# New and Interested in Sharks



## Alex Veringa (May 19, 2011)

Hey guys its Alex

So as the title says, i'm new to aquariums in general and I would love to know as much as possible about fresh water tanks. I am also very interested in having baby sharks in my tanks. But what other fishes would I be able to put in along with the sharks without them being dinner?

Also would I be able to put other sea creatures in such as some turtles??
:fish-in-bowl:

Thanks guys


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## chc36 (Apr 9, 2011)

For the most part there is very little in the way of true frshwater sharks. Fish such as rainbow sharks, bala sharks, and apollo sharks are all actually just different species of minnows with shark like characteristic. Because of this they are often comfortable in community tanks with other fish (until they get to big, they can get between 6 to 16 inches in the right environment). Another type of "shark" out there are the Columbian Shark which is often mistakenly sold as a freshwater fish but actually becomes brackish as it matures. Again, this is not a true shark but is a subspecies of catfish. True freshwater sharks are rarely sold often due to size issues (not everyone can house a full grown bull shark). I'd check over with monsterfishkeepers and see what they have to say, but from my knowledge aquarium sharks are rare to find.

As for general tank info and such, I'd start with a hardy fish such as guppies before you get anything else in the tank for cycling purposes (where the bacteria that is necessary in the tank grows and through various processes cause nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia spikes which can be harmful to fish but need the fish for everything to happen correctly). Freshwater tanks are fairly easy to take care of, 20% water changes twice a month a fairly common but aside from that there is not a lot of work to be put into once everything is up and running (occasional algae cleaning but I've had my tank for 4 months now and not a speck of algae has grown). Turtles will likely eat any fish that are put in front of it so I would not recommend them, as far as other "sea creatures" shrimp and snails are common inverts.


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## Alex Veringa (May 19, 2011)

Cool thanks a lot andrew.
Well It's mainly because I like the appearance of sharks so if the minnows you told me about do look like sharks then i have no problem with that.
I just need to know more about tank cycling with and w/o fishes and Nitrate/Nitrite balancing. All too complicated for me 

Edit:
by the way andrew. what you said about turtles eating all other fish... i was worrying about sharks eating the turtles haha.
How long does it take for the columbian shark to mature to the point where it needs sea water?


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## chc36 (Apr 9, 2011)

Well I'm sure someone else here can give a lot more detail about the science behind all of it, I just recently started up myself and went in with no clue what I was doing but lucked out with minimal losses. The time it takes to cycle varies by tank size, but 30 days is usually a decent amount of time for a full cycle to take place. Cycling with fish is by far easier and more of a sure thing then w/o fish which requires adding ammonia to your tank so that it breaks down into nitrates and nitrites which can end up being a bit of a guessing game. Like I said fish such as guppies are very tough little guys and are often the fish used for cycling purposes because they can stand the spikes. Its very common to lose a few fish during this process so its important not to get to attached (no names at this point, made that mistake *frown ) Test trips are apparently inaccurate so liquid tests (API has a kit on foster and smith that seems to be recommended quite a bit). I have never actually tested my water and judge based on the behavior of my fish. The point of the water changes is to remove the buildup of ammonia and nitrates and allow for more water for the ammonia and nitrates to spread out, thereby lowering the parts per million. 

Bala sharks are my favorite of the minnows easily but I love comlumbian sharks although I've never owned one (too many all freshwater fish in my tank to switch to brackish).


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## chc36 (Apr 9, 2011)

In fact I was just looking at some of the new posts around here and this thread has some good info on cycling http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/20-gallon-tank-question-14949.html#post98166


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

My personal favs' are the Bala shark and the Ret tail shark. They can both get large though. (Some pics may not be great, so try googling the shark names for better pics if you need them).

Here are some pics and info' sheets:

Bala Shark - Bala Shark

Red Tail Shark - Red Tail Shark

Colombian Shark Profile, Sciades seemanni (Arius seemani) with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish - Colombian Shark. This page also shows what happens to the fish if you don't keep it in salt/brackish water when it gets older.

Black Shark (Labeo chrysophekadion) - Black Shark

How to keep and house iridescent sharks, Pangassius hypopthalmus, with pictures - Iridescent Shark

Labeo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Labeo (It's a type of Carp).

Denison's Barb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This fish is also called the Rosaline Shark.

The only "true" fresh water sharks are the Bull shark (not good for a home aquarium as they get huge and do need to live in salt/brackish water - they just sometimes go into rivers and lakes) and the River Shark (splits into 5 species: Ganges shark, Northern River Shark, Speartooth shark, Irrawaddy river shark and the Borneo river shark). These 5 species (excluding the Borneo one) are either critically endangered or endangered. The Borneo shark hasn't yet been described on the list.

Hope all this helps.


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

FYI a Bull shark is considered the most dangerous shark, this is for many reasons.
Where several species of shark have been seen in brackish waters Bulls have been seen miles upstream. They can live in freshwater but are not at all native to it. They go into freshwater (often muddy) to hunt. They are highly aggressive and are number one related shark attack species.
To my knowlege none have been breed in captivity, little is known about thier breeding, and the smallest one your likely to get is over a foot long.
If you ever get a saltwater aquarium, bamboo and leopard sharks are sold, but require a tank at least 200gl 
If you get a Bala shark, they will grow. You should have at the very least 2or3 they are a community and shoaling fish, so they are happiest when they have others to swim with.
If you get them small you may be able to keep them in a 40gl.
The are pretty tough, but can get Ich quick. Watch your temp. keeping at 84/86 when you first get them for a couple weeks. Increase temp from 78/80 slowly over a few days.
Hold for a couple weeks and then go back down.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Oh for sure! If there's a shark attack and it's not a Great White, it's a Bull. Very aggressive fish! Lol, definitely NOT for the home aquarium!


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