Bamboo Sharks

[chrisbassist]

anyone here have any?

I'm interested in keeping them. it'll be a few years away i'm sure. but i have a few questions.

1. suitable tank dimensions? I'm thinking of a tank around 3 metres long, by about 2 metres wide, by maybe 75cm high. I'm assuming this will be big enough, but will they need any height at all? or could I knock that down a little?

2. suitable tank mates? the tank will be primarily for the sharks, but is there anything i could keep with them? bearing in mind the sharks tend to stay near the bottom, is there anything for the top/middle of the tank?

3. good foods? i'd like to give them a decent diet, is there any suitable "feeder" fish or anything?

this is a long way off, but I figure the more research done now, the better i can make their habitat.

 

[steelhealr]

I've never kept them but have 'heard' things. The fish can grow to 3 feet long. I would think you'd need a huge tank, several hundred gallons. I know they need a sandy bottom and I know that they would be compatible with most any large mid tank swimming fish (eg, angels). Anything on the bottom would be at risk for being eaten. Don't believe they are reef safe either. It's a project for an experienced marine tank keeper. SH

 

[chrisbassist]

Thanks, it's a start to my info.

Planned tank dimensions are (in feet) 10x6x2 approx. I have been inspired by T1Karmanns thread to build a big tank. And even though it'll take a few years to do. It'll be great when I get there.

I'm not bothered about having a reef. I want the sharks... It'll be their tank.

So angels are one option.
Sand substrate

 

[steelhealr]

T1's tank is an amazing showcase tank for our forum. Although he had many contractors put his system together, he planned it out, designed it and cares for the fish. I think he is an asset to our forum.

Whether you breed guppies....keep nano reefs..or have a 1000G build....each member here has something to contribute. As you can see from his thread, there is an entirely different knowledge base to keep these large fish. As I recall, he has sustained a fish for over 7 years. That's not luck.

Like you Chris, I have some plans for some other tanks, but, time and money have held me in check. THIS place tho' will be the first place I post it tho' when the time comes. SH

 

[chrisbassist]

and i'll happily read your thread on yours when you do it, and if it happens before mine, then i'll happily bug you asking hundreds of little questions

i'd much rather have a smaller 75G tank, but that won't be possible with the sharks, they wouldn't be happy about it at all.

next step i think is researching where they come from in the wild, and thinking about possible biotopes prob just sand and maybe a few rocks but we'll see.

and i worked out those measurements to be 900USG, not a bad size considering most sites say they need a minimum of 220G. but i can't see how the'd be happy in something that small, they need the length and width. but then they are very very flexible so turning isn't such an issue (part of the reason it's only a little over 3 times their length instead of longer like 5 times their length...)

 

[-Nemo-]

I don't know too much in this area either, but I have read up a bit beforehand just on general knowledge. I know of all the sharks bamboos are the best survival wise and generally do the best in captivity provided they have the correct conditions.

Also, rounded (as in a cylinder) tanks are best for sharks. Which I think would look pretty neat anyways

 

[chrisbassist]

why are cyclindrical tanks better then?

done a bit more reading, apparently the epaullette sharks adapt to new aquariums better, but if possible i'd like to find a grey bamboo. actually, i think i'd like one of each color type of the bamboos.

looks like the best tank decoration is sand, and a couple of caves made of something smooth which won't upset their soft skin.

won't be doing coral since the sharks don't like bright light. I think i'll get some experience with a smaller tank first, then when i get this i can use the smaller one to breed food. like shrimps...

saying that, would it be possible to use a section of the sump for breeding shrimps and things? that'd save me from maintaining 2 tanks...

 

[-Nemo-]

Cylindrical are suppose to be in the aspect of the shark turning around if I remember correctly.

 

[chrisbassist]

ok, just done some reading on that...

apparently it's so they can keep swimming round in circles. so they don't need to stop. but for sharks that rest by stopping, it doesn't offer the space required for that... so an ellipse is better, offering the space in the middle to just stop. thing is doing that i'll only be taking water out to be able to put the curve inside...

plus bearing in mind bamboo aren't supposed to be too active (but i think given the right size environment they'll be a little more active) and that they sometimes find themselves in small areas in the wild and around corals, they actually look (and feel with their fins) where they are going, so i don't think corners will be too much for a bamboo... but would probably end up killing a hammerhead which doesn't look where it's going, is used to completely open spaces and will just swim into the glass.....

 

[andywg]

If you seriously are interested in keeping marine sharks, the best thing you can do is get Scott Michael's Aquarium Sharks and Rays book. You should be able to find it for around £20 or less now. This is the bible on how to keep sharks and is told from the point of view of an aquarist who has actually kept most of these fish (making the articles on force feeding even more unnerving!).

The only thing I tend to be careful of is the minimum tank sizes shown in the book, but I think he appreciates that the maximum sizes of a fish are just that, the maximum, so often times you can get away with smaller.

You are right above that the circular ponds are for ram ventilated sharks which need to be constantly swimming to force water throught the gills to obtain oxygen. The bamboo sharks have a method to do this whilst resting and so do not need to keep moving.

The realistic bare minimum for an adult epaullette is a 6x2x2 tank, but a 6x3x2 (lxwxh) is better and I would look towards an 8x3x2 if possible.

 

[cheesy feet]

If you do get a bamboo shark be sure to show us..Haven't seen you in a long time Andy

 

[chrisbassist]

If you seriously are interested in keeping marine sharks, the best thing you can do is get Scott Michael's Aquarium Sharks and Rays book. You should be able to find it for around £20 or less now. This is the bible on how to keep sharks and is told from the point of view of an aquarist who has actually kept most of these fish (making the articles on force feeding even more unnerving!).

The only thing I tend to be careful of is the minimum tank sizes shown in the book, but I think he appreciates that the maximum sizes of a fish are just that, the maximum, so often times you can get away with smaller.

You are right above that the circular ponds are for ram ventilated sharks which need to be constantly swimming to force water throught the gills to obtain oxygen. The bamboo sharks have a method to do this whilst resting and so do not need to keep moving.

The realistic bare minimum for an adult epaullette is a 6x2x2 tank, but a 6x3x2 (lxwxh) is better and I would look towards an 8x3x2 if possible.

cheers, I'll be sure to check out that book!

and if you didn't notice the intended tank size, it's bigger than either you said. being 10ft by 6 ft, by 2ft high, but that may change as i get closer, and realise i don't have much money, or space or whatever, but at the moment thats the size i'm looking at. watching vids of the bamboo sharks makes me want them even more, and it's amazing how little space they need to turn around, as little as 6-8 inches is all they need (of course that's still cruel, and thats why I want a large tank in both dimensions so it's not jsut swimming back and forth)