BonnetHead?

novice150

novice150

Member
I want one!!!:D:D:D:D
Jim27: That really sucks about your ray. Do you plan to get another? I know what it feels like for these sharks to be ####'s. Fortunately for them, I love em, so I forgive em.:)
I will try to get some new shark pics up tonight, as well as some of the blue spot.
Saltfisher: You know I gotta have one these bad boys right? :) As for what tank he'll be in. I wont put him with the black tip till I know he's eating right, and has grown a bit. Once he's big enough, I think he'll be fine.
 
gibbus

gibbus

Member
They should be thicker, my friend gets bonnetheads from time to time, and they are thick. They around 12-16". I have seen pictures of his.
 
jim27

jim27

Member
Novice: I'd love to try another but I dont trust the whitespotted anymore when it comes to soft bodied tankmates.
 
joe hildreth

joe hildreth

Member
NOVICE, Do you have any pics of your tank, I have heard lots about it and would love to see it. I can't imagine one that big, It would be a dream come true, You are very lucky to have it.
JIM, I started my tank with a commom ray and had no luck with him eating. I felt so bad to see him just slowly starving himself. I have heard the blue spotted are much easier and I would love to start one up. Fill me in if you can on your pro's and con's on having yours. Thanx, Joe
 
novice150

novice150

Member
Joe: You can see pics of my tank at http://groups.msn.com/TheSharkTank/home.htm
or just click on the www at the bottom of my post.
What you have heard about the blue spotted is exactly backwards:) Blue spotted ribbon tail rays are notoriously the hardest of the aquarium rays to keep.
#1 they are hard to get to feed.
#2 they are famous for just up and dying even once they are feeding.
There is a blue spotted stingray, which I have heard is easier than the ribbon tail. But, I have never seen one for sale.
Jim was able to get his to feed, and mine is feeding now as well. But I fear that may mean nothing in the long run. Only time will tell.
 
jim27

jim27

Member
Joe: Like Novice said, blue spots are one of the hardest rays too keep. They dont always accept food and even if they do they can still up and die for apparently no reason. Yellow rays are a much better ray for the casual hobbyist. Very hardy unlike blue spots. I was lucky enough to find one that was eating before I even bought it which is a rare thing, and one of the reasons I was so pissed that the whitespotted killed it. I cant really say there were any cons with this ray IME, it did great up until the day it was killed.
Novice also brings up the other 'blue spotted' stingray(also called masked stingray). Personally I've never even seen one in real life but from what I've read they are much hardier than blue spotted ribbontail rays.
 
joe hildreth

joe hildreth

Member
NOVICE, You are the man. I have never even seen anything like that. I can't imagine how much time any money you have put into that. Where did you learn to do all that. In our next home I want to have a custom put into the wall but I think I want it really long dividing 2 rooms. I guess thats a dream. I do give you thumbs up on your set-up. Your horn shark is awsome. It has the spots on top where mine has them on the bottom. Cute though. How is your black tip doing and what are you feeding him and how often. We went fishing in the gulf a couple of weeks ago and caught 4 small black tips about 2' and they were awsome. Very aggressive. I wonder if you can adapt them to aquariums. I would'nt think so. Have you thought about a nurse shark at all. Dallas North Aquarium had one in when I got my eel the other day but it was sold. I did not get a chance to see it but the guy said it was about 2 1/2'. How does eveyone get along in your big tank and what else have you added to it lately?
THUMBS UP:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
psychoskater

psychoskater

Member
I WOULDNT GET ONE UNLESS IT WAS NEVER COMING OUT! When i catch those suckers when i fish they practilly try to bite my hand off. They are very quick!
 
novice150

novice150

Member
Thanks guys:)
Joe: I learned most of what I know from the internet and aquarium related books. I also visited my local aquarium and spoke to their engineers. The black tip (and other sharks) is doing great. I feed them a mix of various fresh sea food from the grocery store, and asian markets. The mix consists of cod, halibut, sole, squid, cuttlefish, shrimp, clams, tuna, etc. I feed 2 times per week now, and supplement with selcon. I give the black tip damsels every now and then as a treat. In fact, last month I added 60 assorted damsels to the tank. He ate 30 within 3 days, and all within 2 weeks. :eek: I had honestly expected them to last a little longer.
If your catching baby black tip reef sharks, then sure they could be adapted to aquarium life (assuming the aquarium was suitable), after all, that's where mine came from.
I've never given a nurse shark much thought. Their looks/behavior/adult size just don't appeal to me. :)
The sharks get along pretty well now. The black tip has not killed anything (except the damsels) since he fought with my leopard (which was finished off by a pump accident). The horn and bamboo stay out of his way, especially during feeding. I'd still like to try a large grouper one of these days, and I'm hoping to get one of these baby bonnet heads soon.:)
 
bullshark

bullshark

Member
Novice, sounds like a great aggressive ecosystem. As far as the grouper goes, I have the sickest, baddest ass grouper of all time. I bet your sharks would starve with this guy in the tank with him. He is a nine inch Honeycomb grouper that is super fast and super aggressive eater. He is all mouth and stomach.
I am not offering mine, just offering a suggestion as to the species. If you do go with a grouper go with a fish that lives on the reef. I also have another grouper that is a deep water species with much bigger eyes and larger pectoral fins, but he is not an aggressive eater.
Good Luck!
 
bbronco

bbronco

Member
does the black tip have teeth like a great white? how often do you swim/ clean the tank?
still would love to come see them the next time im in your neck of the woods!!!
 
terminus est

terminus est

Member
Nurse sharks get way too big for 99% of our home aquariums so dont waste your time or money. Black tips require a large amount of swimming room, they arent one of those species like cats that can sit there and breath. They also get very big. We have caught them 6 feet here before and I am sure they get bigger. On that same note we also catch tiny 10 inchers alot here. Psychoskater brings up a good safety point too. Even nurse sharks will bite you and have been known to attack divers who are stupid enough to aggrevate them in the wild. Black tips are more aggressive so when it comes time to move them out and anyone not having a tank the size of Novice's will have to on one of these bigger sharks, be careful not to lose a finger or hand. Remember chicks dig scars but a missing hand is not cool.
 
I

irenicus

Guest
Remember chicks dig scars but a missing hand is not cool.
Very True. :D
 
cincyreefer

cincyreefer

Active Member
I would not recommend a bonnethead. They are a shark that can get quite large and requires large amounts of swimming room, because they can drown. Same goes for a black tip... we got ours about 3 years ago when they were babies. The female was about 12" and the male was about 14". They are now around 3 feet long and are very aggresive eaters.
BTW- They are in a 10,000 gallon tank.
 
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