Shark Aquarium

June 2017

Shark aquarium a dream or something possible?

Keeping the black tip in a home shark aquarium is more of a dream than reality… unless you are prepared to allocate a minimum of 10m space for this shark as well as a 6 digit figure for the installation and ongoing maintenance.
However, there are smaller sharks that can satisfy the wish of having something extraordinary in your tank that require less space and are more affordable.

While these species are considerably smaller, they still require quite a large aquarium. Having a shark is a great responsibility and you must provide adequate space for the shark to be comfortable and happy. The width of the aquarium must be minimum double the mature size of the shark, while the length of the aquarium at least 3 – 4 times its size. As an example, a 5m long x 2m wide x 1m tall aquarium can house the species below.

Keeping sharks in a home aquarium require advanced knowledge and professional maintenance.

• Epaulette Shark ( Hemiscyllium ocellatum)

Originally from Australia, these striking sharks are quite common in the aquarium trade and are well-suited to a large home aquarium.

They will not exceed 1m when kept in a tank and can adapt easily to confined spaces.

They need multiple large rocky caves in which they can seek refuge and explore.

These extraordinary sharks have the unique ability to walk as well as the ability to survive for extended periods of time with little or no oxygen.

• Whitespotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum)

The Whitespotted Bamboo Shark can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They are often found within the aquarium trade due to their relative small size and ease of care.

This bottom dwelling shark should not be kept with any invertebrates or crustaceans unless they are intended as food.

They can be kept with other similar size sharks, stingrays, tangs hamlets and others.

• Arabian Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllum arabicum)

Can be found in the shallow coral reefs and rocky coastal waters from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean.

While they are not considered a common species within the aquarium trade, the Arabian Bamboo Sharks are available occasionally.

They have a striking “shark” look, but will only grow up to 60cm long, making them suitable for a home aquarium. They will also quickly adapt to eating prepared meaty foods. If well fed, they tend to leave other tank mates alone, but we wouldn’t suggest keeping them with small fish species or invertebrates as the shark may pray for them.

• Zebra Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus zebra)

Originally from the waters of the Western Pacific, from Japan in the north to Australia in the south.

These sharks are a very attractive species, with distinctive black vertical stripes over its cream body. This shark can reach up to 1.2m long, meaning that they do require a large aquarium for them to thrive. When kept at a warmer temperature they will grow more quickly than when kept closer to 15C.

The Zebra Bullhead Shark is a great specie for a shark aquarium!

• Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

Port Jackson Sharks can reach up to 5 feet in length and can be found in southern Australian waters. These sharks have a very distinctive look, with a blunt head and harness-like markings on its body.

In warmer temperature, they tend to be more active, but also grow much faster.  These sharks tend to be quite peaceful and can be kept with a variety of medium sized fish species. They feed on bottom dwelling invertebrates.

If you are interested in a shark aquarium contact us here