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Nurse shark, sys.
9/6/11 Nurse Shark... dying, env. --
7/7/10 Another nail in the coffin???? Ginglymostoma, shark sel. 10/20/08 Ladies and gentlemen, Please take a look.... http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/448350 Sincere regards, Frank A. <Sad and sickening. Bob Fenner> Nurse shark cestode infestation - 3/3/05 Hello, This is my first time writing to ya'll, and unfortunately, on bad terms. <Oh no> My System is 4,500 Gallons... <Sounds like you have put some effort into designing this tank but just know that it is extremely important that the tank is wider and longer than it is deep. I am not so sure that 4500 gallons actually sounds like enough for a full grown nurse shark, but I digress.....> ... solely for my Nurse shark (Raised from egg casing) Which is now 2 ft.(4 years later) <Not a fast grower but can and usually grow very large> My Tank Runs on 4 separate Sumps, at an average flow rate of 10,000 gal Per hour. My problem is, Last week (Approx) A massive invasion of free-swimming Parasitic CESTODE larvae swarmed the tank. <My question is how did this happen and how are you sure they are Cestode?> My Question is, What kind of medication do I use That is Nurse Shark Safe? <Praziquantel (Droncit) See Here for more information. You can find it available at online sites and veterinarians. Also, be sure to feed quality foods (noted on the wetwebmedia site many times under the sharks section and be sure to supplement the shark's dietary intake with some sort of supplement ( www.mazuri.com shark/ray tabs or something like that)> My Nurse shark is my baby, as I mentioned above, I have raised her from an inch long egg to a 2 ft. beautiful shark...I just have to say that I really don't feel that nurse sharks and any of the larger growing species are ever suitable for home aquaria. I actually question myself to even help support these animals as sometimes I feel it is rewarding the keeping of such sharks. Also, readers must understand that public aquariums aren't just waiting for shark owners to call with a shark they can no longer care for. <For many reasons I might add; qualified staff, lack of a holding facility, shark behavior, budgetary and even more) Takes a lot of understanding, constant maintenance, knowledge, money, food, proper environmental surroundings (i.e.. water chemistry, tank size, filtration) Good luck! Let me know how it goes. ~Paul> Nurse Shark not eating and stressed (Big Surprise) - 2/10/05 I know a nurse shark is not good for the home aquarist but I couldn't let him stay in the small tank at the fish store. He had been there a week. <Well, now he can not do well in your tank too.> Anyways, I have had him for 4 months and he has been doing really good. Was full of life and personality. Actually was a great entertainment to watch. Would come to meet you if you walked up to the tank, do push ups with his front fins. Been a great addition to the house. Starting last Tuesday I noticed that salt level was really high due to evaporating water and he wouldn't eat. <So are you not topping off with freshwater?> I did a water change and brought it back to normal. Wednesday he ate a lot, my wife said. Not sure the amount she fed him. He is under 2' from nose to tip of tail. We have been feeing him silver sides. He has been really happy with them. <Not a real good choice of food for a nurse shark. You could feed a kid a Snickers bars for lunch and dinner (and of course he will love it) but does it mean it is a nutritious food for good health and longevity?...... Try human food grade clam and or abalone chunks. Feed variety maybe some squid, anchovies, and maybe fresh sardines. Careful for feeding too much. They will get fat on anchovies and sardines. You could try prawns as well.> I went to feed him Saturday as I feed him every 3 days and he wanted nothing to do with the food. He has been very lethargic the last few days, not really moving. Just sitting where the blower blows on the ground. That is his favorite spot. I did another small water change to help and tested the salt, ammonia and nitrate levels. Everything was fine. <Not the only water chemistry test that should be done when one keeps a shark.> He just wouldn't eat or move much. He did have a white looking color to him. <This sounds like a monogene (flukes) infection. The white film is defense mechanism (mucous coat) The best thing to do is to get a little scrape of the film and look at it under a microscope (you could take the sample to a vet or a college lab) Without treatment the shark is likely to die. This is my best guess based on you description. There could be other issues here but likely the animal is stressed and the flukes are a result of the stress. To treat this (once it has been positively identified) you will need to treat with Droncit or Praziquantel. You use these by weight. You can buy them as de-wormers (used for dogs) and crush the pills up and use them in food. (which might be a problem for you as your shark is not eating) Which brings me to a point, do realize sharks can go for more than three days without eating. Keep water quality high and wait for a few days.