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Shark keeping?

776 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  richkor 
#1 ·
I just bought a 220 gallon and was wondering about keeping sharks? I've been in the hobbie 2 years now so only know the basics, I was thinking a bamboo shark? Any information?
 
#2 ·
I'll defer to others with more experience on sharks, but I believe 220g is still too small to do so effectively. Checking on line, some sources are saying 180g for the smaller sharks, but LiveAquaria, whom I tend to trust a lot more, is saying 360g minimum for the same shark species (Black Banded Cat Shark). They say the same 360g for an Epaulette Shark. They show the Marbled Bamboo Cat Shark at 300g.

I found another source saying a general rule of thumb is a tank that should be at least 3x the length of the shark when fully grown and the width should be 2x the shark's length when fully grown. This means that a shark that is going to grow to a maximum of 3 ft would need a tank that is 9x6 feet. A 24" deep tank puts that at 800g and a 30" deep tank puts it at about 1000g.

Even the sharks that are common usually get about 3.4-3.6 ft, so I would say you'd be better off with about 500g to even consider it. This is based on what i am seeing. There may be people here successfully keeping them in smaller tanks, but I'd caution a few things:

1. Small sample sizes. Just because something works for someone, doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Check out paulb's tank...talk about outdated logic, but it blows away most of the new and improved techniques out there. Would it work for me? Doubtful...I am not Paul.

2. Experience level of the hobbyist keeping the shark. They are listed as "expert" for a reason.

3. How are they defining success? Is they shark 6 months old and still under 18" long? What happens when it is full grown?

4. Buy for what you have today, not the tank you plan to upgrade to. You can always buy it after you upgrade.

5. Stocking. if someone is having success, what is the tank stocked with besides the shark? How is the aquascape, etc.

Make sure you are getting the information you need to hear and not just what you want to hear. I haven't kept sharks, so can't speak to the difficulty and/or success/failure rates of them, other than what I see on here. Just be skeptical on all information you receive for and against keeping one.
 
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