[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

Ok, i've been thinking for weeks, i wasgoing tog et some seahorses in a 55g to breed, then i decided to start out with saltwater, then start breeding, then i thought a 55g reef tank with radiata lionfish and snowflake eel.

now, i have thought alot about it, and i think getting a bamboo cat shark would be way more worth the money.

I'm plannin on getting a 277 gallon circle pool with a sitting area, where the shark could swim up for feeding time or something.

it will be tough i know, and i'll be ready.

i'll have a tub as a refugium, live rock, tubeworms, clam, anything i can afford to help filter. It will also have a heater of course.

i have some questions.

what is a good book that someone can suggest for learning more about keeping a bamboo cat shark?

and does anyone know a cheap place with cheap shipping i can get a bamboo cat shark egg at?

also, should i hatch the egg in the pool or should it be hatched in like a 15 gallon tub? guessing the egg should be hatched in pool right?

i want to get it and raise it from birth, it will be a fun experience and he will grow up in his pool. since i am getting it and hatching it, can i train it to be hand feed at birth and work with it so when it's bigger it will be more tame?

should i get like big angelfish or some triggerfish in the pool so he won't be lonely or is that a waste of money?

hoping someone can answer atleast some of my questions. thanks in advance!

 

[musho3210]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=294

thats a Black Banded Cat Shark Egg, the shipping seems cheap there and im pretty sure that place is a big name online retailer

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1523

theres an adult Marbled Bamboo Cat Shark, costs more but its more of what you want

With the refugium i think a deep sand bed is good as well as macro algae, but that might only be for fish not sharks.

Your also gonna have to run a huge skimming system cause last i heard sharks produce a lot of waste. You could also raise saltwater feeder shrimp like the white shrimp in the refugium and feed them to the shark every once in a while

Do you have a public aquarium near you or a zoo that has these sharks, i dont know if anyone here keeps sharks.

As company it will pretty much only need you but you might be able to get him a partner shark to hang around with, just raise them both from birth to prevent any harm later on.

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

why would you say that? about the marbel? is it easier to hand feed or something?

i don't mind if the black banded or whatever isn't easy to train. one reason i want teh black banded is becuase i've always loved sharks, and riasing one from birth would be a dream come true.

PS: that shark, if i bought the marbeled there, would be 3-4", not adult.

and i have been looking, i was planning on live aquaria, but aquacon.conm is cheaper, but only by $6. so should i buy from the large online retailer or the not as large retailer that has them all the time?

glad to get a reply, i've been sitting here, and i've registered at 8 forums and psoted this on all of them hoping forplenty of replies and opinions. this is the first reply so far.

 

[musho3210]

sorry i missed the part about the adult, i just meant that it would have already been hatched and sold to you. Im no shark expert by the way, i only know small bits of information and common sense.

How big with the refugium be? Im guessing it will be similar to a sump where you will put all your equipment in like the skimmer, heater etc. The refugium will also be a good place to raise the live food that the shark will eat like shrimp and mussels etc.

That website only sells the one type of shark egg, not a marbled shark egg so thats why i told you about the adult

 

[Lupin]

sorry i missed the part about the adult, i just meant that it would have already been hatched and sold to you. Im no shark expert by the way, i only know small bits of information and common sense.

Ryan, I hope you read this thread before you try to talk more about them.:shock:
http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4271
Worth reading IMO. Mike has explained everything despite the fact that my enthusiasm and interest does not lie in the marine hobby.

By the way, welcome.:wave:

 

[musho3210]

i read that thread, but this guy seems more experianced and has a bigger tank, if he raises the shark from young maybe he will love it so much that he gets a bigger tank/pond/pool for it. He is making a 277 gallon pool, thats almost 100 gallons bigger than the other guy and he is only having one shark, i just thought it was more acceptable for a 277 than a 180 and decided i might help. As i said earlier, i am no shark expert.

 

[Lupin]

i read that thread, but this guy seems more experianced and has a bigger tank, if he raises the shark from young maybe he will love it so much that he gets a bigger tank/pond/pool for it.

Well, I do hope so because I would hate to see someone in trouble with rehoming fish that were supposed to be banned from the trade.

Good luck, Bamboo Kitten Shark.:wave:

 

[Melissa]

yes, please read the link blue put in here before you get a shark.

 

[musho3210]

Would you consider out growing the shark and giving it away to a public aquarium? I dont know the growth speed of this shark but im sure you can spend some quality time with it before you give it away.