> I tried to feed him again Sunday with no results. Hoping to help jump start his feeding I grabbed some live tetras as they looked small enough to feed him. I tossed in 4 of them and they are still around. I fed the tetra's last night and the shark seemed interested in the food. I bought some scallops and cut it up in to small pieces and tossed it in for him. He would suck it in and then spit out. He acted liked he wanted to eat but couldn't type of thing. I also put in a piece of a silverside as well. No luck. He is now showing a pink color mostly by his dorsal fin. <Hemorrhaging is not a good sign> He is making me very nervous as he stopped all his playful behavior... <May not have been playful at all......maybe he was always irritated...maybe something was bothering him from the start> ... and is just laying there most of the time. He did more a bit last night when I feed the tetras. He almost ate on but spit it back out. Any suggestions? I really want to get him back to his normal self. <You need to act immediately> Oh, my tank I know is small for him but this is what I got until I can get a custom one built to keep him for a bit longer width. It is a 180 gallons, 6' long, 2' wide, about 3' deep. <Wider is more important than depth, but over the long haul this is just too small a tank. You need a great amount of surface space (a very large tank), soft sandy bottom, great filtration, and quality foods. Do read more of our FAQs on sharks. You have to keep you water chemistry to high standards with regular water changes, top off with quality freshwater, and regular testing.> I know he needs a lot bigger tank but that is what I had. He as in a 30 gallon when I saw him. <I would like you to recommend to the dealer that he should look at our section on sharks, research his offerings before purchasing and treat to his animals better. Let him know if his practices don't change that you are going to not only stop shopping there but you are going to recommend to others not shop there as well. Don't reward this crap! Regardless of your intention, you are ill prepared for the long term care of your shark. So whether it dies in a dealer tank (where he will learn the lesson that a nurse shark is not a good animal to sell) or you take the shark and it dies in your tank thus frustrating you, and rewarding the dealer with business all cause you feel bad for the shark. Don't get me wrong here Peter, I see where your heart lies, and your intentions were noble (if your true intentions was to save the shark and not because you wanted to try one). Thanks for the question and being part of it all ~Paul> Nurse shark in distress follow up - 2/10/05 Thanks for the reply. <My pleasure.> They white has gone away and the red tinge replaced it. <Not good, my friend> I know buying him rewarded the fish store but I felt bad having him stuck in there. < I understand, but now it has become your issue too> I am planning on getting a better set up for him I know I won't be able to make one big enough but something he can be in for a while anyways. <Very noble> Then I am sure to donate him to a local aquarium. <Don't be so sure your local aquariums are waiting for the public to drop off animal they can no longer care for. They have space allocation issues too. Not to mention they also have the issue of added bandwidth (food, upkeep, staffing, medical issues...etc.....)> It has been over a week not a few days since he fed. <Be forewarned, it is possible this shark is doomed. It seems it was stressed out from the start.> I will definitely get a better source of food for him. <Excellent> Hopefully that will help. <Well, he has to be willing to eat which is one of the issues we are dealing with here> With regards to not topping off with fresh water, I had been, I don't know why I didn't, which allow the salt level to increase. Stupid me basically! <Not something you can afford to do unfortunately> I definitely will try those different foods hoping one will work to get him to eat. <Good idea> Thanks again for your help. <No problem. It is what we do> I will definitely let that shop know to not offer them again until they are prepared to care for them properly. <Great. Feel free to offer him this site> I will work on my system as well. Make sure that it is what it should be. <Be sure to do your research before picking up any animal stressed or not. ~Paulo> Nurse sharks that don't eat - 2/21/05 To answer your questions. What I did to turn this around was frequent water changes, using store bought water. <I do the same> I started with a 20% change then I did small changes of 5 - 10 gallons. With that, he seemed to respond a bit. Each night I tried giving a little a bit of food to try to get him to eat. <Excellent.> I looked for supplements but didn't find any at the stores around here. <Won't find them in stores. You will have to order from www.mazuri.com> I will be getting some online soon. <Good to hear. I can tell you all the horror stories you can handle about sharks in captivity dying from goiter or some other malady due to a lack of proper diet and care> I got him some squid last night and some smelt. He really liked both. <Awesome!!!!!