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Bamboo Sharks Thank you so much for the great help. I guess I am kind of wondering what are some signs of a healthy bamboo shark?< The single most important is probably the presence of a healthy appetite, for, like most of the moray eels, they have an extremely acute sense of smell. Physically, you should probably look for a lack of red areas on the abdomen or other signs of inflammation.> I know they are pretty mellow sharks, so I was just wondering if there is any way to tell that they are happy and doing ok? <Again, as with many other marine animals, a healthy appetite is always one of the best indicators. Even though they are primarily nocturnal by nature, the scent of food in the water should at least bring their nose out of the LR in a fairly short time, and the longer the shark is with you, the more this becomes evident.....after a year, mine has no hesitation about feeding from my fingers at the surface of the water, even in broad daylight and has moved well into the "bottomless pit" category. The best of luck with your new baby and don't hesitate to spoil it at every opportunity.> Thanks a lot John & Tiff Proud parents of a new bamboo shark Biological Control for
External Shark Parasites Mr. Fenner, First I
wanted to thank you and the crew for the help you give and to give you
the credit for what all of you do for our hobby. I have just
recently caught two smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis) that are to be
added to my shark pool. Presently they are in a smaller (450
gallon) quarantine tub and I have noticed that, as is the case with
sharks in colder weather, both have parasitic copepods attached to
their dorsal fins. <Yes, common> I have the Scott Michaels'
book and can remove them manually, but will a cleaner wrasse also serve
the same purpose? <Can be tried... were you thinking of juvenile
Bodianus? Other species? Tropical obligate cleaners can be tried... but
physical removal of adults is recommended over either course of
action... and if necessary a formalin "wash" (bath/dip) to
eradicate intermediates. Am sure you're aware that organophosphates
and copper compounds are contraindicated.> I want to avoid as much
handling as I can but would appreciate your advice and
experience. Just FYI the sharks will be going into an 18000
gallon shark pool that already houses a few other sharks and has been
running for over four years. Again thank you for your help
and dedication. Matt Hall <Bob Fenner> Port Jackson - Fin Rot ? Hi, don't know who I'm
talking with today, but I love your website and the information it has.
<Hey Larry, MacL here with you today. Hope you are well.>
Couldn't find anything on it or with my sharks & rays book to
answer this question though. Yesterday I received a port Jackson shark
from Jeff's exotic fish. <Lovely kind of
shark.> He had a batch of 8 of them on sale (baby 8
inchers) and so I got the last one available. He shipped
fine (very good job by them) and after acclimation (about 90 min.s) he
was in the tank and he actually ate about 10 min.s later, which was
good. <They are hearty eaters when healthy.> The problem I
noticed this evening was the top of his fin behind his head and the top
of his tail fin looks like it's rotting or shredding a bit. <Not
good at all, is it potentially some type of ph burn or ammonia burn
from the shipment in? or does it look more like a bacterial
infection?> He even ate very well today, a full cube of ocean
nutrition shark formula diced up with Vita Chem drops I add, as well as
Garlic guard. I added 1.5 capfuls of Kent Marine Tech-I, trace
elements, and a calcium dose as well tonight. He's
temporary in a 40 breeder mini reef tank I have setup (about a year
running) until I get that 330lb monster Oceanic 210 gal (7x2x2) out of
my garage and into the basement in a couple of months. I
have to clear out a monster size G-scale train layout down there which
will take some time...but at least I have the tank in my possession
anyway. <Sounds like a good plan, in the meantime this tank can
serve as a good quarantine tank.> I rearranged the tank a day before
he was shipped in to give him a 4 inch perimeter "swim
way" around the rocks on all corners. The part that
bugs me though, is he is nothing like my 1 year-old banded shark in my
75gal reef tank (will be moving to the 200 as well with a Gigas clam
getting to big in there, lol) in that he doesn't hide in a rock
cave I built for him, like the banded does during the
day. He just sits on the bottom in a corner day or
night...total bummer. Is this just because he is new to
another environment? I know it's not a fish doing this,
because the only critters I have in this setup is a coral beauty,
clown, red reef lobster, Nassarius snails, and reef
hermits. <Just a note sharks are very intolerant of any
type of nitrates whatsoever in my experience. I would really
really get your nitrates to 0> LPS typical setup in here... Tank params: SG: 1.024 NH3/NO2: 0 NO3: 5 PH: 8.3 CA: 420 Alk: 4.5m/L
Skimmer: Prizm on this smaller tank, emptied about every 4 days.
Emperor 400 polishes the water. (2) penguin 1140 powerheads Weekly
water changes of 1.5 buckets, and weekly additions of Trace, Coral
Vite, Stront/Moly, Tech-I, and Calcium Tech A+B. I was thinking maybe
it was still the tank size and was thinking of moving him in the 75 gal
which I really didn't want to do since that Gigas moves around to
the front. Charlie, my banded shark, knows him all too well
for a year and knows just to swim over him at night, but this port
Jackson seems a LOT more clumsy! <I'm a lot worried
about this new shark, his behavior is not typical. Please take a look
at this article about shark health and see if his movements fit any of
these descriptions. http://216.168.47.67/cis-fishnet/JAAS/D079.htm>
Well hopefully there is an easy fix for this, something that an LFS
has in stock, or maybe it will just get better since I'm
feeding him well every day. Really pretty shark, and
seems healthy other than the very top of the fins, and an absolute PIG
that loves to eat. Let me know if you have heard of this on
the specie before. <The problem with treating him in a tank with
corals is that you can damage your corals with the antibiotic treatment
as well or your bacterial bed. But at a guess I think your shark
isn't quite as he should be. Good luck, MacL and let me
know what you think after looking at that article.> Thanks,
Larry Marbled Cat Sharks Good afternoon. I am new to this forum and
unsure where to retrieve answers from questions. I apologize in advance
for my ignorance on the following. I have inherited (2) Marbled Cat
Sharks from someone who could not care for them. They are currently in
a 75G which I know is too small. They are 9" at the most right
now. I am planning on a custom 350-400 tank for these guys with rounded
sides. My question is this...they have some pinkish/red coloring on
there bellies right now...it seems to come and go. <Not so much
danger, a problem if transient. To be expected with such small shark
specimens> It was not there yesterday but was the day before and is
back again. I have live sand as substrate which I read was fine. I have
kept the temp at 77.7-77..2... best I can get it currently. Ammonia is
0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, ph 8.2, alkalinity 3. They ate once for me
but have not eaten in 2 days and the pink coloring has me worried a
bit. I am using a 125G wet/dry for filtration with no skimmer until I
have the new tank set up and done for them. <All sounds good to
okay. Feeding strikes of a week or less would not worry me> I have
searched the site and have not seen much on the marbles cat as far as
bacterial infections which I thought the pink color was from. Any
advice on this and the proper care of these animals? <The physical
and chemical parameters, size, gear of the present system and the fact
that you're planning on upgrading to a larger system all sound
fine. There are some antibiotics you might consider
"sneaking" into these animals feed if they re-start
feeding... or the possibility of having to force feed them if they
persist in their hunger strike. If this time is getting close, and the
animals appear emaciated, I would at least execute a large water change
(25%) and add a vitamin admixture directly to their water (like
Selcon). Bob Fenner> I want them to survive and give them the best
chance possible. Money is not an issue. I apologize if that sounds
arrogant. Just wanting to make sure they have what they need. Please
advise on your suggestions and how to follow the replies to this email
on the boards. Thank you for your time. Todd Hornsby Unhappy and not feeding banded bamboo shark - emergency!! Hi there.
