[SharkLover]

Okay, I've been doing research off and on about owning sharks (the one creature I'm most fascinated with). For the longest time I had my sites set on a brown banded bamboo shark, but I recently learned about all of the other sharks out there that are possible for me to attain. I most know about the bamboo shark though; I know they are salt water and I understand their feeding needs and possible growth issues. Everywhere I look I read that "a minimum tank size of 180 gallons are needed for this creature" but they can grow up to 4 feet long, which is over half my height, I'd prefer a tank I'd be comfortable fitting in (personally). Can anyone give me any advice on this topic? I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[Sakura8]

From everything I've read, sharks need very large tanks with lots of room to move around in. While you may not need a tall tank (height-wise), you definitely need a long and fairly wide tank. Whatever you get needs to be wide enough that a fully-grown shark can comfortably turn around in.

You will most likely want to have a tank that a fully-grown shark can fit in right off the bat because the brownbanded bamboo shark can grow nearly a foot in one year if well-cared for.

Although you've read up on sharks, I still feel the need to say please, please, avoid nurse sharks. They get far too big to be kept in ANY home aquaria and euthanization or an uncomfortable, smothered death is often the end for these majestic animals.

EDIT: For building your own tank . . . you may want to check your yellow pages and look for glass workers near you. They may be able to make a tank to your specifications. Again, length is the most important, with width being next. Height is the least important but these fish do well in deeper and dimmer waters.

 

[wake49]

I am going to agree with Sakura8 here and say that a unless you are ready for thousands of gallons of water, you should forego the shark idea. Go to a local aquarium and ask about shark care. Their tanks are almost always built for swimming, built kind of like a doughnut so the shark can swim around the center continuously.

Although majestic creatures (I was just watching Shark Week on Amazon last night), they are better meant for the ocean or aquariums that can handle their high demands...

 

[SharkLover]

Thank you, I will definitely look into a glass worker, my boyfriend and I were talking about turning a room into a huge tank area, I know its a lot of work but I have PLENTY of time to dedicate to this project, and no worries I don't want a nurse shark even though I do love them, I think for the time being I'll stark working small with the shark like fish (balas and such) But I greatly appreciate the advice

 

[Agent13]

Awww. I love those guys. I was just at the beach and the aquarium had a bunch and got to touch them.
They keep them in a cylinder style aquarium and if I remember correctly is they have a tendency to bump against the glass if it isn't curved. 1 younger boisterous one was swimming against the glass in circles the whole time I was there so I'm pretty sure they enjoy that shape. They (bamboo sharks) like to play more on the bottom so a wide circular aquarium would be ideal.
Good luck!