> The tetras were the only thing the store had that was small enough and would live in the salt water the store had. <No need for these> So that is why I went with them. <Yeah, I wouldn't worry about this anymore. And for all those others out there reading this....NO GOLDFISH!!!! For reasons stated many times over on this website> Is there a better live fish I can use in the future? <He won't need live foods if you supplement and feed the aforementioned food items> He did put out some weird looking waste. Almost looked like he might have been bound up and finally got it to pass. <Sounds normal. When healthy, they are quite messy and produce copious amounts of waste. (A bit strange looking I might add)> I cleaned that out for a couple days at night and in the morning after he would go. <Get ready.....such will be your mania as long as you own this shark.> So I am sure staying on top of that helped. <A MUST do chore!> He is much more active now and looks good with his color. <Glad to hear. Remember what I said about the large tank needed for this shark. Don't assume an aquarium is waiting for you to drop a shark on them.> Thanks again for your help and keeping up the website. <No worries. Thanks for coming here ~Paul> Nurse shark Dear Mr. Fenner, I am writing on behalf of a 36-inch nurse shark who outgrew his tank some time ago. His owners currently keep him in an aquarium that is 20 X 20 X 96 inches. The poor shark is unable to even turn around in his tank! I have been contacting public aquariums to try to find a home for him, but I've been unsuccessful so far. Do you have any suggestions as to who else I might try? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Sheila Ferneyhough <Thank you so much for writing... I am hopeful that this message will help other sharks and people avoid similar situations... A few calls might lead to a solution... It may well be that a public institution within driving distance could/would accept this animal. I would contact any close College and ask the people in the zoology/biology departments who further to contact... As well as the local fish stores, and Aquarium Service Companies (check your phone directories)... it may well be that they know of a "service account" that has a very large system that would accommodate this animal (for a while... it will get much larger still). Thank you for your consideration. Bob Fenner Nurse shark and fish compatibility - 3/1/04 hi, I have a foot long nurse shark in a 5,000 gallon tank. I was wondering what other kinds of fish can I put in with him? is there any kind of cleaner fish that can help him get rid of parasites? can I put any other regular fish as long as they're big enough? please help. <Here is some gleaned info (from Scott Michael amongst many others) from various sources. "One of the most readily available shark species is the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirrhatum). This shark adapts well to captivity, its biggest drawback being the enormous size that it can attain, more than 14 feet in length! They usually commence feeding immediately, and are very tolerant of poor water quality. In the wild these sharks spend their days resting under ledges and in caves, and their nights are spent foraging for lobsters, crabs, sea urchins, octopus, snails, clams and fish. When they locate a prey item hiding in a reef crevice or cavity, they suck it out by suddenly expanding the mouth and gill cavities. They are apparently site specific, returning to the same coral head after each nocturnal foray. These sharks relish fresh table shrimp, scallops and fish in the aquarium, but feed them sparingly or you'll be looking for a new home for your shark before you know it. They will also make short work of any tankmate that can be swallowed. These sharks have been reported to mate in large oceanariums, but their large size at maturity precludes them being bred in the home aquarium." "The Ginglymostoma cirrhatum grows up to 168 inches. The Nurse Shark prefers a tank of at least 500 gallons to start with plenty of places to swim, but will eventually need an aquarium of at least 3,000 gallons. Because of this, this species should only be kept by experienced aquarists. The Nurse Shark is a carnivore and likes to eat variety of chopped crustaceans, fish pieces, shrimp, shellfish, squid. The Nurse Shark is a high maintenance fish and may act aggressively toward other fish. Not reef-safe." Here is a page with some compatibility information: http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/marinedepotlive/Compatibility.GIF Looks like there isn't much in the way of known compatibility. Good luck. ~Paul> Nurse shark "cruelty" question Hi, I am an Animal Control Officer and I've received a complaint regarding a nurse shark in a pet store aquarium... I am certainly not an expert on Marine life, so I thought I would ask you. IS there a specific size/ratio requirement for the shark, before it becomes "inhumane" and unhealthy for the shark, causing it to suffer? <IMO yes... anything smaller than three times the length and at least the width of an "average maximum size" of a given species is cruel in my estimation... for this species, Ginglymostoma cirrhatum... this would be a very large aquarium indeed...