<Hi, MikeD here> I've found the wealth of information on this site extremely
handy, so thanks already! I've now had a brown banded bamboo shark for
nearly 3 months (hatched him early June)<Congrats...mine hatched a year
ago August and is nearing 3'>, and has been feeding very well since about 5 days
after hatching (could see no sign of umbilical cord etc). He's in a 60x20x20
tank (for another 2 months until we can build a 10ft x 5ft x 2ft high tank) at
the moment with a few fish and inverts. He's not touched anything in the tank
other than his food that he's given. The tank has a red sea Prizm pro deluxe
skimmer (for 1k litres), UV, carbon, ozone, several canister filters (wet/dry
Eheim and standard), small refugium and nitrate reductor, and two powerheads.
Anyhow, about 10 days ago I noticed one of the fish had ich,
ugh.... So I decided I would try Kent Marine RxP.<Oh, NO!> Yes,
I know sharks don't do well with meds, but it was a natural product, and I only
half dosed it.<there's no such thing as a "natural product", and my first
suggestion is to NEVER treat your main tank proper!> However, the shark
stopped eating that day, for the first time ever. He has not eaten since (10
days now)<Can't say that I'm surprised>. He really didn't seem
to like it, and tried jumping out of the water at least twice. I've
done a 25% water changed (buffered and temp/sal the same etc), put in new carbon
etc to get rid of the meds. The water quality is pretty good, the salinity is a
little high though (1.024 to 1.025), but I try to keep it from changing.<Your
specific gravity is fine, but you need to boost partial water changes
ASAP. The jumping is a REALLY bad sign> The only thing I could ever get
him to eat is frozen octopus cubes (the Dutch stuff), but haven't found any
shark food yet (until today, about to go out and get a load of shark food and
vitamins that the local shop just got in).<Mine is a bottomless pit, with its
FAVORITE food being well rinsed moist cat food! (seafood variety**grin**) It
also eats raw shrimp, fish and squid I also started to dose and test iodide,
yes a little late maybe. The readings were 0.0 as far as I could see, so it
can't have helped. The shark is still moving around a little, however this
morning he's laying on his back (wasn't an hour ago when I last checked, but is
now). I can't see any external problems, no redness or lumps. What should I do?
I presume it's important to keep the iodide (I've heard iodine itself is as
toxic as chlorine?)<Very true, but use great care.....a good reef supplement at
MINIMUM dosages is all that's needed> levels up (and at what level should they
be? the test kit says 0.06 to 0.08ppm). Is it a bad idea to drop a few drops of
the iodide booster to the shark's food, or should I just use the shark food
alone?<DO NOT put iodine or iodide on the food. This can be immediately FATAL!>
Is there anything you can suggest to help to get him eating again? I've
literally put a cube of octopus under his mouth with tongs and he's just ignored
it, he seems much more docile than normal, and is very worrying seeing him on
his back. Is there anything you can suggest? As I write this he's just swam
around, "flashed" and turned upside down again on the sand. He's breathing
fairly deeply about once every 1.5 seconds, is his breathing normal? Until
today, it was just not eating and slightly odd behaviour, but now it's got a
little more serious, I've heard isn't not uncommon for them to stop eating, so I
ordered in that shark food, I'm going to nip out and get it and try him on it,
but I don't see him suddenly wanting to eat. Lastly, I've just put a grounding
rod that I made (from titanium bike spokes - cleaned thoroughly first, connected
to ground, and sealed so no copper from the cable will touch the tank water)
yesterday as there was a shocking (excuse the pun) 50V AC between the tank water
and ground. I'm sure this hasn't helped the poor shark, and I think it's been
like that for some time (possibly months before I realized it). The voltage
difference has dropped to 0.3V AC which seems much more acceptable. Thanks for
the help <I held off until here because all of this is vital. Sharks are
EXTREMELY sensitive to electricity, and you need to find the source of the
problem and eliminate it COMPLETELY! Check for a deteriorating pump,
heater or electrical cords against the tank frame, including those of the
lights. Any trace current can result in RIP! I suspect the diet problem and
hesitating to feed is actually a symptom of a larger problem. Likewise, NEVER
treat your main tank. I'd start doing VERY frequent water changes
(don't worry about % but rather watching the reaction of your animals,
possibly to the amount of 5 gal/day until they show improvement.) If you
improve water quality, remove medication and eliminate electricity you ought to
see a MAJOR improvement unless the shark is too far gone!> Regards, Tom
Worley Bamboo shark with Crypt - 8/26/04 Hi, I have a problem, my banded bamboo shark has ick, <Sharks usually are not affected by Cryptocaryon. How does this person know that it is Cryptocaryon? Need more information.> I have looked at many article about dealing with ick, I have used these methods on others saltwater and fresh water fish but I'm not sure that medication will be safe for a shark. From all that I found the only medication that might be okay is quick cure from aquarium products, because it doesn't contain copper. <You definitely do not want to use any meds that contain Copper with sharks> Do you think it would be safe to try this medication? <Again, sharks are not usually affected by crypt as far as I know. Before using this medication increase water changes and either send pictures or a better description of what you are seeing for shark behavior and infection sites would be very helpful.> If not, do you know any way that could get rid of my problem? <See above comments. Also note how long the shark has been suffering with this issue. ~Paul> Thank you, Alexandre Boudreau Coral Cat Sharks 5 Aug 2004 Hi, <Hello Adam, MacL here with you this fine day.> Today I got my Coral Catsharks in the mail, <Congratulations, they are great aren't they!> since the only place I could find them was on the internet. Pretty good quality except for one thing, they have red blotches on their stomachs. <Hmmm that doesn't sound so good. Tell me were they shipped separately?> I have medium fine live sand topped with fine live sand but some of the medium is on the top, is this going be a problem? <I don't think that medium sand is large enough to be a huge problem.> Also is their any way to get rid of the red blotches or will they go away since I have sand? <The blotches could be indications of various things. Are they eating, swimming fine? Did the water they came in seem to be highly polluted? Are they hanging out together and swimming quite a bit. I have to tell you that these guys are notorious for getting sick and the signs that show up first are a reddened belly. Please make sure your water conditions stay ideal, keep it to 0 Nitrates because they are very sensitive to nitrates.> One last question is do the cloacas stick out at all, because I didn't think so and I think they are both males but wasn't sure? <Yes they do, generally its pretty obvious if they are male or female because of that.> Thanks Adam Siders New sharks - 8/9/04 Hi, Today I got my two coral catsharks, I
had to get them off the internet because they were the only place that
had them. <Good choice most times> My first question is, they
have red blotches on their stomachs probably because they might have
had gravel. <Might have had gravel? You mean from where they came
from?> I have one layer of medium fine gravel and one
layer of sand, some of the gravel is at the top though will this be a
problem? <Possibly. They need a really soft sand bed or fine mud.
Gravel does tend to irritate their sensitive
underbelly.> Also will the blotches go away?
<Absolutely, upon fixing the irritation/issue.> Also one of them
is breathing pretty heavily still, is this ok and how long will it last
because the other seems to be doing better? <Keep an eye on this.
This could be a sign of trouble. Of what I really couldn't say at
this point. Check water parameters, keep up on water changes with good
quality water.> I got them around noon today. <Likely just
shipping stress. Keep the water quality high> The same one that is
breathing pretty heavily is also opening and closing it's mouth for
about every breath is this ok? It is also laying on top of
some of the live rock with it's head in one of the corners, my mom
doesn't think he looks too good but from what I describe does he
sound ok to you? <they do hide under coral overhangs, or under
rocks, so this is not necessarily unheard of behavior, but combined
with shipping stress, and other possible ambient issues this could be
the signs of trouble. Keep an eye on it> The other one has a few
cracks in his skin are these ok because I've never read about them
in the Aquarium Sharks and Rays book? <Hmmm......not sure about the
cracks either. Bleeding? Any more detail you can offer?> Lastly how
long do you think it will take them to start eating? <Can take some
time but they should start eating within the next few days to up to a
week or sometimes even more. More likely to be a few days to a week. Be
sure to supplement the sharks diet with vitamins. We use Mazuri
products. Check 'em out at www.mazuri.com> I tried feeding them
today and just got back from buying a few ghost shrimp to add in.
