pleas help with epaulette shark

[zoanthid2009]

hi i really want and epaulete shark and was wondeirng minimum tank size would be if i was going to kepp the shark from a baby to adulthood

thank you so much

[rnelson]

The topic of sharks is one that is very hotly debated here on RC, and you're bound to get all kinds of advice on them. One of the most highly regarded aquarium shark experts is Scott Michael, I highly recommend his book if you are planning a shark or ray tank. Here is what he says about them:

Hatches - 5.9"
Max length - 41.7"
Juvenile growth rate - 2" per year
Distribution - Australia and New Guinea
Diet - worms and crabs, shrimps and small fish to a lesser degree

He says that the Epaulette is "one of the best sharks for the home aquarium"

To answer your question, he gives a 260gal as the aquarium size, so you would definitely need a larger tank than your current 55.

I considered one for my 240gal but chose to upgrade to a larger tank, mostly to give the shark I chose a better home....new tank will be a 480gal, 8'X4'X2' to give the shark plenty of room to turn around.

Hope this helps

[r.d.m]

good imformation melson the only thing i would disagree with is a growth rate of 2" a year,given your figures it would take 18 years to reach full size,i would say that doubling their size each year would be closer to the mark,mine went from a foot to nearly 3 feet in 18 months,and zoanthid a 3 foot shark is almost impossible to offload,id keep something that:
1.moves a bit
2.costs less than $20 a week to feed
3.doesnt jump out the tank and chase the dog(true)

[rnelson]

r.d.m. ,

You know, I agree about the average growth rate, it does seem way too small....but, that's what was in the book.....maybe it was a misprint.

An interesting fact about epaulettes.....they are studied for their tolerance of very low oxygen levels (hypoxia conditions), especially in regards to human stroke victims.....scientists are trying to figure how they shut down their body functions in order to preserve oxygen. One study showed that the epaulette was unaffected by an oxygen level of 0.35 mg/L at 75 degrees for 2 hours.....talk about "holding your breath"!!!

[krj-1168]

Here's also a point of note from Scott's Michael's book-

on page 98 - he states the newly hatched Epaulette sharks & Brown Banded Bamboos have been reported to grow as much as 11.3 inches (29 cm) in a year's time.

So it's better to figure - the epaulette will like reach sexual maturity(about 23-27inches) in about 2-3 yrs. Not the 8-9 yrs it would take at only growing 2" a year.

Sharks often slow down their growing rates after reach sexual maturity. But some may not slow down until the get close to their full adult size - for eppies this is close to 3 ft.

While a smaller tank may work for a couple years. In the long run a tank like a 480 is likely best for an epaulette.

[bignick]

How often do you guys feed your sharks? When i had my baby brown bandeds i fed them twice a week and they didn't grow that fast. I hear sharks like these that are not constant swimmers grow by the amount of food you feed them? Since they don't really burn the food off instead they grow. Is that right?

[Bhewko]

Pm sixball on this forum. I know for a fact he has 2 Eppaulettes which are currently breeding I believe. As well for an Eppaulette I wouldnt go lower then a 350 gallon system depending on the dimensions.

[Puffer Queen]

I have epaulettes that are over 10 years old (one is captive bred and one is wild caught.) and are breeding. They are in a 1000 gallon shark pond. They are ~ 40 inches. Here is a 2 week old baby boy.



I feed the adults 3 times a week and give Mazuri Shark & Ray vitamins.

[bignick]

Any pics of the pond Puffer Queen? Just curious how you built yours.

[rnelson]

Puffer Queen,

I'm trying to decide between an eppie or a horn when I get my 480 set up in a couple of months. Can you describe your eppie tank? What I'm wondering :
What is their activity level and when?
Do they attack cleanup crew members, and which ones?
Do they attack other fish?
Do they free-swim or pretty much "walk"?
Do they find their way around pretty well or do they bump into things alot?
Do you have to target feed them?
Do they dig?

Any info would be great.....I prefer the horns slightly but I'm pretty sure a chiller will be in my future if I go that route.....

[Puffer Queen]

I'm trying to decide between an eppie or a horn when I get my 480 set up in a couple of months. Can you describe your eppie tank?

1000 gallon with 150 gallon sump, 2 biotowers, skimmer, 60 gallon refugium and large remote deep sand bucket. It is wood frame with insulation and pond liner. Cement board on the outside with decorative tiles.

What I'm wondering :
What is their activity level and when?

They are very active at feeding and at night.

Do they attack cleanup crew members, and which ones?
Do they attack other fish?

I do not have a clean up crew in with mine. The only time they have been aggressive towards other fish is during feeding if one would get in the way.

Do they free-swim or pretty much "walk"?

They do free swim but the majority of their activity is "walking".

Do they find their way around pretty well or do they bump into things alot?

The tank is aquascaped so they can freely move without trouble.

Do you have to target feed them?