> under 597"l" of the penal code "Pet shop conditions" the owner must "provide adequate space appropriate to the size, weight and species of pet animals" Unless I have some kind of way to measure, or have an expert opinion, I am afraid there is not much I can do. If I don't know what is actually considered "cruel and inhumane" your help would be appreciated thank you! Kathy <A very good question... this species grows very large in the wild (see fishbase.org here)... and at least to five feet (or dies) in captivity... you can do the math as the saying goes. A great shame (of course, my opinion) that this shark is offered for sale for home hobbyists period. We have done, are doing our best to discourage its sale, keeping... should be housed, displayed either only in and by large public institutions or very large private ones. Bob Fenner> Re: nurse shark thank you for your reply. the pet shop owner supposedly had something lined up with Monterey Bay Aquarium that "fell through" now he has a private party with a VERY large aquarium who is going to take the shark. <Yes... and a FYI... this situation, with folks hoping, counting on public aquariums to take on their too-large sharks is VERY common... and most have no need for more Nurses (the species occurs in the tropical West Atlantic and tropical East Pacific...> I advised him not to sell these sharks, as they will keep ending up in the same situation, hopefully he will take my "advice" thanks again Kathy <The process continues... thank you for the follow-up. Bob Fenner>Nurse Sharks Are Not For Home Aquariums (1/25/04) Hi, my friend offered me his nurse shark and I was wondering if it would do good in my tank. it's about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 ft long, but my tank is only a 55 gallon and he had a 260. so can you help me out and let me know if it would survive in my 55 <Absolutely not.> and if it is good in my tank. can you let me know what else kind of fish would be compatible with it? thanks a lot. <These sharks grow to 10-14 feet in length and don't even belong in a 260 gallon tank. Recommended size tank per Scott Michael's "Aquarium Sharks & Rays" is 5,000 gallons! Your friend should never have bought this shark in the first place and certainly should not be offering it to you. Sounds like your friend knows almost nothing about nurse sharks. About the only hope for it to avoid a miserable life and death is if he can find a public aquarium that can take it. Let's hope he can. Steve Allen.> Nurse shark, wrasse and a shoe horn for the aquarium 3/9/04 hi, my mistake. the tank isn't 5,000 gallons. it's 500 gallons 96x36x36. <I had a feeling this was the case. Frankly, very few aquarists can properly house a nurse shark. This species grows to over 10 feet long (reported really at 14 foot or so) and as such is best left for public aquariums. It is impossible to keep this animal alive and healthy in a 500 gallon tank for even a couple years. It will stunt and die prematurely if it doesn't simply jump out of the aquarium first. Its current residence is inappropriate if not unethical. Do make the right choice and please find a much bigger home for this fish immediately. Be a conscientious aquarist. The wrasse is a moot point here. Anthony> >Wrasse with Nurse shark 3/8/04 >hi, I was wondering if a wrasse would be a good tankmate for my 1 1/2 ft. Nurse shark in a 5,000 gallon tank? and if so, what kind of wrasse would be best? ><what are the dimensions of your aquarium? Anthony> Nurse Shark Pool/Pond I have a 19 1/2" Nurse Shark in a 220 Gal Aquarium. I naively acquired the entire system free from someone who was moving. I immediately determined that the tank is way too small. <Way, WAY too small> I want to build a salt water pond 12'wx24'lx3'd oval shape. It will have a deep sand bottom at least 12". What is the best materiel for construction? Is Gunite or concrete suitable? <Either can work for the structural shell... You'll have to have a smooth "plaster" (it's actually cement-based) coat put over either as well> Will steel rebar affect the shark adversely? <Good question and YES. A very common source of mortality for captive sharks is the presence of ferrous metal... I used to necropsy sharks for public aquariums and can assure you that even very modern facilities have had REAL problems with iron metal contamination. Whatever coating over the reinforcing steel and/or mesh you use must be sealed from metal influence... again the "plaster coat" should do it> I live in Atlanta, Georgia and plan to build this outside. It gets cold here in winter so I plan on heating with a solar heat system. Basically, I plan on building him a swimming pool using standard methods. <Yikes... do look into a heat-exchanger mechanism... and the possibility of building a thermal insulating structure over the pond... will save you money in just a short while> Any help on filtration, circulation, anything to help me keep this shark alive and content. {I have read your articles and notes to people who are about to put themselves in my predicament. I did not research before I took "him" in. But now that I have him, he is my responsibility for the rest of his life. I would like to make that comfortable and long.