Marine tank with Bamboo Shark suggestions?

I've had a marine tank for a year with a Brown-Banded Bamboo Shark living in it, she hatched from her egg in April 2006. My tank is 4'x18"x18" and has a rough substrate that looks like tiny white shells, or crushed shells. There is a powerhead inside the tank attached to an external chiller, a protein skimmer, a hang-on filter and an undergravel which isn't attached to a powerhead, just air lines. There is a small amount of live rock, 2 gobys, a butter bream and a hermit crab living in the rather empty-looking tank.





I was recommended this filter setup when I originally got the tank, but I would like to improve on the tank setup for the shark's wellbeing and maybe add a few more fishy friends. (I was hoping to add starfish but was told that the shark may eat them, can someone confirm/deny this?). I am also considering getting a larger tank, probably 6' or 8'x 2'x2'.





I'd like some suggestions, preferably from people with marine tank experience (not necessarily bamboo sharks).





thanks!

Marine tank with Bamboo Shark suggestions?
The very best answer I can give you based on you wanting what is best for the fish is for you to start now looking for a public aquarium or zoo with marine facilities that can take the shark off your hands. A Bamboo shark will reach a size of 3.5' and would not be comfortable in less than about 400 gallons. The 8' X 2' X 2' foot tank you are considering would be far too small for that fish. It would need AT LEAST 4 times that size to have any quality of life at all and 8 times that size would be preferable and that's just for the shark, much less any fish that could live with it.





Sharks really are best left to large public facilities because of their needs.





The best advice I can give you for marine tank keeping in general is read, read, read. Find as many books on the subject as you can and pour through them. Books over websites in general, but some websites can give grat info and advice as well. Try to find out if there is a local aquarium club in yur area. If so go to a few meetings and see if there is a member or two with marine tank experience. They would be happy to help you and answer your question based on experience. They would also probably have some books they would be willing to lend out!





Best of luck with the tank ! :)
Reply:i agree with magic man.... that shark needs (just for starters, not counting when it grows up) a minimum of 170 gallons TO ITSELF...... they get huge (38" long) and can live for many many years.... I would definately donate him to a zoo or wildlife area, we have a place called the butterfly pavillion in Denver where they show kids and families different wildlife.





As for the size of the tank.... Sharks have special needs when it comes to the size and shapes of their tanks... they need a larger tank from birds eye view... they need a lot of room to swim, because sharks don't have the ability to suck the water thru their gills, they swim, and the force pushes the water thru them.... if they can't swim, they can't breathe... You will probably be okay with him if he's still small, but once he gets around 6-8" long, it will be time to try to find him a new home.





good luck, honey.
Reply:Yeah the shark will probaly eat the starfish, and crab, and any fish small enough to fit in its mouth. Bigger is better for marine tanks (also wider is better than taller because of an increased surface area) and I would also suggest getting a sump to put your chiller, filter, and skimmer in, as the shark will tend to knock the intakes around and it would increase the overall gallonage. The substrate seems like it is rather coarse and would irritate the shark's ventral surface as he is a bottom dweller but as you aren't keeping him long term I don't see how it would matter. Eels, damsels, cardinalfishes, squirrelfihes, groupers, goatfishes, gobies, monos, hawksfishes, batfishes, spinecheeks, soilderfishes, snappers, sand perches, and others have been reported to be good tankmates for sharks if you are looking into that area as well (but realize some of them get rather huge as well and would not fit in a smaller tank). Other wise good luck