Shark egg

[0racle]

Bought myself a little x-mas gift.

Anyone raise a banded shark?

Lemme know success and failure.

Thanks.

[Reefmedic79]

I'm afraid you going to get nothing but criticism with this one.

A species tank that needs very little live rock, alot of filtration, oolitic sand if any, and preferably a tank without any corners, alot of flow to help the fish breath as they don't constantly swim, High concentration of dissolved oxygen.

[0racle]

criticism about what?

Raising a common fish?

Or asking stupid questions?

[Reefmedic79]

Keeping a shark. Common or not.

[0racle]

why?

Is it taboo?

[Reefmedic79]

Pretty much.

[0racle]

Would it make you feel better if i told you it will be in a solitary tank of 125 gal?

It probably would have gone to someone incapable of careing for it?

I dunno ...im stuck with it now...

I LOVE IT!!!

[davidgottlieb]

Post some pics. This is interesting.

[kenny77]

if there somethink that i qill never have, is a shark. IMO if a reef tank need a lot of care a shark tank is double trouble. there are to many things to take in mind and care, and a 125 wont be enough.

[0racle]

thers a 50k upload restriction...sorry, i tried.

[kirei]

We got some bamboo shark eggs by accident in our last shipment at the lfs I work at. It's going to be pretty amazing to see them hatch. But these suckers will grow really fast and they already have a home in a 300g predetory tank system being installed for a client right now.

I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.

[0racle]

It's one egg in a big tank....nothing else but inverts and LR.

Thank you for posting Kirei....btw your a good artist in pencil.(If thats your www)

[delv]

Yes, one egg in a big tank...it hatches you know...then grows to a size well past what a 150 can fit (forget about house well)...It'll quickly add a huge bioload to your 'reef' tank...can't imagine the tank looking good with the high nutrient levels that will become inevitable...
I'd say take it back, if you can...it's not a good pet...unless it dies early...

I'm glad whales don't lay 'eggs' too...

d.

[staticfishmonger]

there will deffinatly be an add on the bio-load for sure and yeah the tank is a little small for an adult. the min size recomended by most vendors is around 180, so your not in to bad a shape. i would monitor your nutrient levels, keep up on your water changes and do some research into the care of the shark. they can be amazing if housed correctly and well taken care of so i wish you the best of luck. deffinatly get some pics along the way. just post them to a web album then link the pictures here so you dont have to deal with the size limit.

[0racle]

Thank you staticfishmonger,

I have a 500 gal in the works....just trying to find certain materials.I plan on transferring the animal when its large enough.

I'll keep the big fish ,small tank thing in mind.

Like everyone else, I want the best for my animals.

[wonrib00]

We get calls all the time about people wanting to bring in their sharks that have out grown their tanks. Keep in mind that most places (aquariums/zoos) will not take your animals that have out grown your current tanks.

[0racle]

What about when "zoos" and "aquariums" keep animals in cages too small for them?

Happens all the time......guess I'm just as bad as them.

Wont be able to post a pic till next week.sorry.

[kenny77]

Originally posted by 0racle
What about when "zoos" and "aquariums" keep animals in cages too small for them?

Happens all the time......guess I'm just as bad as them.

Wont be able to post a pic till next week.sorry.

not because a zoo keep a white baby shark in a 20g tank you gonna do it too right?

[0racle]

hey kenny post something worth reading.

[0racle]

Forgot to mention

1:not in a 125 gal.---its a 150---wont be staying long---500 gal.
2:not a reef tank (assumption means....remember?)
3:strictly shark...maybe LR and inverts

hope that helps.

[dew9000]

Sounds like you know what you getting yourself into to me. I have faith in you! ;)

[0racle]

Thanks man....

didnt think i was gonna get any encouragement.

Merry Christmas!

[Lev F.]

Congrats on the shark, i hope he does well with you. make sure you have a nice soft, fine substrate for him, once he hatches he is very delicate. ;)

[lacie143]

Originally posted by 0racle
Thanks man....

didnt think i was gonna get any encouragement.