} <I hope I can convey what I feel compelled to state here in a simple, straight-forward manner that you'll consider/take to heart. I applaud your apparent positive attitude toward your situation, obligation to this animals welfare... But I encourage you to wait a while, think and plan this project all the way through... the costs for building such a system actually pale in comparison to ongoing costs for power (pumps, heating), synthetic seawater... the time commitment. I would look into donating this animal to perhaps the new public aquarium being built in Atlanta... perhaps they have current facilities for housing it till the aquarium is finished/open. To help you with your decision and plans please do read through the archives on sharks and their husbandry posted on WetWebMedia.com Bob Fenner> Re: Nurse Shark Donation Sir, I would like to donate a Nurse Shark to the Atlanta Aquarium. It is approximately 19 inches long. He needs a good home to grow and be healthy. If you are interested please contact me, Scott Geoffrion, at GSGeoffrioXXXX@yahoo.com. Or you can reach me at Home 678-479-XXXX. I really want the best for this animal and I think that if there is a place for him at the Aquarium he would be much better off than in a private aquarium which he would eventually outgrow (they can reach 12'-14' ) and live cramped, unhealthy, and unhappy. Sincerely, Scott Geoffrion <Looks good Scott. Do send it in. Bob Fenner> Re: Nurse Shark Pond Bob, Thanks for your response. No, I did not get the first reply. My server said that it was not delivered thus the second Email. <Ah, the wonderful Internet!> How long can I keep him in a 400 gallon Tank? <If you are VERY careful re feeding a few to several months... most "jump out" (Ginglymostoma will knock an unbelievable amount of weight off a lid on the way out) or die from "unhappiness", pollution before reaching a physiological limit on their tank volume> And I will contact the Atlanta Aquarium. I was under the impression that most aquariums were "full" from some article or email that I read but I'm sure that I misinterpreted the information. Again thank you. Scott Geoffrion <Worth trying... think of it, you could go visit "your" shark! For many years to come. Bob Fenner> The educated consumer: nurse shark in a 55 gallon tank 3/5/03 Mr. Calfo or Mr. Fenner, <Cheers, Jeff> Please check out this auction on e-bay. The seller is suggesting that a two foot nurse shark can be kept in a 55 gallon tank but would do better in a 75 to 100 gallon. Is this asinine or what? <very much so> Maybe one of you gurus of the saltwater world should e-mail this bone head and set him straight about the gallonage that an animal like this should be kept in ( the ocean) or at least several hundred gallons if not more. <actually... we seek to educate good folks like yourself that write in looking for advice and opinions. You/they are the best use of our time/efforts because you are the almighty consumer. If you teach yourself or are taught that this is an unwise purchase... and enough people like you do the same, it kills that silly twits chances of survival in the market. If we (consumers) stop buying such things, then they (bad merchants) will stop selling such things. Its not a charity... if enough sharks die on him without selling (perhaps even one), then they assuredly will stop selling them> I can't believe someone would suggest such a thing. Looks like the seller only wants money and doesn't even care about an animals well being. Mr. Calfo what do you think? <it is disappointing to see. But such folks are truly the minority. All my friends and colleagues here (WWM) are wont to remind me when I go off on one of my rants <G>... have just about 10,000 people daily reading this site... only a fraction of them (less than 100) write in... and even a smaller number of them are truly misguided like shark-boy here. Heehee... my problem is that I end up with most of them in my mailbox... and I really don't own a pair of kid gloves. Perhaps I should buy some :) > Thanks for letting me vent, Jeff Reed <thank you for caring, Jeff. Best regards, Anthony> Nurse shark in aquaria - 1/25/04 I wanted to ask you if you can feed nurse sharks gold fish, <NO!!! and I will be honest.... it scares the hell out of me to think you would ask a question of this caliber when keeping a shark. This is information you should ask before purchasing a shark or any marine animal or plant> or is it not good for them. <Too fatty and of little substance to most marine carnivorous fish> Also I wanted to know what is a good pH level for them cuz I heard that sharks put out a lot of ammonia, <????!!!!! pH and ammonia are two different things. Let me answer first: a "good" PH is one that is found where this shark habitats. Probably somewhere between 7.9 - 8.3 but this will do nothing for ammonia or ammonia output of the shark. You need to have top notch filtration to deal with fish waste ( in the form of excrement and waste by-product as well as uneaten foods) which is usually converted in the form of ammonia. This information is about the nitrogen cycle which is on our site for all to see. This line of questioning is not boding