Horn Shark Feeding

[foreversteam]

A banded "bamboo Shark" or cat shark species is what you should get for the smaller tanks. Just google "bamboo sharks" or Catshark and see what pops up.

[rnelson40]

Be sure to get as large a tank as you can.  Sharks need lots of room

[kodyhorn44]

do you have to have live coral with saltwater tanks or is there like fake coral decorations

[rnelson40]

@kodyhorn44

There is such a thing as fake coral...sometimes it gets algae buildup on it and at that point you can really tell it's fake. 

[kodyhorn44]

@rnelson40

i dont care if its looks like it, i was jus wondering bc i wanna start a marine tank but ive never had one, so you dont have to have live rock?

[rnelson40]

@kodyhorn44

OK, we are talking about 2 different things, coral and live rock. Using fake corals are OK, but I would advise to always use live rock. The good beneficial bacteria lives on the live rock and is a large part of the health of a tank. Do a Google search on "aquarium nitrogen cycle" and it will explain it fully.

[kodyhorn44]

@rnelson40

oh ohk thankyou and another thing what kind of filteration will i need

[rnelson40]

@kodyhorn44

It depends on what kind of tank you are setting up. One thing you'll probably want is a large protein skimmer, it takes alot of the filth out of a tank. Then there's wet/dry's, cannister filters, etc. Be sure to get a skimmer at least!

[kodyhorn44]

@rnelson40

i plan on setting one up for clowns and a bamboo shark

[foreversteam]

When you build your 13,000 Gallon tank, make sure you re-inforce the concrete with something other than steel like acrylic pieces, steel or metal will drive the sharks crazy - especially the requiem family of sharks ie. blacktip, lemon...

[rnelson40]

@foreversteam

Thanks for the advice.....unfortunately I don't think my project is going to become a reality, at least not in the foreseeable future. I am aware of the problems metal creates with the sharks ampullae of Lorenzini. Thanks for reminding me though

[dredheadct]

@foreversteam man i need some advice on what kind of small shark i can get

[dredheadct]

@foreversteam man i need some advice on what kind of small shark i can get

for my 125 gallon tank

[thedirtydime]

VERY nice tank!! how big is it! great video! :)

[rnelson40]

@thedirtydime

It's a 480gal........

[CJELLIOTT666]

could i have a horn shark in a 4 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot aquaruim please reply quick

[rnelson40]

@CJELLIOTT666

I would advise against it....the tank is not a good size. They need a little longer room to glide than 4'

[CJELLIOTT666]

@rnelson40 thanks but by a little how much did you mean could i have 4 foot x 31/2 foot x 31/2 foot aquaruim

[rnelson40]

@CJELLIOTT666

Sharks propel themselves forward by their caudal (tail) fin....if they have a small area then they are constantly making turns which they would also be using their caudal fin....if your tank was, say, 6' long, they would have at least a little room to "glide" (NOT use the caudal fin) before having to use it to make a turn and would not tire as easily. Basically your tank is a cube shape and I would be a little worried that the sharks would have no room to "glide"

[rnelson40]

@CJELLIOTT666

Since horn sharks don't have to constantly move though, you may be OK....but it would be much better if the tank was at least 6' long.

[tdawg32197]

are your horn sharks lazy during the day and also how active is your Arabian Bamboo, Papua New Guinea Epaulette

[rnelson40]

@tdawg32197

The Horn sharks move around more during the day than the others.....all the rest of them come out at feeding time and at night.

[goofygoober41198]

o wow how big the tank

[rnelson40]

@goofygoober41198

The tank is a 480gal, it's 8' long, 2' deep, and 4' front-to-back

[goofygoober41198]

@rnelson40 dayum thats big

[rnelson40]

@goofygoober41198

Yeah, wish it was bigger though.

Right now I'm working on plans for a 13,000gal shark tank. I am going to have a concrete slab poured, then a 36' X 18' building constructed onsite, then build a large pool inside. I plan on keeping a few of the more active species and trying to breed/sell them.

[goofygoober41198]

@rnelson40 nice u got it all planned wich i could do sumthin like that but im a kid and i dont have the money and if i did my mom would kill me!