Where do you live? If weather permits you might be able to make a huge outdoor pond. One of my moms friend changed her maybe 10,000 gallon swimming pool (it was big, i think 3 meters deep on one end, 1 meter deep on the other end and 35 meters long?) into a fish pond. If you train your shark well enough, wear chainmail if your scared, then wash yourself in saltwater while wearing proper diving equipment, you can even swim with him

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

OMG you have to be kidding me!?

600 freaking gallons!?

the recommended on every site i've seen is 180, and i'm giving it 277 with one shark that can get around 3' 6".

are you guys saying he can't live in a 277 gallon pool?

i'm 14, so i don't have my own house and definatly not a large pool to convert to a pond. we have an indoor pool but i highly doubt my parents want to turn it into a big shark home.

please tell me that he an live in a 277!

 

[musho3210]

im not sure of there space needs, at all, 277 gallons might work for filtration of there poop and stuff but 600 might be best for there happiness and size

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

i'm not trying to sound rude or act like i know a bunch, but there are thousands of banded sharks that live in tanks around 180. what would be wrong with giving one a better life in a 277? why would someone have to provide a 600g tank when they can live happily long lives in a 180? the reason i'm getting a 277 is because i wanted my shark to be even happier and have a big nice home to live in.

do i really need to have something that large?

on another note....

i'll have a heater, tube worms, chaeto, live rock, live sand (probably about 6 inches deep maby?), and a filter. so will i need to add like a protien skimmer onto all that? not a prob if i do, i am just wondering.

i was actually planning on getting about 85-100 white shrimp from (probably) live aquaria.

so i can feed him like fish/crab/lobster meat twice a week? and along with that, can the white shrimp just be a snack or would some of those count as a meal? i was planning on having atleast 10 or so white shrimp in there at a time just so he could have a snack or chase something around if he felt like it.

one thing i was just thinking about, will rain or anything wheather related have an effect on the sharks home or the shark? i figure i will just have to keep an eye on a hydro meter every day. rain water wouldn't harm him or anything will it? if it is suposed to storm bad or something, should i put like a tarp or pool cover on his pool?

just trying to find out everything before i even buy the first item (the pool)

also, should he have the whole pool bottom sand bottom or in just some areas? and if all, how deep should it be? 'm afraid sand may be the largest of my buying problems money wize. if he needs alot of sand, does anyone know where you can buy (not expensive live sand) but just normal sand that would be safe for his pool online? i don't think it would be very easy to go to a bunch of LFSs and buy everyones sand bags. plus it would be pretty expensive probably. so i'm worried about sand, so please help with above questions.

i think that covers the rest of my worries. still looking for some help with the first questions.

also still wondering if anyone has a book suggesting for keeping sharks.

PS: i talk alot

But atleast it's for the sharks happiness, and not just because i like to talk

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

im not sure of there space needs, at all, 277 gallons might work for filtration of there poop and stuff but 600 might be best for there happiness and size

i just figured, since most of these are kept in 180 gallons or around that, and thats what the recomendations of all the sites i've read have been, that a 277g would be even bigger and make him even happier with about 100 more gallons then there common homes.

i guess i could eventually upgrade, but when i first have him and he is growing up and stuff, wouldn't a 277 be fine for him? if eevryone thinks i need to, what would his size be when oyu think i need to upgrade?

i want him to have a big happy life compared to the average 180 gallons there usually in. but isn't 277 gonna be ok? i need reassurence, i really want one, but i also want him to be happy. and i figured a 277 would be fine.

need opinions....

 

[musho3210]

well right now we are dealing with a shark, not a fish, they are both completly different species. I am also 14 years of age but would never trust myself with a shark, they are just to demanding, they arent things that you just say hi and feed, you need to clean there tank almost every day, feed live food every day which includes preparing it and "cleaning" it of all paracites before feeding. With schoolwork on top of that, there isnt much time to spend with him/her. Sharks are meant for the most experianced fish keepers if for anyone to own at all. These people need to be dedicated (and rich) to provide optimal health for these. If you are willing to do all that with no turning back you can try of course, but if you dont think so, make the pool a saltwater reef or something of the sort.

im not sure of there space needs, at all, 277 gallons might work for filtration of there poop and stuff but 600 might be best for there happiness and size

i just figured, since most of these are kept in 180 gallons or around that, and thats what the recomendations of all the sites i've read have been, that a 277g would be even bigger and make him even happier with about 100 more gallons then there common homes.

i guess i could eventually upgrade, but when i first have him and he is growing up and stuff, wouldn't a 277 be fine for him? if eevryone thinks i need to, what would his size be when oyu think i need to upgrade?

i want him to have a big happy life compared to the average 180 gallons there usually in. but isn't 277 gonna be ok? i need reassurence, i really want one, but i also want him to be happy. and i figured a 277 would be fine.

need opinions....

