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Sharks and Rays in Aquariums
Gaining an understanding of how to keep these fishes in captive saltwater systems   

New Print and eBook on Amazon
 

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Banded Hound Shark Questions    11/7/12
Love your site.  Wish I knew about it before hand.   Well let me get to the questions.  I just recently purchased a 15inch Banded Hound Shark Male.
<Is this Triakis scyllium?>

 He was shipped to the east coast from the west coast and was boxed for 11 hours or so before I got him. Problem 1,  I noticed when I placed him in the tank that he had some red spots on him.
<Not uncommon w/ small shipped sharks>
  These tend to go away and come back off and on.  His breathing seems fine but........... Problem 2,  His swimming habits are funny he has gotten a little better but he tends to stay on the glass with his belly against it and noses at the top of the water.
<... this is a cold water animal... You do have it in a chilled system?>

   He eats fine from the first day on.  Know problems there.  
Problem 3, He tends to shake like he is twitching or has a nervous tick. What could this be?
<Damage to nothing>
 Please let me know if these activities are normal.   My system is as follows.  Size: 7ft x 7ft x 3ft - 1000 gallons or so.   800lbs of live Fiji pink sand.
<What grade? Should not be coarse>
 4 Coralife lights. Two large protein skimmers. 1 grounding probe.  2 very large little giant pumps turning about 8,000 gallons per hour.  Bio Ball tower.  1 UV Filter.   1 Aquaripure denitrator.     Tank Stats.   Ammonia 0   PH 8.2-8.4   Nitrites 0  Nitrates 20.      Steps I have taken.   I am going to test for electrical current in the water tonight.  I started placing vitamins into the aquarium not just the food.  I am doing a 25% Water Change tomorrow as well.    Inhabitants include all other fish that are perfectly healthy -  15inch white spotted Bamboo Shark Female,  10inch Lionfish, 6inch Lunar Wrasse, 12 inch Blue Dot Stingray,  2ft Zebra Eel,  6inch Yellow Tang, 12 inch Blonde Naso Tang,  6 inch African Red Starfish, 40 snails, 30 Hermit Crabs only about 60lbs of live rock.   Thanks for your help and please let me know if you need anymore info.
<Umm, the other livestock is tropical... the new shark needs to be elsewhere. Not tropical, and grows too large for this setting. Bob Fenner>
Re: Banded Hound Shark Questions    11/8/12

Yes u are correct on the breed.
<Not a breed, a species>
No chiller on the tank but water stays at around 73-76 all the time. I was told that this species can handle slightly warmer water than most hound sharks   Up to 79 degrees but prefer cooler. Is this correct?
<Mmm, not as far as I'm aware, no. See Fishbase.org re:  this is a subtropical species>
 I was planning on building a much bigger tank to house several large sharks but it sounds like I need to hurry that up. I was going to wait a year or so to set that up.  How long can this shark stay in a tank my size?
<... won't likely live>
 If never then it looks like I need to place him somewhere else. I was told that a male will reach 4ft.
<About this long>
   When I mentioned the swimming habits you stated "damage to nothing". What did u mean?
<The reddening... source>
  Thanks again for the help.   Thanks again. 
Shea Bailey
<Please read on WWM re coldwater sharks. B>

Grey Smooth Hound question: Shark Systems This isn't even close.: 6/29/2010
I was wandering if a 10 inch grey smooth hound would last in a 125 gallon tank?
<For a little while......>
The dimensions are 6 foot long by 18 inch wide and 2 foot tall.
<That, with the right equipment would keep the shark alive for the first year if you are lucky.>
The tank also has 20 lb of live rock and protein skimmer fit for a 125 gallon, a emperor 400 filter system and two 1200 gph water circulators.
<Inadequate to keep a shark alive. They need lots of circulation, and pristine water quality. They are also a temperate water species, so you would need a chiller to keep the water cool enough.>
My plan is to upgrade to a 240 gallon or 300 gallon in about 1 1/2 yrs or 2 yrs.
<....and it will need a 500 to 1000 gallon shortly after that.>
<Please, read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coolh20sharks.htm and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharkselfaq2.htm
 Also read "Sharks & Rays" by Scott W Michaels before even attempting something like this.>
<MikeV>

Housing Question, Mixing in a Dogfish w/ other (tropical) Sharks  10/16/09
Hello Mr. Fenner.
<Morning Steve>
I have been using your web site for a little over 2 years now with great success. I believe my last e-mail to you was 2/07, regarding Brown Banded and Marbled Cat Sharks. I purchased these as hatchlings and turned to you for advice on raising these beautiful creatures. I am happy to report they are healthy, thriving, and growing. I have both Sharks in the custom 475 gallon tank, in which I believe may be a little to narrow (36") across. I would like to move these sharks to a salt water pond I built in my basement. I will be plumbing the pond to the 475 gallon tank. The pond is 15'x8'x13" deep, my worry is the 13" depth, is this sufficient for these sharks?
<Mmm, yes... but I would make it/this deeper if you could... for a few
reasons>
I also do a lot surf fishing, this past weekend I caught a Smooth Dogfish approx 28" a little smaller then the Marbled and Brown Banded Sharks.
Dogfish have been a rare sight lately, mostly due to commercial fishing, since they see them as a nuisance to gear and commercially fished species.
I would love to catch another one of similar size and keep it. I would like your opinion on this, would it be compatible with the Marbled and Brown Banded Sharks?
<What species of Dogfish is this? The common name is applied to a few Elasmobranch? Do take a look at identifying it, then look on Fishbase.org re this animal's natural temperature range. Some are too cold-water to be kept with tropicals, others aren't and can be mixed with the others you list>
Once again Thank You for your time.
Steve..
<Welcome. Bob Fenner

Sharks and Rays in Aquariums
Gaining an understanding of how to keep these fishes in captive saltwater systems   

New Print and eBook on Amazon
 

by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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