[rnelson40]

@goofygoober41198

Hey, I'm a kid....at heart anyway

[goofygoober41198]

@rnelson40 ha nice

[goofygoober41198]

thats so cool that they just rest on the bottom like that!

[rnelson40]

@goofygoober41198

They get pretty crazy at feeding time though....

I have 5 sharks now....the two horns, an Arabian Bamboo, Papua New Guinea Epaulette, and Coral Catshark

[Otwwrestling]

Nicce tank I got one small newly hatched in a 500 gallon with 3 smoothhound sharks people ill be upldoading a video sonn

[rnelson40]

@Otwwrestling

Looking forward to seeing the video.

I had a smoothhound once. Tank was not big enough though and it died the day I was going to move it to a public aquarium. Hopefully you will have better luck than I.

[P4brains]

i want a horn shark!!

[rnelson40]

@P4brains,

They are really cool!!!

[niceAswift]

im currently in the process of a 500 gallon build. very nice to see some other larger tanks. What are the dims on this tank. I will be posting a vid response with my last shark tank =)

cheers!

[rnelson40]

@niceAswift ,

Be sure to post video when you get your tank set up.

The dimension of this tank are 8' long, 2' deep, 4' front-to-back

[niceAswift]

@rnelson40: 4 feet front to back is AWESOME! nothing like a tank with some decent depth! Will get a vid posted as soon as its up =)

[IamFreeRu]

How many gallons is the tank?

[rnelson40]

@IamFreeRu,

It is a 480gal

[ZiggyHungga]

Can I keep one in a 30litre nano cube?

[rnelson40]

ZiggyHungga,

Oh sure.....probably 4 or 5 :)

[AZnavarro99]

@rnelson40 I highly disagree 4 or are way to much are you crazy!!!!! 2 or 3 maz Ziggy :)

[tangman22]

where did u get a tank that big!

[rnelson40]

Well, I custom ordered it from a company called Aquariums For You......they went out of business a year or so ago.....

[OLLY2GUNZZ]

how big is that tank

[rnelson40]

It is a 480.....8' long, 2' deep, 4' front-to-back.....I'm working on getting a large breeding tank though which will be 8900 gallons.....will keep everyone posted

[sal3451]

how big and mean is your eel because i have been wanting to get one and i have a clown triggerfish, bannana wrasse, six bar angelfish,naso tang,minatus grouper,also three white spot damselfish and a maroon clownfish

[rnelson40]

Well, I actually have 2 eels, a snowflake and a jeweled.......the snowflake is pretty docile....the jeweled is the more aggressive of the two....it has been known to eat a few fish, mostly bottom dwellers such as gobies....it will eat your snails and especially your shrimp, so if you have any of those in there, don't get an eel. The two most docile eels are snowflakes and zebras.....good luck!

[ZeldaFrEaK21354]

Your sharks are so beautiful and I'm sure you take great care of them, but I can't help but feel sorry for them. That tank is nothing compared to the ocean.

[rnelson40]

I'll split this into pieces since there is a 500 character limit....

Well, that's one way to look at it....here's another view.....1) my sharks don't have to worry about any predators eating them which has to be less stressful, 2) they get fed on a regular basis and don't have to compete with Mother Nature for food to survive, 3) Horn sharks (like many other species of sharks) are benthic or bottom dwellers and are not obligated ram ventilators, which means they don't have to move to survive

[rnelson40]

.....they spend most of their time (in my tank and in the wild) lying on the bottom.....Horn sharks have perhaps the smallest range of ANY shark, most stay within 10000ft of "home base" their entire lives.

I understand what you are saying, but if you take the approach of comparing a fish tank to the ocean, then almost NO fish should be kept in a fish tank.....the only exception would be clown fish which stay in their anemone hosts for life.....

[ddubtoille]

read the life of pi awesome book and talks about keeping animals in captivity in the first few chapters, really puts it all into perspective

[rnelson40]

This is the book by Yann Martel? I am somewhat familiar with the plot although I've never read it. What is your take on this point that ZeldaFrEaK21354 makes?