<Good start. Any human consumable seafoods in small sizes will also
be fine including frozen varieties. Try some Mysid shrimp as well.>
Sorry for the long list of questions but if you could respond that
would be great. <No problem. Your questions help the many others
that will inevitably come after you. Thanks for being part of it all.
Paul> Thanks Adam Siders Marbled Cat Shark The last week or two the shark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) may also known Marbled Cat Shark started with full stomach and would float, and turn into an arch on the back. Today we found it struggling, breathing fast and very weak that it cant hold its self down from floating. It doesn't have any red spots on it stomach but got light pink all around. Also it never had problems eating, it would came out right away when it smelled food, now today it wouldn't eat. The temp. was 82 when we came home but it drop to 80. A complete four hours went by and now found the sharks arch move to its stomach, it feels very soft and she is still breathing little fast. Its colors are normal now. Please HELP <<Hello. Can you give us some more information? What do your ammonia, nitrites, AND nitrates test at? PH? Alkalinity? How long have you had this shark, how large is the tank, how long has the tank been set-up, and what other fish or inverts are in with him? Do you do water changes? Skimmer? What type of filtration are you using? Is there live rock, and if so, how many pounds? You mention that he has no red spots, so I assume you realize that sharp crushed coral substrates are a no-no with sharks. What is your salinity level? Sharks require a decent level, around 1.026 specific gravity in order to do best. What do you normally feed him? Also, why does your temperature fluctuate? Temperature MUST be stable in a saltwater tank! all parameters must be relatively stable. Do you use a hydrometer to test your specific gravity? If you do, it must be difficult to accurately gauge that when the temp is moving around...Please get back to us with ALL the above information that I have requested. Thank you. -Gwen>> Bamboo shark with weird swimming patterns...what does that mean? - 3/31/04 I have a Brownbanded bamboo shark. He is about 4 months old. I have had him for about two months. He was hatched in captivity at the pet store, and I watched and waited for him to start feeding before II bought him. <A good idea> I have picked up a book copy of Scott w. Michael's sharks and rays. <An excellent book> it is very helpful. I have my young shark in a 20 gallon long aquarium. <A bit small but likely OK for a short while> I know this is small but it says it is fine in the book for a youngster. <for a short while anyway> I am planning to jump up to a 180 gallon sometime this summer. <For the long-term you might want to look at a 1000 gallons or as close to that size as possible. These sharks are fast growers and can attain a size upwards of 4 1/2 feet> On my aquarium now I have a protein skimmer. <good idea. I would also add a UV and a lot of biological filtration> My nitrates are 0 my ph is 8.3 no ammonia salinity at 1.021. <Bring the specific gravity to 1.023-1.024> I noticed about 2 weeks ago he was flashing and recently in the last two days I realized it was not just a swimming pattern, it was a sign of a parasite. <Unfortunate> so I read and read about what he could have through his symptoms. He was swimming upside down, laying on his back, and looks like he is feeble. <Likely parasitic> he seems not to know where is he going when he swims and doesn't have the activity he once had. <Hmmmm...> these symptoms have been going on for about two days. So a day ago I dipped him in freshwater 3 cups fresh 1 cup seawater for five minutes. <Not a good idea. Sharks rarely do well with freshwater dips> that seemed to not do much. <Could have been much worse> after I put him back in the original tank I noticed he had red spots, looks like blood spots on his side and a couple on his belly. <Hmmm> so I read some more and came up with that he has flukes or a crustacean disease. <not likely. The symptoms don't suggest flukes and crustacean would be seen by you> I read how to treat it and they suggest one method called Dyacide it is made by Aquatronics. So today I began to dip him and gave him a 90 min dip and in the med tank he seemed a little better. After 90 minutes I put him back in original tank and he starts getting worse. My question is how long should I leave him in the medicine tank??? <Not familiar with the product so you will have to rely on manufacturer suggested methods if you are unsure then contact them immediately> longer than 90 min.s? <Check with the manufacturer of Dyacide. Again, doubtful he has crustaceans as you should be able to see them and from the symptoms you are describing it doesn't sound like the characteristics flukes. Not a good idea to do this but it might be a good to look for an antibacterial treatment used for saltwater fish. May be your only hope in my experience. ~Paul> matt Blacktips with issues - 3/30/04 hi there I have three Blacktip sharks in aquarium, I have 3000 litre (750 US gal) aquarium. One of them (sharks) has a very thin white layer on his right eye <Besides the obvious here...that your tank is entirely too small for a Blacktip let alone three I would need more information on your setup, water chemistry, pictures would be a great help>.... what to do? <not really ringing a bell> How to treat? <Need to know more about the symptoms and environment first> the others have a white scratch on there bodies. <Picture would be a big help here. Again, this is too ambiguous a description for me to be of any help> pls help. <More info on the environment, pictures will really help. From what you describe it could be physical damage. Other than that, I really can't offer any more help, sorry to say ~Paul> Sharks in stingrays in a small tank - 3/15/04 I have an 80 gallon saltwater tank; it has been set up for about 2 years. I had a Blue spotted sting ray, and a black banded cat shark. <Much too big in the long run> The sting ray we have had for about a year. I don't know how old he was. The shark was about 2 months old; he was born into our tank from an egg. All of a sudden the sting ray just died no signs of foul play, only a small green mark on his belly. The shark died 2 days later. <Sorry to hear. Your description does nothing to implicate anything concrete> I could tell something was wrong with the shark a couple of days before he died, he was swimming erratically, and bumping into things, as if he couldn't tell which way was up or down. <Electrical current or magnetic field, metal poisonings, inadequate water chemistry, many things could be the issue here or a combination of them> The water tested fine. <Means nothing to me> The only thing I could think of is, it has been a while since I changed the filter in the wet dry, (about 2 months) apparently the filter needs to be changed every 3 weeks, I did not know that. <Hmmm.....maybe but not entirely convinced> If that is the reason why then why didn't my blue damsel die or my maroon clown fish? <That is easy. These are typically very hardy fish. Cartilaginous fish are very sensitive to water quality.> Looking forward to hearing from you. <Not sure what I can tell you here. Please read through our ever expanding section on sharks and rays for more information on nutrition, water quality needs, tank sizes, etc. Sorry I couldn't be of more help ~Paul> Cindy & George Shark not eating follow-up - 3/15/04 Paul , you said to flip
him over when we do this, with his head out of the water . How long is
he safe this way? <Probably for some time......Uhm...we place the
shark on a wet towel (seawater wet) upside down. We use a vet trach
tube to spooge food into its gut.> Since I'm sure the process is
going to seem interminable. I think I'm going to see if I can
convince my vet to come help. <If you can get a vet's help, then
I would ask him to bring a syringe of Vitamin B12. We use this as a
vitamin appetite enhancer and shoot it into the shark intravenously.