Merry Christmas!

you dont seem to want the advice you asked for originally. First off, there should be NO live rock in a tank with a shark. They have very very fragile skin and can tear themselves up. A tank with live rock and some inverts = a reef tank. While it may not be a full blow reef it is still a reef. Who made the assumption... it wasnt the people trying to help. Next, if you do manage to hatch it and keep it alive it will out grow the 135 that grew to a 150. While u do say you have plans for a larger tank... plans are not a tank. Why not wait until you actually have the adequate space and get a shark then. I know many people who have plans for a larger tank in the near future. Very few actually have their plans realized

You say that the 500 is going to be a predator tank. I hope you arent putting groupers, tangs, angels, puffers, or triggers in there. Oh or wrasses. Sharks need their own system. If you can't handle that then they need tankmates that are extremely docile. Just because sharks eat fish doesn't mean they are aggressive.

Heres a hint. A bit o f good news i suppose... dont waste your money on silversides all year long. Asian markets sell smelt, which are 5 inch long sardine like fish, for a reasonable price.

You may not like the advice but it is the truth... you asked for help not one sided cheers.

[0racle]

Lacie,

So please sum up what advice it is exactly your giving me.

Because I know how to research and find that stuff out....have you actually raised one?

If not, have a nice a day. :)

[0racle]

As far as a substrate:

What i meant was, 1" sand, LR in the corners to define the tank(aesthetics).

Apart from flamers,Im reasonably smart,So have a little faith.

I appreciate the positive encouragement and suggestions.

PS I can do whatever i well please.

[Kogo]

oracle,

over the years i have hatched two bamboo sharks and bought one already hatched.

my personal opinion is that hatching your own is preferable because eggs seem to suffer, in shipping, less than hatched juviniles.

they are a difficult fish to keep because they die easily, so treat them as you would an angel or other sensitive fish (as far as water quality) i would recomend a fairly empty tank with smooth places to hide (make sure they cant get trapped) and a quality refugium with live rock and macro to preserve water quality.

for feeding they like smelly meat like squid,
also, in my area i can catch ghost shrimp and small crayfish in the summer months to mix the diet up. DONT OVER FEED they just grow faster and poop more. the idea is to keep them thick but not fat... they should eagerly acept food when offered...if not they are over fed.

water quality and stability are essential and they can be long lived aquarium specimines...the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit has even observed them laying eggs in the aquarium and i believe they even have hatched one of the ones laid there as well.

my personal experiance with them, as well as others i have spoken with over the years, has been mixed.

the first shark i hatched lived for one year (early 90's) in a 55 mixed FOWLR with dolimite gravel then transfered to a 125 FOWLR for one year before i sold it when i moved cross country for work. i believe he was somewhere around 10- 12 inches after two years. the second shark i hatched when the first was one year old and i put them both in the 125. i was impatient and opened the egg to early and the shark still had a yoke sack dragging under him (DONT GET IMPATIENT) but he lived anyway and soon began to feed. the problem however was that the larger shark was very combative and after about 3-4 months the smaller shark died. the third shark was perchased years latter already hatched and 6-7 inches long and lived for 8 months before it died for unknown reasons.

this is my honest non emotionaly / flaming experiance so glean what you wish. bamboo sharks can be kept well but they are difficult.

and as always if we realy and truly want to see whats best for our fish we would leave them in the ocean, preserve their enviornment, and not keep aquariums at all....of course nun of us here want to do that... now do we!

[snarfe]

have you figured out how you will heat the water and such? i mean don't you have to watch straying electric currents??

[lacie143]

i work at a lfs. We raise them often, and we get live sharks in as well. If you dont want advice dont' ask for it. You just dont want to hear the truth. I dont have a shark personally because i dont think that there are home aquariums truely large enough to contain them comfortable. Atleast a 4foot by 4 foot base is a bare minimum. I'd really like a 6x6 or a shark pool. thats the truth. Either deal with it respectfully or dont ask for it.

[Kogo]

if i remember correctly the original question was if anyone had experiance keeping them and what their experiance was...not neccasarily a request for advice and moral opnion / indignation...those who interject themself to give condescending "advice" (aka opinion) should first of all not assume everyone agrees with them, and second deal with dissagreement respectfully or dont post!

now cant we all just get along?

[delv]

I think the salient question was what was "taboo" about keeping such a "common fish"...I think that has been adressed adequately.
Anyway, what kind of skimmer are you going to run on 150 gallon? I think you'll have an opportunity to run a huge skimmer intitially that is really intended for your eventual larger tank...Running a MyReef triple beckett (or something similar) will also ensure the 150 gallon provides the best environment possiible...I'd still much rather have the same tank with a large angel, trigger, school of anthias, and some decent live rock. But since it's your tank (you sophomorically reminded us of that...lol) enjoy it...I'm sure it'll be fun.....enjoy!

d.

