banded cat shark
- Thread starter edavis
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saltwaterguy
Member
IMO, they need at least 480g for life.
Chad
Chad
redman1221
Member
Yes they are easy to take care of. I have a short tail nurse shark and a Whitespotted Bamboo Shark. If you get them when they are small you can put them in a 125 but you will have to get a bigger tank when they get adult size. They do take a long time to grow if you don't feed them everyday, ones or twice a week thats all you need to feed them. By the way you don't need to get a 400g tank you can have a 275g tank is fine for them when they get full size but if you can buy a 400g tank or bigger thats cool too.
krj-1168
Member
Well - first where did you get a short tail nurse shark? Are you sure it's not just a juvenile Nurse? As Short tail Nurses are incredible rare - virtually never found in LFS.
Also Short tail Nurses & White-spotted Bamboos tend to be smaller than Brown-banded bamboos. Both the short-tail nurse & white-spotted Bamboo reach about 2.5-3'. Brown-banded bamboos can reach closer almost 3.5' in length.
I've seen video of a 36" bamboo shark(brown banded) kept in a 300 gallon tank. The poor shark could barely turn around. So the 400-480 gallon is a more ethical approximation.
Also Short tail Nurses & White-spotted Bamboos tend to be smaller than Brown-banded bamboos. Both the short-tail nurse & white-spotted Bamboo reach about 2.5-3'. Brown-banded bamboos can reach closer almost 3.5' in length.
I've seen video of a 36" bamboo shark(brown banded) kept in a 300 gallon tank. The poor shark could barely turn around. So the 400-480 gallon is a more ethical approximation.
redman1221
Member
Yes I am sure that it a short tail nurse shark and I got it from this LFS store that I only go to to get fish or sharks from. Can you send me that video.
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by redman1221
Yes they are easy to take care of. I have a short tail nurse shark and a Whitespotted Bamboo Shark. If you get them when they are small you can put them in a 125 but you will have to get a bigger tank when they get adult size. They do take a long time to grow if you don't feed them everyday, ones or twice a week thats all you need to feed them. By the way you don't need to get a 400g tank you can have a 275g tank is fine for them when they get full size but if you can buy a 400g tank or bigger thats cool too.
Stunting a fish's growth by not feeding them as often as they need is not only wrong, but will not work. What sized tank do you have a nurse shark in? They grow over 14 feet and need at LEAST a 5,000 gallon tank. Maybe a short tail, I have not heard of those, need a smaller tank. Bamboo sharks need at LEAST a 160. They grow over 37", but this is the same book that says a YT would be fine in a 75. In reality they need at least a 125. These fish need large amounts of room to swim.
Yes they are easy to take care of. I have a short tail nurse shark and a Whitespotted Bamboo Shark. If you get them when they are small you can put them in a 125 but you will have to get a bigger tank when they get adult size. They do take a long time to grow if you don't feed them everyday, ones or twice a week thats all you need to feed them. By the way you don't need to get a 400g tank you can have a 275g tank is fine for them when they get full size but if you can buy a 400g tank or bigger thats cool too.
Stunting a fish's growth by not feeding them as often as they need is not only wrong, but will not work. What sized tank do you have a nurse shark in? They grow over 14 feet and need at LEAST a 5,000 gallon tank. Maybe a short tail, I have not heard of those, need a smaller tank. Bamboo sharks need at LEAST a 160. They grow over 37", but this is the same book that says a YT would be fine in a 75. In reality they need at least a 125. These fish need large amounts of room to swim.
krj-1168
Member
Ok - a little info - the Short tail Nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) grows to about 30-36" in length. Native to the Indian Ocean - near Eastern Africa. Very Rare seen in captivity, usually only in European Public Aquariums.
Still - I do doubt that any LFS in the U.S. can get these small relatives of the Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). Especially when the Nurse is very common along the southern States of the U.S. And btw - a 5,000 gallon tank/pool can't really hold a 10' Nurse Shark for life.
A 160 may work of a bamboo pup - but won't work for an adult Gray Bamboo.
