Swift and frightening, sharks excite the imagination of every inhabitant of the planet. The graceful movement in the water and the danger that this ancient predator carries have made sharks the heroes of scary stories and horror films.
But how difficult is it to keep a shark in an aquarium, and can a novice aquarist take care of such an exotic pet? Everything is not as complicated as it seems. The main thing is to provide an aquarium that is suitable in volume and select fearless neighbors for the shark.
Let's try to find out what types of sharks can be kept in a home aquarium and what is needed for this.
Black Shark
This relatively peace-loving fish is only outwardly similar to predatory sharks. Under good conditions, it can grow up to 50 cm and has a very good appetite. These fish have an elongated streamlined body, and the upper jaw is noticeably longer than the lower. Black sharks have a complex character - they can bully their neighbors, and when hungry, even arrange a hunt.
Despite its name, in addition to individuals of saturated black color, sharks with a red tail are found.
You can judge by the color intensity how well the shark feels and whether it has enough food. With malnutrition, the color of the shark fish in the aquarium becomes pale, and the movements become more sluggish.
Dwarf shark
These small fast-moving fish are popular with aquarists around the world. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean are considered their homeland. They tolerate life in captivity well, under good conditions they can grow up to 25 cm.
Dwarf sharks, like their large wild relatives, are viviparous fish. Breeding small sharks in an aquarium is difficult. But with luck, the female can bring about a dozen small fish 5-6 cm long.
These sharks have an unusual feature: the bottom of the abdomen and fins can glow in the dark. Special organs are responsible for this - photophores placed on the body, pectoral and abdominal fins. There is a hypothesis that the fish begins to glow at times of stress or in a state of excitement. Bright greenish lights flash with every movement of the dwarf shark and subside when it calms down.
Sharks Catfish
The largest representative of freshwater sharks in the aquarium can be considered pangasius, one of the species of shark catfish. These fish look very much like a shark and differ in gusty, sharp movements.
In an aquarium, pangasius can grow up to 30 cm. These are schooling fish. Therefore, if the size of the tank allows, it is possible to contain a flock of 5-6 individuals. They are peaceful and almost omnivorous fish. Decorate a large species aquarium.
However, shark catfish have an unpleasant feature: they are very shy. Sudden movements or a loud sound can bring the fish out of balance. She will start to rush and beat against the walls of the aquarium, injuring herself. Sometimes the fish can freeze for several minutes without movement, then it will come to its senses and continue to search for food at the bottom.
Asian cat sharks
The maintenance of even one such decorative shark in the aquarium will require a reservoir of 1000-1500 liters. These fish are moody, preferring clean, warm water with a high iodine content. You will have to carefully monitor the levels of nitrates and ammonia in the tank, poor water can greatly damage these fish.
The origin makes feline sharks very thermophilic. Even a slight drop in temperature can damage them.
The most popular among aquarists are three types of cat sharks:
- striped bamboo;
- epaulette decorative;
- spotted bamboo shark.
The last type of cat shark is considered the smallest, they rarely grow more than 80 cm. But the striped bamboo shark with good care may well grow more than a meter long.
These fish prefer to hide in shelters during the day, and go hunting after dark. But they are not picky in their diet, they eat mollusks and bony fishes with pleasure.
Horned sharks
An unusual horned shark will be a good neighbor for cat sharks. These fish have convex rounded ridges above the eyes resembling horns. When starting such a fish, one should be careful when taking care of the soil: in front of each dorsal fin there is a sharp spike.
In a suitable aquarium, horned sharks grow rapidly. In a couple of years they can reach meter length. They prefer cold, 13-18 degrees, running water and many shelters at the bottom. Although these sharks are considered peace-loving, sticking your hands in an aquarium or trying to feed them from your hands is not worth it - the sharpest teeth of this fish easily bite through a solid sea urchin.
Reef sharks
In captivity, two subspecies of these sharks can live, both are even gray in color, only the color of the fin and tail ends is different: black or white. Dark spots are noticeable on the sides on a gray background.
These sharks in the aquarium are very mobile and are in constant motion. Like their wild relatives, reef sharks can make swift throws to the sides or freeze for a while at the bottom. In the aquarium where they are kept, there should be no decorations, ornamental plants and a soft sandy bottom are permissible.
Due to its impressive size - fish grow up to one and a half meters - they will need an aquarium with a volume of at least 3000 liters. It is advisable to ring in which the shark can swim without turning around.
In the wild, they hunt for bright reef fish. In a home aquarium, they will be happy to eat sea mollusks and pre-thawed fish. When feeding reef sharks, you need to consider that they grab only what they see, and do not pick up the remnants of food from the bottom. If the shark did not have time to grab a sinking piece, it can remain hungry.
Suitable aquarium
Before you decide to start a shark, you should weigh your strengths and capabilities well. Of course, we are not talking about a predatory large white shark in the aquarium. Such individuals can only be kept in aquariums, and then in a separate tank, without neighbors.
Most species of ornamental sharks are not caught in the depths of the ocean, but are specially grown on farms in Thailand. However, they remain predators, and they can only be settled with fish of a suitable size that can fight back.
Sharks breathe when they move. Therefore, the aquarium for them should be spacious, with the ability to easily turn around, otherwise the fish will experience oxygen starvation, and it may die. You need to immediately choose a tank without sharp corners, preferably an annular aquarium or with rounded walls.
As for the volume: sharks in the aquarium are among the centenarians, and all these years will grow. So that the fish does not outgrow its house, you need to immediately choose a place for a large aquarium. For example, for a pair of dwarf sharks growing up to 50 cm, you need an aquarium with a volume of at least 800 liters.
Maintenance and Feeding
Aquarium sharks love warm water, at least 28 degrees. You need a good filtration system, preferably with chemical filters. A constant flow of oxygen is very important, so you should immediately install additional aeration.
When designing a shark pond, it is better to abandon the scenery so that the fish has room for swimming. Or, if you want to create a unique interior for your pets, choose a decor without sharp corners so that the fish do not get hurt. Sharks like to relax on the soft sand. But itβs difficult to care for the sandy bottom, the remains of food accumulate in it, so you need to put a layer of rolled pebbles under the sand layer.
There will be no problem feeding the shark, these predators are able to eat everything they see. You can feed thawed squid, shrimp, low-fat fish fillet, like cod. Just do not give fresh fish, so you can bring parasites. By the way, they will not refuse from chopped beef or offal.