[0racle]

Thank you everyone......

Skimmer...diy 6' tall 8"round.

I also agree this ISNT a moral conversation.So i dont need any advice in that department.

The big tank will most certainly have a large enough area.it's not for display...its to raise fish.

Electrical will not be a problem.

Thanks Kogo.

PS working in a lfs doesnt make you a breeder.or an expert at raising sharks.HANDS ON EXPERIENCE will.

[smoke15]

Merry Christmas to all !!

[0racle]

Oh im sorry smoke15 did you have something to add to our discussion about sharks?

[smoke15]

Well, if you want me to add to your shark discussion.You are a dumb butt for getting a shark. I have a 240 gallon tank, and would never get a shark. However, I have no experiance in owning one so it's just my opinion.
P.s......good job in correcting your work, see and they say you don't listen.

[0racle]

Sorry, not accepting anymore opinions.

[sde219]

Haha - ask a question, don't like the answers, decide to end the discussion.


My honest opinion is:

Yes you can keep the shark, your tank plans are reasonable for the first three to four years.

The feeding tips you've received are some good advice. I would try to use live food as much as possible - less problems with water quality from live food in my experience.

Have you consulted the Scott Michael book on rays and sharks? I don't own a copy but I remember doing some reading when I considered getting one a while ago. There are good resources out there on keeping this animal that won't result in the flaming you are going to hear from people on RC.

The best advice I can offer is minimize the activity in the area around the tank. I would suggest that it be placed in a low traffic area with the side panels covered so that the shark can have some space where it doesn't see the movement around the tank.

JMO,

Steve

[0racle]

I asked for experience in keeping this animal good or bad.

Not for JMO.

Have a nice day. :)

[fishinchick]

Be sure to not let any air get inside the egg case. You can expell that by squeezing the sides VERY gently.
When it's born remove the egg case from the tank. For some reason the babies like to nuzzle against the egg sack and will get their noses caught up in the 'fur' on the outside.

Ok I dont know if it's really fur or not but it's fuzzy and they get tangled in it easily. If they do just gently remove it.

"They have very very fragile skin and can tear themselves up..."
If they are so tender why do they make boots out of shark skin? Have you ever touched one of those little buggers? They arent 'fragile' skinned at all.

Good Luck. Hope you can keep him long term. Personally I like Epaulette sharks best even though they get bigger. They have SO much personality and are much less apt to bite.
Shark bites hurt - even from little sharks. :(

[0racle]

Thanks for the info.

Do they require a specific orientation? IE vertical or horizontal?...does it matter?The egg of course.

Thanks

[fishinchick]

No just lay it on the sand and make sure no water is in the egg. Some eggs are transparent enough to be able to watch the stages. I dont know why some are more transparent than others. If you have an excess of that fuzzy stuff on the casing on the outside you might want to (carefully) trim some of that off. If it's only a little bit - no worries. I just hate seeing them get caught up in that junk - they are such a pain to remove.

[ClamIAm]

Sharks aren't "fragile-skinned," but they can scratch their bellies on rough substrate or pointy rock and get an infection, which I think was the issue brought up here. And I don't know why all of you people are so against keeping them. Sure there are people that don't have any idea what they're getting into but I think this person does know what they're doing.

[0racle]

Ok, I can see him in there.(is it possible to have twins?)

There is some "fuzz" maybe i will cut a little back.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Kogo]

i kept eels, and lions with sharks with no problems (exept for them hiding all day). i kept larger tangs and tomato clowns to add motion and color to the tank no problems there either.

i always waited until the shark became active before offering food. it seems hunting / scavanging was its only motivation for movement, it also is a signal they are hungry.

sharks are opertunistic feeders and will over eat if they can. many public aquariums have misshapen sharks do to fatty deposits from over feeding. they just arn't as active chasing prey and evading predators as they would be in the wild. feed sparingly (ohh - maan..but thats the fun part!!!)

[0racle]

So should i wait to put my spotted moray in with him until the shark is big enough, or does the moray just instinctivly avoid him?

Add stuff right after feeding?,so he wont be prone to eating it?

I really just want the shark in there,but a few ornaments would be cool.Especially a lion.

Thanks again!