NOTE: I've said it before - Scott Michael's figures for Keeping sharks in way under the true tank sizes need to keep a species.
- For smoothhounds - the realistic tank sizes are at least 25-50% higher.
- For Benthic species such as Bamboos, Eppies, Horns, & coral cats - the realistic tank/pond size should be double.
- For Requiems - the realistic tank/lagoon size is at least 3-4 times
P.S. - as for the video of the Bamboo in a 300 gallon tank - I believe it was on YouTube - but it was at least 6 months ago that I saw it.
Still - I do doubt that any LFS in the U.S. can get these small relatives of the Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). Especially when the Nurse is very common along the southern States of the U.S. And btw - a 5,000 gallon tank/pool can't really hold a 10' Nurse Shark for life.
A 160 may work of a bamboo pup - but won't work for an adult Gray Bamboo.
NOTE: I've said it before - Scott Michael's figures for Keeping sharks in way under the true tank sizes need to keep a species.
- For smoothhounds - the realistic tank sizes are at least 25-50% higher.
- For Benthic species such as Bamboos, Eppies, Horns, & coral cats - the realistic tank/pond size should be double.
- For Requiems - the realistic tank/lagoon size is at least 3-4 times
P.S. - as for the video of the Bamboo in a 300 gallon tank - I believe it was on YouTube - but it was at least 6 months ago that I saw it.
redman1221
Member
Here you go and by the way I have them in a 375g tank for right now and they are loving it. You really don't have to feed them everyday so I am not doing anything wrong. I had the cat shark for over 2 years now and I had the short tail nurse shark since feb of this year. Both are doing real good with being feed twice a week.
seagoblin333
Member
could u post any full tank pics?
redman1221
Member
As soon as I get my cam fixed I will post more pic. These pic was taken earlier this year after I added the nurse shark.
mike22cha
Active Member
Wow if that is a short tailed nurse, which I doubt it is but wish it was, I'd sell that thing! I know a lot of shark keepers who'd die to get one. YOu can get some good money for one. How much did you pay for it, if you don't mind? THey are extremely rare, so maybe the price could help?
redman1221
Member
I paid $300 for it and it is a short tail nurse shark and no I would not sell him. I will be keeping him for a long time. I don't see these sharks to much so I feel luck that I found one, so I would never sell him.
redman1221
Member
The cat shark is about 17" and the nurse is about 13" and the tank is 8ft long x 30" tall x 30" wide. I am guessing at the size of my sharks because I have not measure them.
krj-1168
Member
Nice Size tank.
Beautiful Sharks
Still I hate to say it - but the tank won't be large enough to keep either shark for it's entire life time.
The "catshark" is a White-spotted Bamboo (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) - which grows to about 33-37" (84-95 cm). And it will need a tank that at least 42-48" wide.
The "short-tail" nurse - is actually a regular Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - which will eventually(in maybe 10-20 years) reach 8-10'. Which will require at least a good size swimming pool to keep.
Beautiful Sharks
Still I hate to say it - but the tank won't be large enough to keep either shark for it's entire life time.
The "catshark" is a White-spotted Bamboo (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) - which grows to about 33-37" (84-95 cm). And it will need a tank that at least 42-48" wide.
The "short-tail" nurse - is actually a regular Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - which will eventually(in maybe 10-20 years) reach 8-10'. Which will require at least a good size swimming pool to keep.
redman1221
Member
By then they will be in a bigger tank or a indoor pool and I will have a bigger house too.
krj-1168
Member
Even though - it will take about 10-20 years for the Nurse to reach it's full adult size. It will still out grow your current tank in about 12-24 months.
The White-spotted will likely start out growing the tank in about 12-18 months.
So you should start saving up and planning for a good size pond for these two for the next several years .
The White-spotted will likely start out growing the tank in about 12-18 months.
So you should start saving up and planning for a good size pond for these two for the next several years .
zdthompson
Member
you putting them in a indoor pool? SWEET! can i come swimming?