Thats where the mistake is made, 180 gallons is not there common home, the ocean is there common home, the closer the tank is to the ocean, the better it is, you will need the best of the best equipment and dedication, the best skimmer money can buy, the best wet/dry, refugium, heater, salt mix, light, everything needs to be the best of the best. There are no short-cuts with sharks, everything needs to be perfect. I wouldnt be surprised if the owner of the shark would pick up the poop like they would for a dog when it poops to prevent waste buildup

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

if i need to get into the pool with him and clean up after him i would.

i usually finish my schoolwork at school, i rarely have homework i need to do at home. i spend 90% of the day either with my fish, or online at fish forums and reading about fish. i will do everything i possibly can to take care of this shark.

i've about finished my "saltwater aquariums for dummies" and i'm around halfway through a reef tank book also. and i'll definatly start reading shark keeping books also.

i relize it will take alot of dedication and work to keep a shark, and i'm plenty willing to do everything i possibly can. if i need to save up for a chainmail suit, so be it, i will. but it would be nice if someone could tell me that you can get in with a cat shark without having a 30lb suit of metal on, hehe.

i'll buy hermits to keep the sand clean, i'll buy snails to help with algae, i'll have plenty of white shrimp to supply. and i'll always have fish/crab/and/or/lobster meat ready. will they eat talapi or wahetever there called? if so, i could have whole fish for him every feeding. or the meat only, whatever he would like best. and i would soak the food in freshwater, then saltwater and treat the water it's in if i need to.

i'll make sure a certain amount of my money i get from things will go towards getting more things to help the shark.if i have 1000 hermits, 1000 snails, 100 tubeworms, 100lb of live rock, 1000lb of sand, and the best filtration and ehating system i could buy i would still be buying for him.

(please note that he will most likely not have 1000 hermits and 1000 snails and so on, that would be a little bad, he would lay on the sand and have hermit crab claw stuck up his butt)

anyway....

i'll try to build up a list of stuff to buy and when i'll buy it to giv you guys an idea of what he will get.

at the beginning, by the time he hatches and peaks out at his new home, he will have atleast a well filtrated refugium, heater, live shrimp, frozen shrimp, and the 277 gallon pool.

i've got alot of experience keeping animals. i've got chickens, fish (of course), snails, bearded dragon, parakeets, russion tortoise, hermit crab (land), and shrimp. i know for certain that a shark will take more work and dedication then keeping any of these animals, and i'm willing to take that challenge. i find enough time to play with my lizard and tortoise often, and i always have time to make sure my chickens have food, and fruit weekly. i always give my tortoise and dragon plenty of fruits and veggies, and i make a peanut butter and seed mix for my parakeets often. i spoil all my animals, and still have time to spend the rest of the 80-90% of my time doing fish related things. as you can see, i'm an animal freak, and i'm willing to take on the challenge, and willing to spend the time and dedication.

(as i have said a ton in this post)

 

[musho3210]

well with a 277 gallon pool for a tank, the refugium should be maybe 100 gallons with 425 pounds of live rock and 6 inches of live sand. Get a large colony of grown white shrimp and make them breed so you will always have some stock with you. The main tank will also need a lot of sand and some rock, You will also need 500 gallons worth of skimming (just to be safe) and a large wet/dry trickle filter. And yes you will need to get in there and clean there poop to prevent the waste building up. You will also need to raise a colony of mussels and clams to feed him, you will need to clean the fish in freshwater as you said.

May i ask have you had any experiance with a saltwater tank? If not, maybe spend a few years with a FOWLR saltwater tank to get used to the hardships of saltwater. Then maybe go on to harder fish to keep like maybe angelfish or something. Then move on to sharks. Go slowly with easy to care for fish, then maybe in a year get harder to care for fish until you reach the shark level. Books arent going to help here, you will need experiance

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

i've not had much experience with saltwater aquariums. i've studied saltwater reefs and saltwater fish since i was little though. i've read tons of books about reefs, saltwater fish, and so on. i've also just sat and studied saltwater aquariums in doctors offices and other places. and i whatch tons of videos and reada ton of saltwater things. i've had tons of experience with freshwater, i've even managed to get MINIATURE bass minnows to breed! first step was to find a way to keep the bass minnows small, then i finally got baby ones. so i've basically had about every type of freshwater thing, crabs, crayfish, shrimp, fish, brine shrimp, clams, mussels.

