Sharks

Having a shark is a great responsibility. It is your obligation to provide a tank for them to live comfortably. You must take into consideration that you are purchasing a juvenile that will grow to maturity, and will require a large system. Prior to purchasing, it is your responsibility to educate yourself on the needs of the shark and especially its requirements of space.

Aquarium Suggestions

- For Inactive species the aquarium must be .75 times as wide as the full adult length of the shark, and 2 - 2.5 times as long.

- For Active species the aquarium must be 1.5 times as wide as the full adult length of the shark, and 4 - 5 times as long.

- It is important to remember that tall configurations of standard tanks may not be as appropriate as longer or wide designs of equal volume.

- When choosing a substrate for your tank, a smaller grade is ideal. Sand or Fine Aragonite Sand is especially important for species that spend lots of time lying on the bottom or that bury themselves.

Tank Parameters

- Temperature should be between 70 - 80 Degrees (F)

* Some cold water species do better in the 60's

- Salinity Specific Gravity should be kept between 1.020 - 1.026

- pH should be kept between 7.8 - 8.3

* Sharks are sensitive to pH- If adjustments need to be made, they should be done very slow.

Common Mistakes

1. Purchasing a shark on impulse without educating yourself on its biology and necessary care requirements

2. Purchasing a species that will outgrow your tank and/or financial resources

3. Purchasing a species that is too active for the tank you provide

4. Purchasing a cold water species for a tropical aquarium (a chiller may need to be provided)

5. Purchasing a species that poses difficulty for feeding

Best Sharks for Beginners

* We do not sell each and every shark listed below, these are just a few suggestions.

Smaller Adult Sizes

- Coral Catshark - White Spotted Bamboo Shark

- Gray Bamboo Shark - Brownbanded Bamboo Shark

- Arabian Bamboo Shark - Epaulette Shark

Medium to Large Adult Sizes

- Horn Shark

Sharks for Experts & Very Large Systems

* We do not sell each and every shark listed below, these are just a few suggestions.

- Zebra Shark - Nurse Shark

- Leopard Shark - Blacktip Reef Shark

- Lemon Shark - Whitetip Reef Shark

- Bonnethead Shark

Tank Mates

Bad Tankmates/ Potentially Harmful to your Shark:

- Scorpionfishes - Butterflyfishes

- Large Angelfish - Filefishes

- Triggerfishes - Puffers

- Purcupinefishes

Good Fish Tankmates/ Non Harmful Fish:

*We do not sell each and every item listed below, these are just a few suggestions.

- Moray Eels - Snake Eels

- Squirrelfishes - Grouper

- Batfishes - Spinecheeks

- Cardinalfishes - Goatfishes

- Snapper - Jacks

- Discfishes - Monos

- Damselfishes - Hawkfishes

- Sand Perches - Gobies

Good Invertebrate Tankmates/ Non Harmful:

*We do not sell each and every Invertebrate listed below, these are just a few suggestions.

- Larger Cowries - Larger Conchs

- Boxer Shrimps - Cleaner Shrimps

- Hermit Crabs - Decorator Crabs

- Slipper Lobster - Spiny Lobster

- Linckia Sea Stars - Brittle Stars

- Pencil Urchins

Recommended Shark Food

* Although there is the possibility of transmitting certain parasites, fresh seafood is preferred to frozen as it has greater nutritional value.

- Earthworms - Snails

- Clams - Market Squid

- Frozen Krill - Table Shrimp

- Blue Crab - Shark Formula Food (Ocean Nutrition)

- Sardines - Herring

- Mackerel - Orange Roughy

- Snapper - River Smelt

- Plaice