well for me or for your shark. Forgive the rant as I may be too pretentious and presumptuous here, but I suggest you donate this shark to a public display aquarium as soon as possible. Learn about the cycle and what it means to your inhabitants before acquisition. Here is some information about your shark: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/nurseshark/nurseshark.htm This is a very large shark to be sure, it will need LOTS OF SPACE, LOTS OF FOOD, and LOTS OF ATTENTION. This is one of the worst sharks to keep in the average aquarists charge. A very poor choice indeed. There is more to caring for sharks then the tank size, filtration, water chemistry, and food. There is vitamin issues, current issues, as well as climate controls and processes to be put into place. Again, I may be too presumptuous here, but I doubt you are capable to provide all of this if you haven't even thought of what to feed your shark and you question about PH, to be quite frank, scares the hell out of me! Please forgive me if my assumptions are out of place or misguided, but I am thinking of the shark only and know nothing of you personally or what you may or may not know about sharks. Enlighten me if I am misguided. I just worry about the well being of your animals.> so I wanted to know how do I keep the ammonia level under control. <Through an amazing filtration system and lots of diligence in water chemistry.> any answer from you would be appreciated. <Are you sure??>thanks a lot. <Please, my friend, let's talk seriously about your animal. Please email back you responses or rebuttal and if you need my personal info or phone number please let it be known. I want to help but I need some convincing! Your mate and conscientious marine aquarist, Paul> Nurse shark in distress - 1/26/04 Paul, hey thanks for your fast reply. <No problem.> so what should I feed it cuz the guy at the fish store told me that goldfish was alright? <I am gonna say something I seldom do so as not to offend......your source at the fish store is wrong and ill-informed. Quality squid, clams, you could try smelts are a more quality product from a health standpoint. You can either buy from a local fresh fish store or maybe from a local grocery store's fish department. You will also need vitamins as well. Look at the links under sharks on our site as I think I have mentioned this before.> and right now the shark is about 1 1/2 ft. in length and the tank that it's in right now is a 55. <Not good my friend. It is already too big for this tank.> I am planning to move it to a bigger one, at least a 1,000 gallon or bigger tank, but that probably can't happen till about 5 months. <Not good! The tank will need to be custom with rounded corners instead of 90 degrees and more like 5000 gallons.> do you think I have a chance of keeping it alive till then. <I am always honest and that is the issue here. Robin, in the three emails I have sent you I have been telling you that based on the questions your asking, the lack of research you have done, your hastiness to take on such and animal tells me that this shark does not have a good long-term prognosis. I would implore you to find a more suitable home immediately> be honest. <Always!> the salinity is about 1.023 and the temp. is 77 F my pH meter just broke so I can't check that till tomorrow and I don't know how to check ammonia. <Well, this is what I am talking about. You don't know how to check ammonia?? You need to become more familiar with the processes of owning a tank. Test kits are a great way to check water chemistry and water health. You have a lot of reading to do my friend. Let me put it this way, I have been keeping marine animals of all types for about ten years and more focused on saltwater animalia for the past 3 years, add to that that I have been working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for about 7 months, and have the financial means to do just about whatever I want within reason....and I don't have any sharks!!! I help with the shark program a bit here at the aquarium and it is a lot of care even at a large scale exhibit. It pales in comparison to the small scale version kept by the passive home aquarist. Please reconsider your abilities to keep this animal alive long-term. My offer still stands, if you need help finding a home I will do my best to connect you with a public aquarium who can help to recover the animal and place it in a proper display.> I have a wet and dry filtration system with no protein skimmers at the moment. <Needs more than a wet-dry and protein skimmer for filtration, Robin.> so what you think man, does mano (the shark) have a chance for 5 months? <May live that long but may not. I am gonna say based on your skill set I have some doubts. Again, this is not a challenge to you to prove me wrong but to check your reality here. Let me know what else I can help with. Here is a great link on sharks in captivity with FAQ links. Read it like it were a bible, my friend. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm click the links as well. Knowledge is power!!!! ~Paul> More ambivalence to the shark world - 1/25/04 I was just wondering if it's normal for a shark to swim upside-down and rub it's back on the sand. this might be a stupid question to you guys, but any response will be appreciated. thanks a lot.