Originally Posted by
psusocr1
sharkbait,, although you are right and many people do suggest to egt a shark to grow less they lower the temp to slow the metabolism..
but how would you like it if someone did that to you.. they didnt want you to grow to quick and be hapy and healthy so someone ade you live in unaturaly cold conditions so you wouldnt eat as much..
im not attacking you, alot of people do siggest this and it does work but it just isnt right to me.. just expressing my opinions ont he matter..
always rememeber a happy healthy shark has the perfect temp, a big tank, alot of food, and proper tankmates!
I get the point, however every study I have read about the growth rate of captive care sharks show faster growth rate than in the wild. This is due to two factor food and water temp. While many of the tropical sharks will go from temps of 64-90* durring the season and the level of the tidal flat keeping a tank in the 74 range is no means cold. While I can see the point you make, and public or large private tank that has sharks will stay on the colder end as this is the temp most sharks are in year round. Summer is only 1/4 the year. To really get the best you would need to have a year round program that was computer programed to mimic the temp the shark may be found in the wild. Thus lower in the winter and higher in the summer. But in that regard one might then bring up further findings that most tropical sharks move from one location to the next in the seasons in part due to food migration, water temp and also the age of the shark. As we have found as a shark grows in age and as it's teeth grow more to a molar form, it will move from the rock( colder water area) out into the open sand beds in search of food at night.
I could go on about this, but i have found your post to be very good and I respect any fellow shark keepers input. But this tank will allow him some good years with the shark, but at some point it might need to be moved, and the one way to keep the shark in it longer is the above.
On another subject
Here is a CA Hammer head that some A hole got on a trip to catalina. He thought he could just put it in a 100 gal and keep it. The LFS Gave him my # and now I am looking to do something with him. I can only house him up to 6 month as he can grow over 3 in a month and is a very active swimer. I have been on the horn with locals and It is at this point a bad idea to put him back as he has been in a tank with other fish and can bring any said illness back in to the enviroment. He is 14" and eats like a champ. Birch so far is the only place that is willing to take him but at this time has no room UCSD has a good set up and I would be happy with him their.