Usually helps! Do not feed anymore silversides =) ~Paul>
T
Shark Sick - 2/28/04 hi, my shark has this small white spot above his left pectoral fin. It just appeared like 3 days ago. I was wondering if you could tell me what it was. <Need more info. What kind of shark are we talking about? What kind of tank? Feeding? Vitamins? Current size of the shark? Filtration? Water Chemistry? Pictures of the infected area?> also, he has a light pink kind of rash looking spots on his stomach and I was wondering how to get rid of those too. <Need more info, please. Once you provide me that info we (= me and some of the staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium) will see what we can offer in the way of identity and remedy. Thanks ~Paul> any help is appreciated. 6 Week old Banded Bamboo Shark Accident Hi, <hello> I
hope you can help I do not know what to do? Last night my Zebra moray
eel mistook my shark for a peace of squid at feeding time (they have
never acted aggressively towards each other before) the eel grabbed the
sharks by the head and pulled him into his cave. I think he let go of
him straight away and I managed to recover the shark about 1 minute
later. The shark appears to have been injured quite badly, one of his
eyes is slightly out of socket and although he is moving round the tank
he is always on his side and cannot bottom himself, his breathing is
about twice as fast as normal and he has a small cut to his head, when
the lights are off he tries to swim around as he would of before, Also
the eye shutters still open up at night. Please help! What should I do,
I do not think I could bring myself to put him out of his misery!
<this is what is best for the animal.> In your opinion will he
ever recover from this ? <the injuries sound bad. there is nothing
you can do.> Should I try to keep feeding him? <you can try, but
I do not think he will eat.> Your prompt help would be much
appreciated I have reared this shark from its egg and grown quite
attached to it. <Give him a little time and see what happens.
MikeH> Regards Darren Another Shark Problem >Hi Hello. (Edited for punctuation) >I was wondering if you could help me. My Brownbanded cat shark has a small ditch >>?? A what? A ditch, maybe? >..on its head. It's only a baby it hatched bout 2 weeks ago. >>Oh lord. Wondering who sold you this shark, and whether or not they cared enough to tell you ANYTHING about the care requirements for these animals. >I won't feed it till next week. It looks a bit thin, what should I do? Many thanks - James >>If it's thin, WHY in the world would you withhold food? (Great dismay at reading this, my friend.) There's not much I can tell you (assuming it's still alive, I only JUST got this query), other than to FEED IT! Hand feed it krill (restaurant quality, whole), make sure it's got pristine water quality (water changes using real ocean water sold for salt tanks is your BEST bet), and for God's sake, DON'T house it on crushed coral! If it doesn't make it, I implore you to please NOT replace it with another, at least not without doing MUCH more reading and research on these animals. Marina Injured Leopard Shark - If You're Gonna, This is The Way! >I have Two leopard Sharks in an 1800Gal oval shaped custom built aquarium. The aquarium is located in my home Gym. The aquarium was custom built out of solid concrete with fiberglass reinforcements. The filtration on the tank consist of three independent system the first system is a 4,000gph Biotech 10 pond filter, the second filtration is a little more complicated. The water leaves the tank fed by gravity into a modified Ocean clear canister filter, then through an in-line heater before it goes into a 200gal aquarium filled up with live rock and Two 3" homemade Protein Skimmers >>I think you mean 3' skimmers, yeah? >..copied from a Red Sea Berlin Turbo. The water leaves the 200gal tank and goes into a large 30W UV Bio Pond Filter before it is pumped back into the tank. The third simulates wave motion [set up on timer] the water just leaves the tank goes thru a 500gph EHEIM Canister filter and is pumped back into the tank with a 3600gph pump. The aquarium is in an air-conditioned room and the water during the summer stays around 71 degrees but during the winter it gets around 68 degrees. >>Great description of setup (though I've taken the liberty of shortening some passages). >In the center of the 1800Gal aquarium is a combination of live Rock and Hard coral, approximately 150-200lbs. The substrate is about 450lbs of Florida Crushed Coral. For The sunlight simulation I have 4 streetlights. For moonlight simulation I have two 48" blue moon fluorescent lights. All the lights are on timers. >>And now to the real issue at hand (send pics, please, as we have MANY queries on how to set up for sharks, and though you didn't give exact dimensions you've got other issues covered quite well). >The Leopard Sharks are around 28" and I had them for around three years now. They have never had any health problems, neither have any of their tank mates. The tank mates are two 18" Panther Groupers, Two 12" Naso Tangs and one 9" blue tang. Now the problem that I have is that my female Leopard Shark sustained an eye injury last week. How I really don't know but I suspect she cut it on some hard coral while feeding because they get very destructive. >>Indeed. >I can't find any information on how to treat the injury nor can I find a person experience with this. >>Likely you won't outside of public aquarium staff and most likely the staff vets (that vet the animals, not the staff). >I don't won't her to lose her eye and it's not looking good. At first a blood-filled blister appeared at the top of the eye I think where the cut was. After that a film covered the eye now the eye is filled with blood and has a white film. I've used Garlic Xtreme, Stress Guard, and made sure the water parameters are next to perfect. >>I would expect the first two courses of action to do very little, but the last course is positively your best course. Injuries are commonplace for sharks in the wild, and they appear to have excellent repair and recovery systems. Along with near seawater parameters, I would strongly suggest (if possible) separating her physically from the other animals, and feeding her food soaked in a good supplement, I very much like Selcon. You haven't mentioned what you feed, though I suspect/hope it would be something akin to what she would feed on in the wild. >Her swimming behavior has changed, she hardly swims anymore, only when feeding and when she feeds she appears to be herself. >>She is conserving her energy and "removing" herself from "the herd", so to speak. She knows she's injured is basically hospitalizing herself. If you can erect a physical barrier this will be helpful. >I need help please. I've removed the hard coral from the Aquarium but will she ever see from her eye again? >>I cannot, nor can anyone from our crew, predict whether or not she'll see again. She would have to be examined by a vet to make that determination. However, you can certainly continue with the high water quality, section her off from the others, soak the food for best nutrition (which WILL help her help herself), and give her time. You have described no signs of infection, so I would not recommend treating her with any antibiotics, especially because this would necessitate her removal from the main display--may be more traumatic than it's worth. I expect her to heal, barring any other interference. I do hope this helps, and if you can send up webpage sized jpegs (no bmps, please) of anything and everything it would be quite helpful, plus it would allow us to share with others how sharks should be housed (sans that coral though, yeah?). If you are in need of good quality, SAFE, attractive decorations for the system now, I strongly suggest you look up Walt Smith, in Los Angeles area, as his company makes some AMAZING models of living coral reef specimens that are quite safe for the animals housed with them. If I recollect, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific used much of his wares to stock their systems. Marina - Banded Cat Shark Problems - Hello again. <Hello to you,
JasonC here...> I have another question for you. I have two banded
cat sharks in a 125 gallon fish only tank w/ some live rock. I already
know that the tank size is too small for even one of these guys, there
is a local fish store that has tanks that can accommodate fully grown
sharks (some species) and trades them in, that's why I got them...
while they are small. <Not entirely a good strategy.> The one I
hatched from an egg and that was one of the coolest things I have ever
seen or done, amazing. The second I bought from a local pet store. He
appeared to be fine when I bought him, active, nice breathing, nice
texture, no visible signs of stress. Well 3 days have gone by and I
noticed he has red spots on his belly. <Could be irritation from the
substrate, or something in the area of the tank that it frequents... is
the most common problem is inappropriate surroundings.> He eats
after a second or two of holding the food in front of him (smelling it
I imagine). However he is always breathing really heavy. My other shark
that I hatched is fine, nothing wrong with him at all, eats, breaths,
looks fine. <Perhaps more used to the conditions as it was 'born
into' them.> I usually do a water change once a week (10 to 15
percent). If not once a week no longer than 3 weeks. But every two for
the past three months. For filtration I have a wet/dry, two 250 hot
magnums, 10 gallon under gravel filters (2) in the corners (one in each
corner). <You should really have a protein skimmer on this system...