<No Robin, it is not. Usually means parasite or death close at hand. Especially for a nurse shark. Please respond ASAP! ~Paul> More shark questions from The Shark Virgin - 1/25/04 Paul, The shark rubbed it's back on the sand twice, but it hasn't done it since like 2 hours ago. <Referred to as glancing. Could be an issue with parasites.> Does that still mean that it's gonna die? <No not at all but you kind of made it sound like the animal was floating on its back ass up. No worries, man, I really want to help and since you emailed us I want to follow through. Let me know your setup. Let me know what your long term plan is if you don't mind. What are your water parameters?> What are other symptoms of a shark close to death? <Being cheeky?? Skin coloration and lack of appetite, loss of swim control, things of that sort.> Please respond. And you can say whatever you want man, it's cool. <Well, I don't want to say whatever, I want to help and make a difference. It is my job here. To help and inspire. I do want to help. Let me know what else I can do. There is a lot to learn and the more we learn, we learn the less we really know. Do search our site and the many other sites dedicated to shark care. Learn as much as you can. My offer still stands if you want to take it offline. ~Paul> Thanks a lot. Nurse shark and fish compatibility - 3/1/04 hi, I have a foot long nurse shark in a 5,000 gallon tank. I was wondering what other kinds of fish can I put in with him? is there any kind of cleaner fish that can help him get rid of parasites? can I put any other regular fish as long as they're big enough? please help. <Here is some gleaned info (from Scott Michael amongst many others) from various sources. "One of the most readily available shark species is the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirrhatum). This shark adapts well to captivity, its biggest drawback being the enormous size that it can attain, more than 14 feet in length! They usually commence feeding immediately, and are very tolerant of poor water quality. In the wild these sharks spend their days resting under ledges and in caves, and their nights are spent foraging for lobsters, crabs, sea urchins, octopus, snails, clams and fish. When they locate a prey item hiding in a reef crevice or cavity, they suck it out by suddenly expanding the mouth and gill cavities. They are apparently site specific, returning to the same coral head after each nocturnal foray. These sharks relish fresh table shrimp, scallops and fish in the aquarium, but feed them sparingly or you'll be looking for a new home for your shark before you know it. They will also make short work of any tankmate that can be swallowed. These sharks have been reported to mate in large oceanariums, but their large size at maturity precludes them being bred in the home aquarium." "The Ginglymostoma cirrhatum grows up to 168 inches. The Nurse Shark prefers a tank of at least 500 gallons to start with plenty of places to swim, but will eventually need an aquarium of at least 3,000 gallons. Because of this, this species should only be kept by experienced aquarists. The Nurse Shark is a carnivore and likes to eat variety of chopped crustaceans, fish pieces, shrimp, shellfish, squid. The Nurse Shark is a high maintenance fish and may act aggressively toward other fish. Not reef-safe." Here is a page with some compatibility information: http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/marinedepotlive/Compatibility.GIF Looks like there isn't much in the way of known compatibility. Good luck. ~Paul> Help save a shark in Illinois - 4/2/04 Greetings WWM Crew! For once, I don't have a problem with MY tank (well, I do but I am learning to handle them myself thanks to your site). <Great to hear> This is a problem with a local pet store and a shark that they have. <Hoboy!> It has been bugging me for over a month and I am tired of thinking about it. It is a bit of a story, but bear with me because I think it is worth it. <Will do> There is a pet store here in central Illinois (I am withholding the name for now) that is...how can I say it..."below normal ethical standards". <Where in Illinois exactly.> For instance, they have a tank filled with Aiptasia.....FOR SALE!!! <Well, maybe it is for animals that feed on them. In which case it could be a responsible methodology> Knowing what they were, I asked about them and I was told that "they are a great, hardy anemone for a beginner to have in their reef system". <OH MY GAWD!> I also asked about QT tanks and was told that "they are a waste of time and money and they put unnecessary stress on your fish." <Again, doesn't surprise me. I would give the name of this place. You will be helping a great many in the area> Needless to say, they do not have my business and I have found a better store to work with. <Excellent> Here is my dilemma, in this "bad" store, they have a 300 gal (approx) tank, with one big live rock in the center (about 20#) and a 3 foot nurse shark living in the tank! <Oh nooo!> From everything I have read on your site, this poor shark is in WAY too small a tank! <BINGO!