Whitespotted Bamboo Shark Question

6erikar9

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Feb 15, 2019
35
12
13
Hey all, after years of preparation and research, I finally brought home a captive bred shark. It's young, about 8 inches and eating very well. It's on a nice sand bed with a centerpiece of live rock in a 75 gallon. Once this whole coronavirus thing calms down, I will be buying a proper 12ft diameter pool pond, so I have no concerns about space or money as I have the funds and time to dedicate. I just have some questions.

1. Should I move the live rock to a corner of the tank instead for more floor space?
2. The shark doesn't swim, he just sits in one corner, and occasionally curls into a circle, messes with its tail, and then walks across the sand. Is that normal behaviour?
3. Can these guys have too much flow? I have a ton of flow at the surface obviously and just enough at other levels to slightly kick the sand around, but he seems to have trouble moving against it and hesitant to move with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,370
24,281
1,660
Ohio
Hey all, after years of preparation and research, I finally brought home a captive bred shark. It's young, about 8 inches and eating very well. It's on a nice sand bed with a centerpiece of live rock in a 75 gallon. Once this whole coronavirus thing calms down, I will be buying a proper 12ft diameter pool pond, so I have no concerns about space or money as I have the funds and time to dedicate. I just have some questions.

1. Should I move the live rock to a corner of the tank instead for more floor space?
2. The shark doesn't swim, he just sits in one corner, and occasionally curls into a circle, messes with its tail, and then walks across the sand. Is that normal behaviour?
3. Can these guys have too much flow? I have a ton of flow at the surface obviously and just enough at other levels to slightly kick the sand around, but he seems to have trouble moving against it and hesitant to move with it.
Nice pickup. My personal experience with Bamboo Catshark is that they are actually bottom dwellers will rarely swim so that is normal behavior. If you think the Catshark is struggling in the flow can you lower the flow?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fishysweet

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,370
24,281
1,660
Ohio
Nice pickup. My personal experience with Bamboo Catshark is that they are actually bottom dwellers will rarely swim so that is normal behavior. If you think the Catshark is struggling in the flow can you lower the flow?

It's up to you if you want to move the Live Rock but either way the pup will be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tom01

6erikar9

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Feb 15, 2019
35
12
13
Nice pickup. My personal experience with Bamboo Catshark is that they are actually bottom dwellers will rarely swim so that is normal behavior. If you think the Catshark is struggling in the flow can you lower the flow?
I lowered the flow and I don't believe it made a difference. Do they produce something similar to a slime coat? He has sand particles all over him. Definitely not ich or anything
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,370
24,281
1,660
Ohio
I lowered the flow and I don't believe it made a difference. Do they produce something similar to a slime coat? He has sand particles all over him. Definitely not ich or anything
Don't worry about the sand just make sure your water parameters are stable. Keep Nitrates low.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6erikar9

krichardson

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2006
27,600
14,531
480
Datnoid Island
Agree with tlindsey.Keep in mind that bamboo sharks are nocturnal and usually hide among the coral rubble during the day.They become quite active at night in the dark as they hunt for food.
I used to come down and observe mine with a flashlight.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store