I target feed to make sure they get their vitamins and the appropriate amount of food.

Do they dig?

They will bury their noses in the sand - natural instinct - looking for food.

Any info would be great.....I prefer the horns slightly but I'm pretty sure a chiller will be in my future if I go that route..... [/B]

A chiller is a must for long term survival - I would recommend larger than a 450 if you are planning on more than one horn.

[rnelson]

Thanks for the info Puffer Queen......I plan on just one shark whether it's an eppie or a horn......hopefully a 480gal will be a good tank for either one....it will be 8'X4'X2', extra wide to give the shark room to maneuver around in......

Thanks again

[krj-1168]

As to - if you need a chiller with Horns - well it depends on if you have a heater or not.

The Horn shark is just one reason - I recommend that before you get any shark - research it.

I don't mean just what's written in one book or website. Look for info based on wild reports. This will tell you the species preferences and tolerances.

Most people believe that Horn are strictly cool water sharks (requiring temps 70F or lower) - just because it says so in "Aquarium Sharks and Rays". Even Scott Micheal in his 1990 2 part article for Tropical Fish Magazine of sharks & rays for home aquariums stated that Horn Sharks (Heterodontus francisci) prefers water temps between 65-75F.

Horns are actually considered warm temperate - to sub-tropical sharks. Unlike most sharks - horns often spend their entire lives in one general area(with a few miles). The horn sharks near the southern tip of Baja California can even tolerate summer time water temps in the 82 - 84F range.

Wild reports on the Horn shark states that they prefer waters above 70F.

Still if the tank is in a climate controlled area like your house - then you may not need a heater or chiller.

But if you do get a heater - then a chiller may be good to have to prevent the tank's temperature from ever going above 82F(in case of a problem with the heater) . But you don't need set it at 70F either. I know of several people who have kept Horns successfully in tanks that were in the 72-78F range. In fact that's the general range most horn keepers use.

[rnelson]

krj-1168,

I often reference Scott Michael in these posts because he seems to be one who people on RC consider an "expert"; however, I consider lots of sources before making any judgements.....I actually disagree with a few of his points, especially his minimum tank sizes for a few types of sharks.

I live in West Central Texas....right now our house is at 66-68 degrees so my tanks are sitting at about 74. In the summer the house is about 78 degrees and my tanks are around 80-84. It's the summer months that I'm concerned about.....my reef tank stays around 84 in the summer. Of course, the 1000 watts of MH lighting has alot to do with that . I think I'm going to go with T5's over the new tank.

Sometimes though I think we may get over-concerned about things like this....the ocean is not exactly temp stable anyway.

[sixball]

First off, Puffer Queen, that little guy is great. Congratulations on the successful breeding. My male is just reaching sexual maturity and the pair are starting to display some breeding behavior, but no actual confirmed breeding yet. I just wanted to comment on a couple of the items brought up in this post based on my experience with epaulettes:

Growth rate: My pair were purchased at approximately 20" and are now at 26" in about 2 and a half years - pretty consistent with Scott Michael's observations. I keep mine well fed, typically feeding every other day with a variety of seafood soaked in Zoe and Selcon and also Ocean Nutrition Shark and Ray food.

Clean-up crew: I have had no problems with snails and hermits, but shrimp are dinner.

Compared to Horn Sharks: I have kept Horn's on two separate occasions and enjoy my epaulettes much more. Mine are very active, constantly "walking" around the tank and climbing through the caves in the tank. They are also very responsive to human activity in the room, and come out to beg for food. Horn's can be pretty clumsy in an aquarium and require much more space than an epaulette to be comfortable.

[krj-1168]

Well - with summer time water temps reaching 84F in your tanks - then go with the chiller. While it may be possible the Horn could tolerate it that warm. Personally I won't risk it.

IMO - Scott Michael's book is a good book for basic Elasmobranch husbandary in home aquaria. But generally he provides just enough information on the species list in "Aquarium Sharks & Rays" to get the reader interested in those species. And IMO, his estimates on the minimum tank sizes for virtually all species is too low(in some cases several times too low), and even his temperature recommendations maybe a bit too conservative. Although in some cases it makes sense (especially considering tank O2 levels may start to drop when temps get above 82F).

NO doubt Scott Michael, is highly experienced dealing with sharks & rays. His written several books, magazine articles, taken photos of & even written a few biological papers on sharks. I've also read other articles(in fish magazines), and even a few biological reports by him. Where his water temperatures estimations are often less conservative, and much more realistic.

[rnelson]

Sixball,

Did your horns "walk" or did they free-swim?

[sixball]

My horns didn't really "walk" at all. They will perch themselves up on their pectorals like a bamboo or epaulette, but all of their movement around the tank was swimming. They have a pretty difficult time navigating around rockwork in a tank. On the other hand, my epaulettes seem to be much more comfortable with more rockwork in the tank and are constantly exploring and squeezing through the smallest holes they can find.