even though your filtration system 'works' it's not really
appropriate for a shark system. I'd bail on just about everything
except the wet/dry and get the skimmer on there.> The heat is set at
78, the nitrates 0, ammonia 0, salinity 24, ph 8.3, nitrites 0. Since
it is late at night and you are obviously not going to be able to
answer I am going to do a 30% water change. Any help you can give me
would be appreciative. I have a 10 gallon tank with a small piece of
live rock, a 170 penguin filter w/ a BioWheel (which I just took off),
the temp is at 80, but I have not put anything in there yet. Would you
recommend I put the shark in there? <Probably not... I doubt it
would even be able to turn around.> Since he is eating I am confused
as to what to do? <I would continue on as you were... I think
stepping up the water changes to 10% once a week would help.>
Couldn't tell you if he is getting better or worse. Don't want
this little fellow to die or suffer. Can you help. <Again, most
likely suspects are water quality issues along with [potentially] the
substrate, or some other item the animal is scratching itself on. Do
address these issues first, and then see how things develop.>
Thanks
Sick Shark 7/25/03 Hey Guys,<Crew member Phil with you tonight!!> I was wondering if you could help me out with this problem I'm having with my Brown Banded Bamboo shark.<I'll give it my best shot!> Looks like he's been stricken with one of those parasitic invasions.<Oh no!> I've had him for close to 6 months and never had a problem. Water parameters are fine and I'm not sure how to deal with this. He's been thrashing and rubbing against the substrate for two days now.<Not a good sign.> Unfortunately I'm in China and I highly doubt that I can buy good medicine here. Should I bathe him in fresh water?<This is a strong shark, according to "Sharks & Rays" your little guy can stand a 5 minute FW dip. But be sure to watch the shark for any signs of stress. My first choice would be to lower the SG a little bit. Maybe to around 1.020-1.021. This should help some, if the shark is still sick try the FW dip. Do only for 5 minutes once a week, anymore could stress the shark out too much.> Any comments or suggestions would be highly appreciated.<I really hope this helps!! Please update me to any changes... good or bad.> Thanks so much,<Good luck!> MZ<Phil> Shark disease reference I am currently in the process of creating and evidence folder for school. This is an important portion of my grade (50%) I would like to include a write-up about shark diseases, however I haven't found anything online after extensive searching. If you could give me a step in the right direction, it would be GREATLY appreciated Mahalo Jillian <Try to locate a recent copy (the Microcosm/TFH version) of Scott Michael's "Aquarium Sharks and Rays" book. There is a brief description of shark health issues there. Bob Fenner> Shark Problems... 4/17/03 I have a banded shark just got him
about five days ago two of them both are already eating not much but
small amounts.<You have two sharks in a tank how big? Any
water info? How big are the sharks? If they are
newly hatched and you fed them they are in big
trouble. Please start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm &
here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharkslvgrm.htm > belly
looks normal no red on there belly what worries me is the sometimes not
a lot they swim on there side doesn't repeat a lot just sometime is
it normal for them to swim like that or not I think I would be parasite
but not sure because they don't do it a lot<This is a shark that
will spend more time laying on the sand then swimming around.>
thank
you Juan morel p.s. if it is parasite what can I treated him with will
a cleaner wrasse be the solution<Please DON'T add a cleaner
wrasse. Most won't last more then a month in a home
aquarium. Please get back with me on the info I need so I
can help you! Thanks! Phil>
- Removal of Infected Fish vs. Medication - Dear Bob. <Actually, it's JasonC today...> I recently discovered the web site you and your other experts are involved in. I have been involved in the marine aquarium hobby for 12yrs. I have a recent complicated scenario which could use some expertise advice. So many of the owners in the local aquarium trade, where I live now have limited knowledge of Elasmobranch health and basic knowledge. Up to this point I have relied mostly on my previous experience and from several books. However I should point out that I have relied heavily on Scott W. Michaels book and of Martin Moe in the past. I have 2 Leopard sharks which from behavior and visual inspection appear to be in good health. They are 18" and I purchased them from a friend who had much to small of an aquarium. My aquarium is 120"L X 42"W X 36" H aprox 800 gal. <Well... if you've been using Scott Michael's book, then you know this tank is too small for these sharks.> Temperature is 72 with the chiller keeping it within 1 degree fluctuation. <That's still too warm - should be in the 60-65 degree range, no higher than 70. If you've ever been diving where these sharks live, then you know the water there only gets to 70 in the dead of summer, and the rest of the time is rarely warmer than 65 degrees. Please consider lowering the temperature.> The wet/dry was made for a 1200 gal tank so ample biological filtration and large down draft. ph 8.2, density 1.020. The plan for a salt water pond is under way so as they grow larger they will have a permanent and healthy life. <How are you going to chill an outdoor pond in Florida?> My main urgent concern is with another tank mate a Vlamingi Naso tang that appears to have a serious case of Cryptocaryon or Marine Ich? I have begun treating the tank with Metronidazole, but have come to the understanding that this may not cure the tang, and the tank itself along with the other fish are probably already hosts. <Correct on both accounts.> If by removing the tang could this help prevent infection of the other tankmates? <Well... as you mentioned, it is probably to late to prevent infestation, but... you need to treat Ich with copper, and that MUST be done in a separate tank - the sharks won't do well with this compound around at all.> I have also begun feeding the sharks shrimp permeated with the Hex-A-Mit. There are a total of 5 fish including the tang. The others are a Panther grouper & Mangrove snapper. <My friend, this livestock mix is inappropriate. As I mentioned before, this tank should really be kept somewhere near 60F - and the other fish you have in here will not do well at that temperature. Likewise, the sharks will not do well at the upper end of their tolerant range. You really need to reconsider this mix.> At this point they show no signs of infection. I know there has been studies that show Tangs are more prone to Marine ick. Would you recommend to continue with the current medication? <No, you need to remove the tang and begin treatment with copper and freshwater dips.> Is there any other recommendations you could advise me of? I know most sharks cannot tolerate a Hyposalinity treatment, but can Leopard sharks tolerate it? <No, they can't - sharks need the salt to regulate their internal systems, and will quickly perish in hypersaline water.> Thank You, for your expertise on this serious situation, Scott Mc Kirgan Naples, FL <J -- > - Cloudy Eye on Leopard shark - <Greetings, JasonC here...> I have a 14 inch Leopard shark that I have owned for about 6 months. Last week I noticed her left eye was beginning to build up a white mucous near the inside corner of the eye. The LFS recommended Mela-Fix, so I tried adding it to the tank as directed. Since, I have noticed that the build up is getting worse. It now covers about half of the eye and has developed a bit of a lump shape. It looks as if it could be wiped off, but I am not sure that would solve the problem. So, I thought I would check with the experts first to see what you would recommend. Thank you, your site has contributed greatly to the aquarium industry, Gene Hart <Well... you don't reveal much about the system this animal is being kept in, and 9.999 times out of 10 the systems people choose for these sharks are completely inappropriate. Additionally, at a size of 14", it sounds like you've obtained a juvenile which would not be in your advantage or the fish's. Sadly, these are often harvested from a live shark by slicing it open, and the pups released and the mother shark disposed of. It's a gruesome harvest that does no one any good... additionally, these sharks are cool water sharks - if you don't have a chiller, it will die. Most often the symptoms you describe are brought on by the environment so I would start by looking there. I can't state strongly enough that these sharks are inappropriate for anything but a public aquarium, and unless that's who you represent, you've done everyone in the chain of obtaining this fish a great disservice. By purchasing it and taking it home, you've encouraged people to continue the forced and sometimes premature birth of these fish - the destruction of the mother - and your local dealer purchasing the fish. These fish should be left in the ocean. Please read this link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coolh20sharks.htm Quite sincerely, J -- > Stiffness of bamboo shark Dear Mr. Fenner, Last week I got 2 baby brown-banded bamboo sharks and they have not ate. One just died today (had red rashes on the bottom of him, not present when alive) and the other one remains really "stiff" as he seems to be tensing his muscles for no reason (he has no rashes). I searched your website and could not find a solution to these problems. They both showed no signs of distress: no flashing, rapid respiration, or any rashes/blotches/etc.. Please help me out. