Shark in a Reef

fordguy67

fordguy67

Member
yes this is a serious question. i was reading on a different website that says you can keep a bamboo cat shark in a tank with corals. it is harmless to them it just may bump them. it also says that a 55 gallon aquarium or larger is ideal for this shark. i have a 125 and i would love to have a shark but i also want corals. is this possible or should i just not even think about it.
 
crimzy

crimzy

Active Member
Originally Posted by fordguy67
yes this is a serious question. i was reading on a different website that says you can keep a bamboo cat shark in a tank with corals. it is harmless to them it just may bump them. it also says that a 55 gallon aquarium or larger is ideal for this shark. i have a 125 and i would love to have a shark but i also want corals. is this possible or should i just not even think about it.
This won't work for a variety of reasons. First, a 125 will only keep a shark for a short period of time, (probably a year or so). Second, the shark will not only bump the corals but it will knock everything off it's spot and you will consistently be picking up corals that are now sitting upside down on the bottom of the tank. Third, many corals have stinging cells that will harm the shark. And finally, fourth, the inverts that are common in a reef will probably become lunch.
 
trigger78

trigger78

Member
Originally Posted by fordguy67
yes this is a serious question. i was reading on a different website that says you can keep a bamboo cat shark in a tank with corals. it is harmless to them it just may bump them. it also says that a 55 gallon aquarium or larger is ideal for this shark. i have a 125 and i would love to have a shark but i also want corals. is this possible or should i just not even think about it.
Just keep in mind that the shark needs ample room to turn around atleast 1.5-2x the length of their body. I would think a wide tank would be better suited for a shark.
As for the reef. What type of other animals are you wanting in there? The shark propably wont harm the corals on purpose but you will be very limited to other species.
 
fordguy67

fordguy67

Member
well this website says that the shark only grows to be between 7" to 11". now if i were to attach the corals to a rock would that be okay or will the shark still be to strong and push the corals off?
 
fordguy67

fordguy67

Member
well i wouldnt mind giving up invertabrets if that let me get a shark. i think sharks are really cool but i would really like to have a reef tank as well.
 
trigger78

trigger78

Member
without all of the inverts and fish that supplement the corals with thier poop. You will have to spot feed the corals and run a skimmer that is rated higher than your tank.
Go to the aggresive section a skim through the pages really quick. A girl added a shark to a tank that has fish and corals in it and see if the thread has gotten any action. It was just posted a few days ago.
 
J

jamparty

Guest
you still shouldn't keep a shark in your tank even if it only grows 11"...
You have a 125... and it's reef..
Well, consider this. After you are done with all the LR that is necessary for a Reef tank, and all the coral, and inverts, and other fish--->you really don't have 125 gallons.. And even if you did, I still wouldn't put a shark in there. They need tanks with rather large footprints of FREE swimming room, especially to make turns. Imagine how an F-18 turns in the sky...makes a big swoop..it can't just turn on a dime like say a Cobra attack chopper. If you are serious about keeping a shark then get a larger tank...at least 280..with minimal LR a WIDE footprint, sand substrate..and kick ass life support systems as sharks have heavy bio-loads.
Reef + shark = disaster. The technology or space just isn't there yet for us to be able to recreate what is in nature already.
 
trigger78

trigger78

Member
Originally Posted by Trigger78
without all of the inverts and fish that supplement the corals with thier poop. You will have to spot feed the corals and run a skimmer that is rated higher than your tank.
Go to the aggresive section a skim through the pages really quick. A girl added a shark to a tank that has fish and corals in it and see if the thread has gotten any action. It was just posted a few days ago.
I have looked and looked but i cant find the thresd that i mentioned. The shark was hiding because there was a triggerfish in there with it. That is why i remembered the thread because everyone kept saying to get rid of the trigger.
 
rslinger

rslinger

Member
yeah they mean that Shark would come to you at 11 in or so. they are 8 to ten when they hatch. IMO a bad idea you will have a couple foot shark and a bunch of broken coral fast.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by fordguy67
well this website says that the shark only grows to be between 7" to 11". ...
That would be very incorrect.
 
rbaldino

rbaldino

Active Member
Originally Posted by ReefForBrains
Something completley off topic but why "Fordguy67" when you have a pic of an A body?
Sorry for the hijack
Hate to do this to you, but that's an F Body. A Bodies were Chevelles, GTOs, 442s, etc. Still, your question is a good one.
 
rbaldino

rbaldino

Active Member
Originally Posted by Trigger78
without all of the inverts and fish that supplement the corals with thier poop. You will have to spot feed the corals and run a skimmer that is rated higher than your tank.
Where on Earth did you get the idea that corals live on poop?
 
cubsfan

cubsfan

Member
one of the smaller sharks is a cat shark and they get between 2.5 feet to over 3 feet. To much rock and corals will scratch their stomachs as they swim around and it will get infected and kill the shark. Sharks need alot of room with very little rocks. Just a cave to hide in.
 
trigger78

trigger78

Member
Originally Posted by rbaldino
Where on Earth did you get the idea that corals live on poop?

Sure corals live on some of the nutrients that the fish feces has in it. Just do a google search coral fish feces you'll learn much more than just about coral.
 
rbaldino

rbaldino

Active Member
Originally Posted by Trigger78
Sure corals live on some of the nutrients that the fish feces has in it. Just do a google search coral fish feces you'll learn much more than just about coral.
Most corals live on light, not fish waste. Many people have reef tanks without any fish in them. In short, fish waste is not one of the sought after ingredients for a reef tank, and in fact most people strive to limit fish waste as much as possible.
 
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