for only $100), so if I’m lucky, I might find a 240 gallon tank for $300 at most.
Been looking through my shark and ray book, I found a few species that not only stay pretty small, but most of them naturally occur off my coast, which is good because they are almost never found in the aquarium trade.
Floral banded wobbegong (Orectolobus floridus) grows to 30 inches
Network wobbegong (Orectolobus reticulatus) grows to 20 inches
Variegated catshark (Asymbolus submaculatus) grows to 17 inches
Blackspotted catshark (Aulohalaelurus labiosus) grows to 26 inches
Western Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera mucosa) grows to 18 inches long
A couple of these species might be able to be housed in a slightly smaller tank than the recommended 240 gallon tank.
Floral banded wobbegong (Orectolobus floridus) grows to 30 inches
Network wobbegong (Orectolobus reticulatus) grows to 20 inches
Variegated catshark (Asymbolus submaculatus) grows to 17 inches
Blackspotted catshark (Aulohalaelurus labiosus) grows to 26 inches
Western Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera mucosa) grows to 18 inches long
A couple of these species might be able to be housed in a slightly smaller tank than the recommended 240 gallon tank.
I’ve got my sights on a 6 foot wide inflatable pool, which is the best option economically (there’s also the option of an 8 foot wide inflatable pool, but it’ll be too big). I’ll place the sump (probably a large Rubbermaid-like tub) either in the center of the pool or if this looks too unsightly and/or drastically reduces swimming space, plumb it to beside the pool. I’ll be running a protein skimmer and what ever other suggestions thrown at me.
As for species, I’ve decided to stick to cold water species, specifically a pair Blackspotted Catshark (Aulohalaelurus labiosus) and the Western Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera mucosa). With cold water species, I won’t need to spend money on heating. I won’t need a chiller either because I live in the same region as them. They shouldn’t be too hard to catch, recreational fisherman catch these species often. I might even make the pond into a display refugium, almost reminiscent of their natural habitat of rocky reefs and sea grasses.
As for species, I’ve decided to stick to cold water species, specifically a pair Blackspotted Catshark (Aulohalaelurus labiosus) and the Western Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera mucosa). With cold water species, I won’t need to spend money on heating. I won’t need a chiller either because I live in the same region as them. They shouldn’t be too hard to catch, recreational fisherman catch these species often. I might even make the pond into a display refugium, almost reminiscent of their natural habitat of rocky reefs and sea grasses.
Edit: changing the 6 foot pool to 8x5 rectangular pool