[ddubtoille]

@rnelson40 yeah thats the one im agreeing with you in that book he goes into alot of detail about how the reason why most animals need a huge amount of space is because they dont have all their things they need to survive in a small space but in captivity they are given everything they need so they are perfectly fine, in the book he asks if you would want to be in a all expenses paid hotel with room service and everything you need or out on the streets with nothing and noone caring about you

[rnelson40]

Interesting....I'll have to add that book to my reading list.......I understood what ZeldaFrEaK21354 was saying though....I thought about the ethics issue before I started with sharks......

[ddubtoille]

yeah id love to get a few in the future when i finally get home (im sailing to australia right now) but it will be a while cause i wanna make sure i have everything they need mainly a big enough tank and id want to settle down in a permanent home before getting such a big tank and transporting saltwater tanks is such a pain i did that before never want to do it again

[rnelson40]

It's a 480 gallon.......yes the eels are easy to keep....they are also the greediest eaters of the bunch.....it's unbelievable how much they can consume!!!!

[totgeliebtxo]

Why don't the sharks eat any of the fish?

[rnelson40]

They never touch them, never have.....I've even seen them swim up to a dying fish that is laying on the sand, and they've never eaten one....now the eels have been known to though.....

Horn sharks really don't feed much on fish in the wild.....their diet is mostly worms, urchins, anemones...

[samuelmanuel5]

plz send message bake do those sharks have teeth and if son have u gotten bit by it

[rnelson40]

Yeah, they've got alot of teeth.....horn sharks have a really weird tooth arrangement....in the front of their mouths the teeth are small and sharp, but about halfway back they turn large and flat.....one of the only sharks to have this arrangement....

No, I've never been bitten by either shark...I mostly feed with feeding tongs though.....every once in awhile I feed them by hand...the larger shark (the male) is actually easier to feed than the female, he's calmer. They are both really gentle

[EvasiveCashew]

dud your so lucky to have a SW aquarium. i want one soooooo badly but im only 14 and cant get a job and i have no way to pay 3000-5000 dollers to satrt a nice looking reef tank up

[rnelson40]

Well, hang in there bud.......I started working when I was 16 so you don't have much longer to wait.

Yeah, the tank is nice to have.....thanks

[sourdoughress]

Hey please reply...

I own a 300 gallon tank that has almost the same dimensions as yours I have one white spotted bamboo shark in there and a few other fishes (Sweet lips,Lion,round and bluespotted ray) Could I put a horn shark in there with them...

[rnelson40]

Could you give me the exact dimensions please?

[sourdoughress]

8 ft long four feet deep

[intheringboxing]

no fucking way, do you know how big bamboo sharks grow, not to mention you already have other fish, you could but it would be cruel to house them in such a small tank, not to mention they wouldnt thrive

[tangman22]

i have a pj and zebra in a 1,000 gallon tank and also how big is that tank (gallons)

[rnelson40]

Great!!!! You didn't mention the size of your PJ and Zebra....I forgot to ask you......

The Zebra is going to be your problem.....it gets up to 7'.......but I think you're ok with your Port Jackson......and they grow slow also.......

I have a 1hp chiller on my tank to keep my temps at 72.....the PJ likes colder water......not a requirement but he would probably prefer it.

Good luck!!!!

[SHOCKERWILLIAMS]

do you think it would be ok to by a horn shark right know and then over time upgrade my fish tank to a bigger one i have a 75 gal tank right now and have had a banded bamboo for a year now and it has seemed to be ok. but i always have wanted a horn shark

[rnelson40]

Well, if you did, it would need to be a baby Horn.....they birth at around 6" so get a baby if you do this.......they grow fairly slow so that's in your favor.......

To be honest, I'd say get the large tank then get the shark......I'm not trying to be a pain here, but I've seen so many people say they will upgrade but never do.....they always intend to though......

My tank is 8' long and 4' front-to-back and sometimes I think it's too small for my sharks.... :)

[tangman22]

how much are they and i have a port jakson horn shark and a zebra horn shak will they do good together

[rnelson40]

tangman22,

I paid $225 for my male, got him from LiveAquaria....the female I ordered from my local fish store.....she was $150.......