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Bryan <... where is information re your system? It's components, history? Do you have water quality test data to relate? Please read (or re-read) through the "shark" materials (articles and FAQs files) stored on WWM, starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm and over the linked (in blue, at top) pages beyond. Bob Fenner> I found out what was wrong with the California ray Bob, After seeking your help about what might be wrong with the California ray, I took your advice and attempted to find someone here who could help identify the problem. No one could give me a definitive answer, which is probably due to the fact that I live in Oklahoma, and we just don't have a lot of marine experts here. So, I looked through books and websites, and finally came across what her problem is. She has goiter. <Ahhh, not atypical...> Purina, test diet division, has a multivitamin that I'm going to try to use. <If it doesn't include iodide, do add this... through the food> I just wanted to thank you for trying to help and let you know what I found out in case it might be of some use to someone else. Rochelle <Thank you for the follow-up... Will post your findings, intentions on WetWebMedia.com... Over time, you will have saved many losses, other trouble for folks. Bob Fenner>
Sharks (disease, implications) <<Hi!!> can a banded cat shark get ick I looked though your old posts and didn't see an answer just that they wouldn't get it through the egg and if they will how can you cure it thank you for your help again <<Yes, they can. You don't describe any symptoms, (flashing/rubbing, visible ich, etc. but you can find much more at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharkdiseasefaqs.htm If after reading the above you think you have ick, or if you need more info, then go to this page and read all the info and links to the ick and treatment pages. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm Do first check your water thoroughly before wholesale treatment. This is likely environmental. Craig>> Emergency (shark in a bad way, small space) Dear Bob, Please
help. I have a four month old banded cat shark that is in a 55 gallon
tank. The water temperature is 80 degrees and the ammonia and nitrate
levels seem to be correct. He lives with two yellow tailed damsels, a
clownfish, a starfish and a snail. We came home today and found him
floating in the tank but he is still breathing. He was rubbing himself
on the bottom of the tank and swimming upside down. Is there any way to
save him. Thank You, Melanie <<Hi Melanie, You say your Nitrate
levels seem to be correct without stating what they are. Sharks are
messy to begin with but this one is IMO overcrowded in a 55 with all
the other fish. The symptoms you describe could be parasites or more
likely nitrate poisoning/sensitivity in this species. Please perform a
water change and see if this doesn't help him improve. Please check
the WWM shark FAQ's at:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharkdiseasefaqs.htm There are several posts
which will help you with treating the problem. Hope this helps
him, Craig>> My Shark (tumorous growth) Howdy: I hope that you can help. I have a five year old, 32 inch Bamboo Shark. About six months ago he developed a lump on his ventral side: under the head and behind the jaw. It has slowly but steadily grown larger. Other than this he is acting fine. I have tried water changes. I keep the 150 gallon tank at 78 degrees F, feed him shrimp, squid, and gold fish, and check the water regularly. Help?! Sincerely, Curtis <Mmm, much to discuss/state here... do you supplement this animals foods with vitamins (plus HUFAs) by adding to its foods? Have you tried supplementing iodide/iodate either in foods or directly to the water. Tumors, growths of these sorts can have a few make-ups... and some prove harmless through time. I would try adding the supplements to the foods (perhaps in gel capsules slipped into the larger food items) for now (this is what is done in Public Aquariums and research centers with sharks)... and see if this produces visible results over the next month or two. If not, I strongly suggest a trip to a college library to do a literature search (not hard to do, and there are reference librarians there to help), re shark biology, medicine. I am sending this note to friend Scott Michael who has a long-standing keen interest in Elasmobranchs. Hopefully he will have more input to offer you. Bob Fenner> Bamboo Shark Trouble Bob, <Anthony Calfo in your service while Bob travels Australia... he has been spotted recently in a place of cultural enrichment: the Opera House. He made quite an impression in a formal black Tuxedo and wearing a beer hat while siphoning his nectar continuously> You helped use out before so I hope you can again. We hatched a little shark back in Dec. and he's been very happy in a 50 gall. tank. Several days ago he began to scrape himself along the bottom, I believe it's called "flashing". <often a sign of parasites but in this species also nitrate accumulation/general poor water quality> Anyway after a 50% h2o change he was fine,... for a day. Back to flashing again so we're wondering it he has a parasite problem? <actually the relief by the water change indicates perhaps this is a water quality issue...do test to see if your nitrates are rather high> Can we treat with CopperSafe of MarinOomed? <either will kill the shark dead.. they are very sensitive to metals and organic dyes. Formalin can be used cautiously if necessary for such fishes> All the levels are fine, nitrites, ammonia etc. Any ideas? Thanks in advance Linettte <yes, again... Nitrates specifically. It would be surprising if you are low in a tank with a shark. The books tell us to keep it under 20ppm actual (5ppm on a test kit times the multiplier 4.4).. but this is tough. I say you could be as high as 60 ppm (15ppm on your test kit) but really not much higher. Sharks are quite sensitive indeed... another symptom of high nitrates is "yawning" if by chance you've spotted it. Best regards, Anthony> Sick Epaulette shark? Please Help Hi Bob: <Anthony Calfo in your service> I have a epaulette shark (about 18") that has been with me for 2 years in a 125 tank. I introduced a clown tang and grouper on Friday and some of the other had been fighting with the clown tang. Other tank mates that have been with the shark are a Niger trigger (4") bi-colored angel (4") brown tang (5") lunar wrasse (5"). All had lived tougher with no problem. The Shark was always a good eater and he ate on Friday and sat, I am not sure if he ate Sunday (shark food, the food fell off the stick and was near him he may have got it) Since the introduction of the new fish the shark seems sluggish. <may be unrelated> I tried to be careful not to get the pet shop water in my tank, but may have failed. <always a good move, but please be certain to quarantine such new fish first away from the main display when you have such a great investment in money and lives in the tank proper> Do sharks go through sluggish periods? <not likely> I checked the ph last night and it seemed a little low 7.7 and salt at 1.021 could that make the difference? <holy cow!!! 7.7 pH if tested with lights on means that it could have been 7.4 or lower in the middle of the night (tank respiration)... and that is assuming your test kit is accurate and not reading high!?! The pH is a problem but do not bring it up too fast. A water change (dilution) and then gradual daily supplementation with a Seabuffer is in order. Your 2 week goal should be 8.3 or higher. The salinity is also indeed low for sharks. Most Elasmobranchs suffer a bit on the low end of the SG scale. Have you noticed very deliberate and or labored breathing? Aim for 1.024-1.026> What are the ideal conditions for the shark- temp, ph, salt, etc.. and if it is cooper poising can I make him well. <not sure why you mentioned copper... but it is scary toxic to sharks, rays... use a PolyFilter routinely for such species and never dose metals like copper deliberately. Best regards, Anthony> Thanks for any help you may be able