Shark and Ray tank

[newfisher]

Anyone have experience with sharks and rays? Tossing around the idea of remodeling the house and installing a 200+ gallon tank to keep a shark and a couple rays.

[NoobtoSalt]

Sounds sweet. I think you should do it!

 

But far from any experience from me...lol

[Emerald525]

Garrett has a Ray in one of his tanks. You might want to ask him. Woody at Seahorse has a shark.

 

That would be cool!

[h2odvl]

Found this for you

[reefcam]

if you are going to keep a shark, I would recommend nothing smaller than 500g and with that you are still limited to certain sharks. I think when I was looking into this, there was one shark that only gets to 3 ft. long. And wasn't easy to find, but then again, I could have an empty tank with a shark or a reef tank. I took the reef. My concern was more of a long term care for the shark and not just to keep it a couple of years and have it die. Check with LFS. I think a couple of the stores do maintenance a couple of tanks with Sharks. But I believe they are 750g or larger tanks.

 

With Rays.. I wanted to keep a blue spotted ray as they are the most color ray, but read it was hard to get them to eat in captivity.

 

I do have 2 freshwater rays that eat krills. I had a freshwater ray that basically starved himself to death.. Couldn't get him to eat live or frozen food.

 

BUt if you do venture into either, make sure you see the specimen eat at the LFS before buying it. I wouldn't buy it mail order mainly because you don't know if the shark or ray will eat in captivity.

 

And local aquariums (Oregon Coast Aquarium) may not take the shark if it gets too big. It's your responsibility to find it a home.

[TheNanoReef]

Sharks and rays are VERY VERY dirty fish. they actually excrete ammonia in quantity from their skin (which is why most shark is inedible). you need a 300-500 gallon tank minimum but your filtration needs to be suited for more like 1000 gallons if you want to keep up with a larger shark or ray.

[reef165]

I have had a banded cat shark before I kept it in a 55 gallon tank from an egg to 16inches. I felt sorry for it and traded it in. I didn't have much for filtration except LR and a small skimmer and it was healthy till my clown trigger thought it to be fun and start eating it's fins. Other than a banded cat, that could be kept in a 200 if it was shallow and the deep something like a 6foot X 4foot foot print which is still on the crowded side, you will need a much bigger tank. I also thought of a smooth hound that doesn't get any bigger than the banded, but is a active shark but should be housed in a tank with a 6 x 6 footprint and it is sold as a tropical fish but I had found that it is mostly caught off the coast of Cali. and northern Mexico and needs a water temp in the high 50's to low 60's. I would love a black tip reef shark but to house them properly would take at least 1000 gallons per fish. I would love to see a local pull it off though! If I had a house of my own I would conceder trying the Smooth hound, small, active, body structure of a large shark. Good luck!

[Gill]

If your in town sometime you should make a trip to hollywood aquarium and see their shark. He is in a 400 gallon tank and couldn't be happier. imo he could be kept in a 200 gallon, but not with rays. I think that would be to crowded seeing as they both live on the sand bed. I think it would be worth it just to have the shark though its like a puppy no joke. It's called a Epaulette Shark check them out on youtube, they walk like a dog really cool to see.

[reef165]

If your in town sometime you should make a trip to hollywood aquarium and see their shark. He is in a 400 gallon tank and couldn't be happier. imo he could be kept in a 200 gallon' date=' but not with rays. I think that would be to crowded seeing as they both live on the sand bed. I think it would be worth it just to have the shark though its like a puppy no joke. It's called a Epaulette Shark check them out on youtube, they walk like a dog really cool to see.[/quote']

 

Hollywood aquarium, is the tank your talking of the 6foot x 6foot x 24 cube they had? I was there years ago and they had a 6foot shallow cube with a smoothhound shark in it.

[Gill]

Sounds like the same tank. I don't remember seeing a smooth hound in their before? Was the store in Lake Oswego when you were there? I never went to the store when it was in Portland.

[reef165]

Ya it was in Lake Oswego, it was at least 4 years ago.

[Lowman]

keep in mind that most of the available sharks will grow to close to 6 feet. also, even though they are available in the store, a lot of them prefer cooler water, closer to 60 degrees. They are very sensitive to ph fluctuations, and water quality. I was just reading an article in a magazine about keeping sharks, if you want more info, I can send you the magazine I was reading.

[newfisher]

Thanks Bob,that would be great! I will pm you my addy.

[h2odvl]

I found you a tank. I know you love the road trip!

Link

[newfisher]

Ooooooooommmmmmmmggggggg! That is freakin sick! If I had the room..I wonder if James @ Envision could cut 2 feet off of it?

[reef165]

That is cool!!

[newfisher]

I wonder if the 5 heaters would keep up with 2 feet of it sticking outside my dining room?

[h2odvl]

Oh yea no problem, I can help with the remodel:)

[dee77]

i keep a baby cortez sting ray in my reef... had him for about 3 months my cleaner wrasse picked on him and then my lawn mower blenny started to chase him so then he would never come out and then he died 2 weeks later...