[wonrib00]

Kogo I must totally disagree with you. Sharks will not over feed. ALL sharks will only feed when hungry and only eat until they are full. At least that is according the husbandry staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is not the over feeding of sharks, it is the choice of foods you give sharks. We also have brown banded bamboo sharks at MBA and they are kept in a tank (with a few other sharks) that is about 200 gallons or so, and they are kicking eggs out like there is no tomorrow. Our substrate is not fine sand, it is more so crushed coral, we also have rocks. I am not sure on the issue of age and crushed coral though. All of ours in that particular exhibit are almost full grown and they are fine health wise (no scratches from the CC or rocks).

[0racle]

So my 500 gallons would suffice......(even 150 for the time being)

Thank you.

And my sand and LR would be ok too?.....

Thank you.

So what is the best stuff to feed them?

I appreciate the reply.

[Kogo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wonrib00
[B] Kogo I must totally disagree with you.

good...id hate to feel like an expert...so your saying misshapen sharks in public aquariums come from the wrong food, not too much?

oh by the way...what exactly do you do at the aquarium?

[wonrib00]

0racle You should be ok, but our exhibits are done by people with a lot of experiance, but the basic set up should be about the same. I will take some pics of the exhibits we have at the aquarium and post them here. We feed all our sharks a variety of foods. Squid is a staple in all thier diets(except for the great white), we also feed salmon and mackerel.

Kogo I am far from an expert as well. There are a lot of different factors as to why sharks die or dont do well. Obviously, if the animal is not getting the nutrition it needs, it will not thrive like it would in the wild. The job I have is called Guest Ambassador. Basically I walk around the aquarium and talk to guest about all the animals and workings of the aquarium. So I dont have any first hand experiance is keeping a shark at home, but we keep them at work for public display.

[0racle]

Thanks for the info wonrib00.

I'm confident that I will be able to take proper care of him.Eventually I would like to breed a pair, but we'll see how it goes with this one first.

Can't wait to see the pics!

PS still trying to figure out how to post pics myself (anyone want to pm me with the best way to upload?)

[Kogo]

wonrib00,

sounds like a fun job...do they need psy majors? (LOL)

[Brad524]

IMO

you have the shark egg or shark ( haven't been able to tell yet)
and you have a almost ready tank for one get rid of the live rock
becuase it will damage him-do more and more research -find people that have them and talk to them-if your "plans" to have a 500 are realistic and in the near future your ok, but find out what is compatible. AND TALK TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEM.

Also I agree you did ask for opinions, and have been a little reluctant to accept them,
but also i think some people on here are extremly judgemental and think every one is stupid for trying some thing they're afraid to do .

And from the other side there are some idiots out there trying to put octo's in nano's and stuff like that .

With all that said. I wish you the best of luck

p.s. you sure seem to like arguing.
some times i think people post stuff like this just to argue with people ( not saying you did:) )

[Brad524]

just so you know i meant the rock in the small tank in the 500 you should be fine I personally do not own a shark but wanted to
and did a lot of research.

how far off is the 500?

KOGO

do you have any pics of yours


and i would love to see these pics of huge aquriums
the best ones around me IMO are in minneapolis at the zoo and the mall of america has over a million gallons under it with everything from sharks to sea turtles

[Kogo]

Originally posted by Brad524

KOGO

do you have any pics of yours


sorry the shark i had for two years was sold 7 years ago and i have no idea where the pictures went (not digital anyway) ill try to find pics of the last one i had.

[Brad524]

Kogo

love your sig

[Kogo]

thanks

[wonrib00]

Sorry it has taken so long for some pics, still figuring out how to post pics and getting them down to the right size.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/33198bamboo-sharks-3.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/33198bamboo-sharks-2.jpg
Note the eggs that the sharks scatter all about. That is not us puting them there.

[wonrib00]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/33198bamboo-sharks-1.jpg
This last one is a full tank shot that has the three kinds of sharks in it. I lied about the size earlier, it is about 400 total gallons, or so. It was bigger than I remembered.

[ozadars]

Nice tank wonrib00 :thumbsup:

C. punctatum lives on coral reefs and tide pools so you can ofcourse use liverocks in your tank. They definately dont come from a place where there is no rock but just pure sand.
They also dont need a species only tank. You can keep them with numerous fish. Just not with aggressive fish like triggers and angels which may easily damage sharks.

And from the other side there are some idiots out there trying to put octo's in nano's and stuff like that .
Well if people who keep octopuses in nano tanks are idiots then there must be loads of idiots in this forum and in tonmo.com, a forum dedicated to cephalopod keepers, as there are people who keep small/dwarf octopuses.

[scylam]

i do man...and it's now growing fast...
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=774841&highlight=shark+egg