to give me. Joe Reply (more input re reddish bamboo shark) Hello Bob sorry I didn't give you all in the info on my system. The tank is a 375 24 by 36 by 96.The filter is a large trickle with a 500 gallon aero foamer skimmer. Circulation is provided by 2 Genex pumps, 1 for skimmer and the other for return from sump. These pumps are rated 1190 at 4 ft head perfect for the tank. I started treating with tetracycline dissolved and injected into squid. The shark is still feeding aggressively. There is only 1 other banded in the tank and he is not affected as the larger one is. The sand is oolitic, not crushed coral. The sizes of the sharks are 14 in and 10 in. The larger one is affected. Do you think this treatment will work? Thanks for your help. Ernie <Mmm... glad to have more information... and this input grants many more insights, and concurrently raises more questions/concerns... Good to read there is more than one specimen, that the other is not affected, that the system is large, with fine substrate. It would be beneficial to have a culture of the "redness" ahead of using antibiotics... though tetracycline is a good choice for broad spectrum, gram-negatives... I would only utilize it orally administered for nine days or so... possibly switching to just one more "general" choice (Chloromycetin if you can find same, check with a veterinarian...), and emphasize environmental and nutritional aspects of husbandry to improve this animal's health. Do you monitor alkalinity, pH, redox? Consider using an ozonizer? Do you slip vitamins into these sharks foods? I would do all of these... the redness hopefully clearing up in time (weeks). Bob Fenner> Shark problem Dear Mr. Fenner, My name Ernie and I have a problem with my bamboo shark. The shark is feeding well on squid and krill every 2 days. The temp is 78f no ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH is at 8.2. The problem is it is scratching itself on the sand on its side, only by the gill slits. Also it looks like its skin is turning red or pink. There are no spots or parasites present. Could this be flukes or some other gill infestation. Please help if you could. Thanks for your time. Ernie <Thank you for writing Ernie. The red markings are not a good sign. Likely indicative of bacterial infection... this as a result generally of abrasion (from substrate mainly) or some aspect/s of "poor water quality"... other than what you list. You don't mention size of system, other livestock and how they are faring (good clues) or mechanicals/controllers... Please read through the shark sections and associated FAQs on our principal site... starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm and on to the disease areas for marines... and then let's chat further. Bob Fenner> Death of banded cat shark... My 1 month old banded cat shark died today and I think I know why, but I want to make sure. She hit her head about a week and a half ago on some coral (scratches on her head) and she shook her head pretty violently ever now and then. She wouldn't eat as much, but probably enough to sustain her. Is it possible she died because of the hit on the head? Thanks for your time. <Sorry to learn of your loss. Yes, the injury might account for her demise. Bob Fenner> Horn shark Help. My nephew's horn shark developed a small spot which looked like it was crystallized skin and quickly died. We have contacted several aquarium stores but they have not been of any help. Can you direct us to a source where we might be able to get information on this species? <Mmm, yes. Scott Michael's new book, Michael, Scott. 2001. Aquarium Sharks & Rays. An Essential Guide to Their Selection, Keeping and Natural History. Microcosm/TFH New Jersey. 256pp, and the short survey piece on our site here: http://wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm ... I've collected the one cool water species Heterodontus francisci and necropsies (for institutions, science) many sharks... the coldwater ones aren't easily kept in tropical aquariums... Bob Fenner> Banded cat shark Dear Mr. Fenner, I don't know how often
you check your e-mail, but I have an emergency. <Almost
daily... except if/when on a live-aboard, other no-access site...>
My banded cat shark is barely breathing. This morning he was swimming
upside-down and doing nose-dives. I have had him for about a month, and
he's been doing great. Water chemistry: Ammonia-0, Nitrite-trace,
Nitrate-10mg/L,pH-8.4, Temp-77, Salinity-1.021, Cu-0. He looks worse
every second. Do you have any clue what could be wrong with him? Is
there anything I can do? Thanks for your help! <Not exactly, but do
know what I would do... a massive water change at least, and increase
aeration (as much powerhead, small pump, airstone movement as you can
muster)... if not move this specimen to a different system (if you have
one of adequate size)... perhaps an internal disorder is at fault here,
maybe some sort of poisoning, even an ingested snail, hermit... other
life/non-life in your system... but do the above... NOW> Tracy
<Bob Fenner> Ick Problem and shark egg I have an Ick problem in my main
tank and am going to move my fish livestock over to my quarantine tank
for treatment with a copper based solution and leave my main tank fish
free for at least a month to let the parasites die off. My main
question is that I have a shark egg very close to being fully
developed. Will the copper treatment hurt this shark or should I leave
it in the main tank? <It will hurt it... do move it with your
other fish livestock. Bob Fenner> If I do leave it in the main tank
will it become a host for the ick as well? T.J. Sylvester Health alert over shark's fin soup This message was forwarded to you from Straits Times Interactive (http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg ) Comments from sender: Shark fin soup danger Health alert over shark's fin soup by James East <Yowzah up to 45 times accepted levels!? On the positive side, perhaps this news will serve to curtail the wanton mass destruction of selachians. Bob Fenner> BANGKOK - Shark's fin soup should come with a public-health warning, say wildlife experts who have found dangerously high levels of mercury in samples taken in Thailand. The tests, carried out by a state-run laboratory and commissioned by international environmental group Wild Aid, showed mercury present in all fins. Very high levels were found in 70 per cent of them. Following the report, Thai authorities yesterday urged people to stay clear of shark's fin soup until it had completed checks to ensure that the delicacy was safe. Deputy Public Health Minister Surapong Suebwonglee told a television show yesterday that his ministry was collecting samples of the soup from various restaurants. 'Shark's fin soup consumers should hold on... until the ministry can find out whether the fins are contaminated,' he said. The samples used for WildAid's report were from Bangkok's Chinatown. They had mostly been imported from Hongkong, the international distribution centre for the trade. Wild Aid co-director Steven Galster urged all Asian governments to conduct shark's fin tests and issue public health warnings. High mercury levels are particularly dangerous to pregnant women, slowing the formation of foetal nerve cells in the brain and damaging the immune system and heart in adults. One of the 10 samples tested by the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research showed a mercury level 42 times the acceptable international norm of .5 mg/kg. Wild Aid will now launch an Asia-wide series of newspaper advertisements in Chinese, Thai and English warning shark's fin soup consumers of the dangers. The advertisements, put together with help from the Singaporean branch of J. Walter Thompson Advertising, aim to show that sharks may be more dangerous dead than alive. It is the watchdog's latest drive to save rapidly declining shark populations. The Chinese-language advertisement depicts an upturned soup bowl designed to look like a Chinese cemetery. Wild Aid plans to run the advertisement in Singapore. Mr. Galster said he was encouraged by the support shown by Singaporean Chinese celebrities who had publicly stated their opposition to eating shark's fin - suggesting that it was not an East-versus-West issue, but was about saving the shark and looking after human health. Shark's fin soup, famed as a symbol of wealth and extravagance, as well as for its alleged medicinal properties, in fact, has little nutritional value. Shark's fins are typically sliced off and the shark thrown back into the sea to a slow death. Undercover Wild Aid researchers had also found that Thai shark's fin dealers sometimes added a chemical to their goods. IP Address:192.169.41.38 Leopard Shark Info I have three Leopard Sharks pups in a 375-gallon in wall aquarium (L96 x 30W x 30H) with two 10? Naso Tangs, One 9 Atlantic Blue Tang, and some live rock. I've been feeding them frozen Krill and Silversides. One is 10?#8364;?, one is 12?#8364;?, and one is 15?