i can very easily supply freshwater flat clams, would those work? they may not live long in saltwater, but would they work as food?

i'm planning on getting the cheap cleaner clams that live in saltwater, i can't afford those big pretty ones that are like $40 each to feed to a shark, plus, it would be hard to put a big colorful clam in with him. anyway, would a freshwater clam work? i can breed the saltwater clams (cheap ones) if not.

would scallops be something that could replace the clams? i hear there easy to breed, and there cool, hehe.

i'll get a big colony of white shrimp going.

so.... i'm really gonna need a 100 gallon refugium for this?

and just your best guess, how much dollars worth of sand do you think i'm gonna need? i just need to try to find out what i need and how much it is and stuff.

freshwater clams would save me a ton of money, because i am getting a shallow 'river' like system set up in the spring, and i can legally collect a ton of freshwater clams from a local creek (connected to a river, wich is how they got there, the normal creeks mainly have just mussels, if anything).

i lost my favorite freshwater flat clam that lived in my invert tank, and i didn't want his death to go to wast, so he is in a baggy with water in the freezer at the garage. it may sound bad to some, but it's best, cause he won't die in vain... so i've kept him in there, so he could possibly be my sharks welcoming food when he is born. unless i should start him off with live shrimp.

i'd also like to eventually, after he is about 1.5' or 2' or so, get a lightning wrasse maby as a cleaner? would he like to have a cleaner fish to ahng around and clean him?

and is 425lbs of live rock a nessesity? cause i bought 30lbs a while back and it was $105. so it would take forever for me to build up that much rock.

i'm going to clearwater florida for spring break and i'm hoping to collect a bunch down there. i want to try to get hermits, stars, snails, and i'm hoping to find some live rock i coud collect near shore, but i still don't even think i could get anywhere near 425lbs.

i'll have a big filter and tubeworms and a protien skimmer, plus 30lbs of live rock and live sand. is it a have to with the 425lbs of live rock?

 

[musho3210]

yes 425 pounds of live rock is a must, hence getting a large refugium to fit it all and give the shark more space to swim in the pool, you still have to follow the rule of 1-1.5 pounds of rock per gallon. The 100 gallon refugium was a reccomendation to grow all your rock, macro algae and invertebrate but you could do 75 gallons, no smaller than that though, otherwise you wont be able to fit all the things you will be getting. As for the clam, you can get rid of it. Its no good feeding saltwater animals freshwater things, feed him live white shrimp at birth. The more diverse the sharks diet the better, saltwater invertebrate is best, feeder fish arent really that good since they normally carry lots of diseases. Live sand is normally..... 2-3 dollars a pound, you will need around 300 pounds of it in the main tank and maybe 200 pounds of it in the refugium, the total cost of the sand only is about 1000-1500 dollars. As for the skimmer, you still need it, as i said you need the best of the best.

You wont need 425 pounds of live rock in the begining, maybe just get 100 pounds to start with and add 10 pounds every month or every other month, the shark will be small at first with a small bio-load so you wont need that much rock, you will still need the skimmer from the start though. But as i said no shortcuts you will have to have to get at least 10 pounds once every two months with 100 pounds to start off with.

I still advise you not to, even with all those books youve read you arent really classified as an expert, you are still a begginer since you have lots of knowledge, but not much experiance[/u]

 

[Matt]

Please whatever you do dont just go Buy a couple Hundred bags of Playsand From HomeDepot, Lowes, or any Hardware Store.
Save your Self some Money and Buy it from a Place thats sells it buy the
Scoop.(Big Tractor Scoop)(Each scoop is a couple hundred lbs.) Unless it looks really Nasty.
Its a LOT Cheaper. But you Might Have to Clean it Very well.
(the reason that I suggest this is that the ones by my home are very Cheap and Clean.)

 

[Bamboo_Kitten_Shark]

14 = only income is web security, small house jobs, and breeding aquatic animals

income = not gonna be able to supply that much sand

output of all the time spent reading and talking about sharks = most likely wasted


there is no way i would be able to supply that much sand. 1000-1500 isn't very cheap, i could buy tons of sharks for the price of the sand alone.

so unless the sand is something i could do without, i'm screwed....


well, that was the most wasted day online of my life EVER

8 forums, about 6 of them were active, with people talking with me about sharks, for around 5 hours out of this day. so that was fun :roll:


someone else suggested stingrays, they also mensioned that they can breed in captivity and i could helppay off costs by selling a few of the babies.

before i do any big research or forum time, will i need a ton of sand for stingrays?