> He has been there for well over a year as well, surviving on the daily goldfish that they feed him!!! <WHAT!!!!> This poor thing can barely turn around in the tank because he is far longer than the tank is wide! <Have heard of this many times over> It breaks my heart to see such a beautiful creature having a miserable existence. <I agree> If I could, I would purchase it myself and release it into the wild. <No no if you don't know where it came (what part of the world ocean) then you could be doing more harm than good> Unfortunately, the nearest ocean is 1,000 miles away. <May not help even if you were closer if you read my above statement> Also, I am a medical student and there is barely enough room in my budget to keep my 55-gal pride-and-joy minireef going so adding a tank that it can live in is absolutely out of the question (for another 5 or 6 years it least). Here is where I am hoping you can help. Do you know of anyone in the Midwest that has the resources and knowledge (and $$) to rescue this poor shark? <Give the location of the town it is in and I can see what I have> Either releasing it or keeping it in a proper system would be better than what it is in now. <I agree> I believe that they are such beautiful creatures and every one is worth trying to save. <YES!!> I have been going back to the store on occasion to look in on him (my only reason for going there) and he seems to be in good health, although I am far from an expert to be 100% sure. If you don't know of anyone personally, could you post this plea on the FAQ's to see if any readers could help? <Done!> If they contact you offering to help, and you believe they are legit, you can give them my email address and they can contact me for more details. (please don't post my address) <OK> Thank you again for all your help in the past. You are a true credit to the hobby. <Thanks for being part of it all ~Paul> -Ray - Rescuing a Nurse Shark - Hello, <Good
morning, JasonC here...> My husband and I are quite concerned about
the conditions of a nurse shark that is currently being kept in a local
fish store in our area. Apparently she grew too large for
her former owner to keep any longer so they took it to Value Pets in
Pennsauken, NJ. The fish store is keeping the 5' shark
in a 180 gallon tank, and she is for sale for $499. <Quite
unfortunate.> We have asked the employees of the store what they
plan on doing with her and there has been some talk about giving her to
the Garden State Aquarium, but they are not interested as she is too
small to be housed in the shark tanks there. We have
several aquariums at home, but the largest is only 240 gallons and that
would not be much better then her current conditions. <Or really
ever... these sharks grow to between 9 and 14 feet, so as you might
guess... you'd be upgrading your tank quite often - optimally
you'd need a system over 5,000 gallons.> Over the years we have
rescued a couple of greyhounds, many stray cats, and quite a few mutts,
but we do not have the expertise to rescue a shark that could grow to
fifteen feet in length. <I'd advise against it...> Currently
we have three dogs and four cats all rescues living with us and they
bring us a tremendous amount of joy. <Very admirable.> I would
love to see this shark rescued, I just don't know how to go about
it. <I would recommend that you forget about it... sadly, this shark
should have never been taken out of the ocean, and the only way to
truly rescue it would be to get it into a public aquarium. The
difficulty there is that most large aquariums already have their fill
of nurse sharks and are unable to take on additional specimens.> We
would be willing to buy the fish and help financially to get her
released into her natural habitat or into a marine facility somewhere.
<I think you may find the cost prohibitive... do continue to check
around with other large aquariums, perhaps Atlantis in Long Island, but
if not, please don't take it home... you won't be doing the
shark or yourselves any favors, and it will also encourage the shop to
procure more nurse sharks, which is the real tragedy here.> If you
have any suggestions or advice it would be greatly appreciated.
<Well, I admire your concern here, but if we were talking about a
killer whale, you'd quickly surmise the complications of getting
such an animal into adequate care. If you're interested in captive
care of sharks, I'd recommend Scott Michael's book Aquarium
Sharks and Rays as a good place to start. I'll briefly quote from
this work, as it's quite apropos for this situation: "Even
public aquariums have a problem getting rid of these sharks, so the
hobbyist should not expect their local public aquarium to take an
oversized nurse shark when it threatens to burst the walls of its
aquarium. These animals should never be returned to the wild, leaving
as the only alternatives turning one's pet shark over to a fish
monger or taxidermist. If none of these scenarios appeal to you, as
they don't to most aquarists, resist ever buying a juvenile nurse
shark." [pg 108] > Thank you, Michele Todd <Sorry to be the
bearer of bad news. Cheers, J -- >
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