#8364;? in length. I'm getting a 900-gallon (96L x 36W x 60H) reef ready aquarium system with chiller custom built for them soon. <Wowzah, can you adopt me?> But just recently they have developed dark spots on their bottom side just behind the throat and under the gills. The spots look like bruises that someone's risk or arm would get if it were griped to tight. The tank has been set up for seven months now and I am running two wet/dry filtration systems one is a Bio-Ball system the Aqua Clear Pro 300 with protein skimmer and I'm using a 1200 GPH return pump, and the other is the Marine l and Bio wheel Tide Pool-II with a 900 GPH return pump. I think the tank has good circulation and the water quality looks good the AmmoniaNH3/NH+4) is 0ppm(mg/L), the high range pH is 8.2, the Nitrate (NO-3) is 0ppm(mg/L), and the Nitrite (No-a2) is 0ppm (mg/L). <Wow... commendable... no nitrate?> But the temp is about 76 degrees F. About two month ago the sharks were scratching on the sand surface, yawning frequently, and in mid swim would turn and bite their tails like a bog with fleas would bite its rear end that was a site to see. I treated them with some Life Bearer that was recommended by someone that has Sand Tiger sharks the symptoms cleared up. I thank they got the infection from some panther groupers that may have been infected I moved the groupers to a 125-gallon aquarium with a two flames, two coral beauties, and a Lemonpeel. <Watch these Chromileptis... they will eventually inhale your Dwarf Angels> But I notice the spots on the 15?#8364;? Leopard shark pup before the scratching started and though nothing of it, but now the 10?#8364;? and 12?#8364;? leopard shark pup is starting to get the same spots. Is this a sign of improper food or vitamin deficiency or not enough dissolved oxygen in the water, or could this be from the temperature being to hot? <Most likely a mix of all... penalization around the throat area isn't necessarily a danger sign... If you have occasion to have one of these specimens out, I would run a "skin scraping" (a microscope slide) across this area (from head to tail direction) and take a look under magnification. Don't think that you have body flukes going here, but...> Is this something that is normal the leopard sharks? <Not uncommon as I state> I am in the process of making a home made chiller out of a 1-1/2 cubic feet dorm size refrigerator and 100ft 3/8 tubing hose to get the temp down to 68 degrees F. <For this size system, it will take more than this refrigeration to make a difference. Take a look at the manufacturers on our sites Links pages (www.WetWebMedia.com), in particular Aquanetics Net Pages on calculating horsepower necessary for a given volume and draw down temperature... don't waste your time, money on the dorm fridge> I don't know how well this will work I got the plans of line if it don't't work I'm'm just out $175.00, But my main concerned are the spots on the sharks should I be alarmed about the spots? <IMO/E no, not alarmed> Also if it is possible could someone recommend a good book or web site to get good information on the care of Leopard Sharks or just Aquarium Sharks? <The new one by Scott Michael is about out... I do have a review/edit copy... very worthwhile> I'm'd like to know Minimal circulation or current requirements per gallon, the best type of filtration, Medications, and correct temp I've herd that it was about 65 degrees. <Vigorous, over-sized and yes, right about on the temperature... or even lower. Bob Fenner> Sincerely, Michael Hunter. PS'? I am inclosing some photos of one of the leopard sharks so that maybe you can help me find out what is the problem. Dead Shark? When the leopard sharks die is their any sign of it? and thanks for the quick reply <Signs of death... no movement, lack of gill movement... you can access this by lifting the animal by its side... if you can pull it up to the surface w/o its resisting, moving, it has likely perished. Bob Fenner> URGENT shark Question Mr. Fenner I have a bamboo shark that I
hatched about 8 weeks ago. He was doing very well up until about a week
ago. The first couple of weeks he wasn't very active, then for
about 3 weeks he became very active in the evening, well very active
for a lazy bamboo shark. About a week or so ago I noticed he had some
red rash on his bottom side. It has gotten worse and he hasn't been
very active for the last couple days, in fact I haven't seen him
around at all (except breathing and small fin movements). I have
crushed coral as substrate and am taking my water down to have it
tested for quality tomorrow morning. <This "rash" is
trouble... and perhaps the substrate is at least a factor... should be
on smooth material... I would move the specimen... remove the
substrate... and we might want to talk about adding an antibiotic
to this animal's food, or force feeding it same...> I have never
had a problem with water quality. He also doesn't seem to be eating
in the last week, his stomach area seems to be shrinking down, but he
still seems to be breathing healthily. I read on the site about what
the possibilities may be and what to do ... but I'm not sure about
the solutions ... can you please give me some more in depth explanation
of what to do. Like I said I'm going to have the water quality
tested tomorrow morning so hopefully, I can rule that out. I think that
the substrate may actually be scratching his bottom. Can I put sand in
now ... even though the tank has been set up for almost 4 months now.
Any help would be much appreciated. <Yes to the last three
sentences... Do change out the substrate for now... and keep me
informed... I will tell you how to get the antimicrobial into the
specimen. Bob Fenner> Thanks, Chris Shark Bob, I recently got a banded cat shark (also
called a bamboo shark?) <Yes, in places> I've had him
almost a week, and was told he hatched only a few weeks before that.
However, he is about 8 inches long. He has developed a stomach rash. I
know I have read about it in your Q/A before, but I cannot remember if
you supplied a solution to the problem. It is a 125 gallon, with
crushed coral for the substrate. <This may be the cause of the
rash (petecchia)... the rough substrate... or perhaps rough handling,
netting moving the specimen> Filtration: Aquaclear 150 Pro series
wet/dry (protein skimmer included) + 2 emperors, and a UV sterilizer.
The shark is eating frozen squid voraciously and seems very active and
healthy, but I'm very worried about the rash. I hope you can help!
Thanks, Tracy <I would leave the specimen alone at this point and
hope for a self cure... if it is eating. No manipulation, treatment,
addition of substances to its food are advised. Do keep an eye on
metabolites like nitrates and phosphates. Bob Fenner> Bamboo cat shark Bob, I bought a bamboo cat shark egg from
the pet store. was a very healthy specimen, I kept it in my reef tank
until it hatched about 4 months later. I watched that shark develop
from a tiny pin head to a respectable 6 inches in length when it
hatched out on Sunday. I transferred the young shark to its new 180
gallon home, complete with a 7 foot downdraft protein skimmer, ocean
clear canister filter, wet dry sump and Iwaki md70 magnetic drive pump.
the water in the tank is circulated by two mag drive 700 gph pumps that
I converted to powerheads. The next morning when I woke up the shark
was curled up to the sky and stiff. but he is still breathing. I
don't know what could have happened so fast but it looks like my
shark keeping days are over in only 17 hours. >> <Very bizarre
and frightening... Sorry to be getting back to you so late, have been
traveling in the Cooks the last few weeks... do hope/trust that this
specimen did recover... Sharks are tough animals... and I suspect yours
actually did not suffer from some sort of trauma per se, but just
general shock in being transferred to its new surroundings... Do just
leave it be... even if it looks bad, it may well rally. Bob
Fenner> Mystery Death Bob, Thanks for your advice on my epaulette
shark, which is going great by the way, but I lost a harlequin tusk
yesterday which went in at the same time as the shark. Also my black
Volitans lion is acting strange, not eating for the past 5 days. He
doesn't look sick and he and the shark don't fight but the
shark does tend to get in all the lions favorite caves and push him
into the open. Tank specs seem fine-155gallon,0 ammonia,0 nitrite,20
nitrates,ph8.2.Only thing I can think of is the shark has overloaded
the tank, other fish are-2 Chromis, tomato clown, blue tang, sailfin
tang, coral beauty, Foxface, Picasso trigger, Heniochus, blue damsel.
All ideas welcome, Cheers, Scott. >> Agree with your
assessment of "shark relatedness" of the losses... paralleled
by nitrate accumulation and detailed behaviors... More water changes,
more specialized surface feedings, more use of chemical filtrants...
bigger skimmer... Bigger system!
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