Pic test my new shark tank

[Scodz]

well not really so new I have been working on it for awhile and kept freshwater fish in it for months... But i finally got the roof on its enclosure and now it is ready for the salt. Alot of salt. I got Scott Williams book on sharks in captivity on the way. And I am headed down south to get a couple hundred pounds of live sand ( not looking forward to it ) my list of intended inhabitants is mostly catsharks and bamboo sharks. The largest will be a bonnet head. This pond also will serve in part as my live rock farm where I will try to grow ricordea live rock under natural sun and 350 w mh supplemantal. anyway here is a pix I just got my new digital camera today so I feel like I can play on the message board now too

[Drew]

sounds like fun! How many gallons is it?

[Scodz]

.

[Scodz]

just over 1000 gallons with three refugium type filters that each hold an additional hundred gallons. the refugiums will be mangroves for the most part. I hope I can figure out how to improve the survival rate of home hatched sharks..... I would love to hear any ideas any one has...

[FishDaddy]

Scott,
Where's the diving board???
Interesting setup; wish you every success with the project.
Dick

[Pikaboo]

Wow...

I hope you can find a good way to deal with the evaporation in the pond.

Also... can I go diving in there if I'm down in FL? =)

[SPC]

Won't the shark be able to bite through that pond liner?
Steve

[gregt]

I've been planning a similar tank (haven't started doing it yet) only larger, and in-ground. Nice job!

I have some concerns over your plan though. Live rock and bonnet head in a 1000 gallons sounds like a recipe for shark fin soup.

[Scodz]

hey guys thanks so much for the well wishing. As far as evaporation goes the pond has an overhead irrigation system that is adjustable and turns on every morning at 4:00 am, so I just have to figure out the balance there, but the pseudo greenhouse is quite humid and therefore not to much loss from evaporation... As far as sharks biting throw the lining, thats not a problem I ever had before frankly I would be more worried abouty triggers and maybe puffers. the pond is double layered on top of epoxy so it is a solid seal even if the liner get punctured. I am confused by the shark fin soup comment I have to admit if there is a problem i wanna know about it... but I have done Bonnet heads in the past with corals and they never touched em. I like bonnet heads in aquaria very much, I find em real hardy and people are fascinated by their unique shape so they are great conversation starters. Normally I wouldn't keep bonnets in a setup like this because they need surface area to be truly happy, but if I get one that gets too large I can simply let him go and get a new small one. Sharks are my fav I would hate to do anything to hurt one but I have kept em before in relatively small set ups so I am unaware of any problems with this set up. Please educate me if you know something! other than that the sharks in the tank will be the same ones people hatch for 28 bucks and that usually die very shortly after their reserves disappear.... I am going to try and find the secret to having a 90% success rate with the eggs....

[gregt]

I hate to be a kill-joy. I'm really not such a stick in the mud in person.

My comment ws referring to what you seem to already know. Bonnet heads need lots of swimming room, and 1000 gallons isn't much for a fish that size. Add LR and it makes for a bad environment for a bonnet. It sounds like your tank has a little bit of an identity crises. If I were you, I'd pick what you want the most and make the best habitat possible for that purpose.

if I get one that gets too large I can simply let him go

Let him go where? Are you aware that releasing an aquarium kept fish can introduce diseases back into the wild that can decimate wild populations? Very bad idea, and also illegal in many situations.

[Scodz]

I dont know about legal or not, but it is a niche tank with all the critters coming from the same place and going back there. I would never release a bonnet that had spent time with water from a clowns tank for instance but that isnt the case here. I dont think there are any legal issues with releasing indigenous fish back into the wild thats interesting there certainly should be. Well you got me thinking now... The other sharks and critters I plan to stock with are all from local waters as well but I should certainly check my sources... Bonnets start off very small and I have had great luck with em in small tanks as long as they can be moved as they grow up to a bigger tank, or released, although i am glad the aquarium industry hasnt caught on to me yet they only have about 5 pups a year and are preyed upon ruthlessly by other sharks... Anyway i appreciate your concerns dont worry I am not taking out any ecological systems not today at least.

[Fishaholic]

I like your design and I am glad to see you putting a lot of preparation into it. As far as releasing aquarium fish into local waters you do run the risk of contamnating wild populations legal or otherwise. We add a lot of supplements to our tanks that can have no effect o the species we keep. However release it into the wild and you may be feeding a wild population a fish that has meds and supplements in its body. Any time a fish is reintroduced to the ocean there is careful planning to make sure that it is not caring anything harmful to the wild.

I am of the mindset if your going to own it, own it for its entire life or leave it be. This is just my ideology though.

[Scodz]

that is true about supplements this guy will live in water with a good stable calcium ppm in the flats where they live or tidal areas nothing is very stable so a bonnet outta my tank would better be donated to my local aquarium ( sea world, Orlando or Marineland) and allowed to grow to full size. The only reason i want to keep bonnets anyway is to study feeding behavior based on moon and sun phases. i am glad to see the board is looking out for the fishes! Florida is plagues by non indigenous fish species ( and plant species, etc) that thrive in this environment many of which where brought here buy aquarium hobbyists or fish farms. Once while snorkelling in a spring I saw three very large fish that looked just like pirana, we always here rumors about populations of redbellys here and there. Scared the heck out of me till i realized they were Pacu about 10-15 pounds each though. we also have plecostomus in almost all of our rivers, cichlids and oscars invade the south, and three foot long clown knife fish show up occasionally in our lakes. Environmental conscientiousness is of the utmost importance. Glad to see the board spreading the word. I take great care of my critters, and many people hate the fact that I keep a fennec fox when it belongs in the wild but I use fizgig to educate local kids about animals and their niches in the wild is it a fair balance I dunno. Is any fish tank, I dunno. But as long as we can change our minds and constantly learn I think we can eventually make it balanced to Natures advantage. Thanks for the thoughts!

[gregt]

Another thought, I have no data to back this up, but I'm wondering if a released fish would have trouble re-adapting to natural foods / natural feeding habits. Much like wild birds that are provided food, and then starve if the food supply stops.... Just a thought.