what size tank would i need for 2 black tip reef sharks, port jackson, sting ray and about 2000 fish?
i want a really big and nice tank, i have worked with sharks and know how to take care of them, i worked in an aquarium for 2.5 years and i have been going back to the aquarium since wich was 3 years ago when i left so i have alot of experiance with the sharks and other fish.
so how big would the tank need to be for them all to be happy and grow to full size, i have heard that black tips live happily in 1500 gallon tanks which i dont know how big a 1500 gallon is or how much a gallon is to a litre, and also how big would a 5000 gallon tank be in feet or meters.
and how is it that people have such big tanks but they dont seem to take much maintinence, because you need a 1/3 water change every 2 weeks which if you have a 1500 gallon tank thats 500 gallons of what you need to take out every 2 weeks and put back in which could also kill the sharks from the fast temperature change if not done right, the salt also needs to be checked regually and the temperature needs to be check regulally, and what do they do if theres a black out or they want to go on holidays for a few weeks, so please answer as many questions as you can please, thankyou
by 2000 fish i mean small fish and thats probably an exajeration but still, and i asked what size tank not saying is this big enough
Honestly, Im not expert, but 5000 (around 19000L) gallons wont even be close to what they need. Sharks, and 2000 fish, that would just be cruel to have them in such a ‘small’ tank.
Leave all these expert, actual aquarium (as in the one that’s hundreds of thousands of litres) owners, such as Sea world and Underwater world.
A 1,500 gallon tank would house a Black Tip Reef Shark for about a year maybe, then it would outgrow it. To house these sharks properly think more like 10,000 gallons, especially for 2 of them plus other fish! They are really best left to public aquariums and the super-rich. As for dimensions, that depends on who builds the tank, there’s no set dimensions really when building these things.
Have a chat with the guys on this site, there have been a few Black Tip Reef Shark set ups, including I think a 2,000 gallon one that it grew out of.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com
Wow! You need an ocean for all of that!
Um…are you sure you know what you are getting into? Just a 150 gallon saltwater aquarium costs thousands of dollars to set up and maintain. I don’t even want to know just how much it would cost to set up a 1500 or 5000 gallon tank, let alone the work and expense for maintenance! You would be much better off to leave the large fish to the national aquariums and think smaller. How about start off with a 100 gallon or smaller and find some fish you like that would be appropriate for that size tank.
To answer your question about what people do when there’s a black out or they go on vacation…people who own saltwater aquariums (especially large ones) own a generator. When the power is out for any reason, they run the tank off of the generator. When they go on vacation they hire someone knowledgeable to take care of their tanks for them while they are gone.
But, yeah, think smaller and maybe try for a freshwater tank first. Saltwater inhabitants are not very forgiving when you make even a small mistake with their environment.
I have a 125 gallon in wall reef tank and ive spend more then $45 thousand dollars in maintenance on it alone. And to answer your question about water changes and vacations, I had a computer system installed in a room built behind the tank to monitor the water and supplement different chemicals at different pre-programmed integrals throughout the day such as adding calcium, iodine, strontium, etc in trace amounts using iv bags. I have a 75 gallon auto top off which tops my tank water off which evaporates, and a ro/di unit attached to my sink which directly tops off my auto top off. I don’t do water changes to lower nitrates. I have a 50 gallon refugium the water is pumped through to remove the nitrates. I have two generators which kick on if the power goes off automatically. I also have webcams installed my tank so I can check on them when I am away from home. As far as your question: 2000 fish in one tank?? 5,000 gallons =)….Stick to the public aquarium you worked at, because unless you can drop 10 or 20 million without hesitation, this dream isn’t going to get close to being reality.Tanks this big require major maintenance, of which just one person can’t provide. You would need to hire people to help you regardless of how much prior experience you have. This is very impractical. Maybe try to find some smaller species of sharks and try to lower your expectations a little. I want a Great White, however I can realize I am never going to get one. Go to the public aquarium and visit the fish. Its much much cheaper, and something that’s better for both parties involved in this little venture. Best of Luck
You sound like you know what you’re doing. I think you should go for it if you have the provisions. I’m in high school and have wanted to work at SeaWorld since I was four and recently decided to open my own aquarium when I’m older. I just got a 55 gallon tank, and today two filters and sand for my own stingray. What breed are you buying? I’ve found a fish store that will sell me a dwarf round ray.