You already have the PJ and the Zebra or you are thinking about buying them? I don't know how to answer without knowing how large your tank is.......the Zebra reaches 7' in captivity, the Port Jackson around 4', so unless you have a tank at least 3000 gallons, I'd say no. Also, the Zebra prefers temps around 75-85 and the Port Jackson around 62-65....

[junkman21]

how do u manage your water changes with a tank that size?

[rnelson40]

Junkman21,

It takes a few days to make up enought RO/DI water for a WC.....I keep it in 33gal plastic trashcans......at water change I vacuum the sand and change out about 90 gallons.....not fun.

[Mordorff]

Hey man I love the video. Could you come out with some more?

[rnelson40]

Thanks......I'll shoot another one soon......

[boihaggos1]

how much did you spend on water for that tank and ho did you do the water?? thx

[rnelson40]

At setup, I made up about 250 gallons of the water myself, then bought the other 175 from my local fish store for about $100......I then added the salt which was about $125........

[boihaggos1]

ok thanks. how did you make the water did you just add salt to the tap water?? and how long did you leave it for??

[rnelson40]

Well, I added salt, tested it with a refractometer, then put a small pump in each trashcan to stir the salt.......I also added calcium, magnesium, iodine, and some baking soda. I left it that way for about 2 days before I put it in the tank......I did not add any fish for about a month.

[bashmebaby]

Hey nice Horn Sharks. I wondering what water temp. do you keep them at, and what other fish could you put with them(besides batfish)?

[rnelson40]

Thanks.....I keep the water temp between 72-74....the Horns are from California and prefer cooler water.....I use a 1hp chiller.

You have to be really careful about tankmates for sharks......mostly for the shark's sake.....large angels, triggers, and puffers are definitely out, they tend to pick on the sharks. Ones that are OK are tangs, clownfish, eels, goatfish, etc. Just stay away from the angels/puffers/triggers.

[olibrisbo]

how big is it

[rnelson40]

The batfish is about 9" tip-to-tip......about a year ago it got a bad case of ich and I didn't think it was going to make it.....doing great now though.

[olibrisbo]

what sort of batfish is that

[rnelson40]

It's an Orbiculate Batfish .....I bought it from my local fish store about a year ago.....it's a real hog too, it eats everything I put in the tank, meat or veggie

[rnelson40]

jackfish3456,

The male horn shark is 24", the female is about 15", the tank is a 480gal.

[jackfish3456]

how big is your male horn shark.

[topofthefoodchain200]

do you think a tanke built in the ground would work you know like a pond

[rnelson40]

Are you talking about outside? Then it would depend on where you live......I know lots of people that build ponds in their houses and use that pond/pool liner....those make great shark tanks. The only problem is you would be viewing them from above looking down.....you CAN build a viewing window on the side but it involves much more work......good luck!!!

[topofthefoodchain200]

do you think a tanke built in the ground would work you know like a pond

from

topofthefoodchain200

[rnelson40]

RbkKid60,

In a home aquarium, the male will max out at 36"-37" and the female at 32"-33". So far as tank size, the bigger the better. Horn sharks usually sit in one place most of the time but they do free swim also, especially at feeding time. You need at least 8' in length and 3' in front-to-back, 2' deep would be fine....that would make it about a 360gal tank. My tank is a 480 and cost me around $2000 (just for the tank).

Hope this helps

[RbkKid60]

2 questions.. how big does the male get compared to the female and how big of a tnak would u have to get to keep one? and how much would a tank like that cost?, thank you so much

[rnelson40]

Yeah, Horn Sharks are great.....they swim alot more than bamboo's too.....

My male cost $225 from LiveAquaria....he was 23" when I bought him. My female cost $150 from my local fish store....

Go for it!

[muaytilley]

eh brother how much did you get one for...im trying to get a price idea because bamboo sharks are just not cool enough?

[chekegarza]

how many gallons is your tank?

[rnelson40]

It's a 480gal.....8' length, 2' deep, 4' front-to-back.  It has a 100gal sump also.....