HORN SHARK

[sexfasciatus style]

Anybody have horn shark? I might get an egg or a baby. Are the adults stronger?

[Samurai]

How big is your tank and what are you planning to have in it other than the horn shark? You should know how big it gets when it is fully grown also. IMO nobody should keep a shark unless they are committed to taking excellent care of it because they are very difficult to keep. You will need a lot of space and pristine water conditions.

[sexfasciatus style]

Yes, horn sharks get about two feet, so they're one of the smallest sharks. They don't move around much either. Right now he's going into a 55, and later into a 180 or 220. Sharks are not hard to keep, but the newly hatched babies might be (they need to find food). Now adult sharks (caught in the wild would be hard to keep), but CB are much stronger.
Anyone have info on the horn shark?
This shark would go with a lookdown, a moray eel, and i wanna get a barracuda (please don't tell me to leave this in the wild bro). I really like the pilotfish (i had one but he died on me), so if anyone got info on these fish, let me know. Thanks.

[Samurai]

First off, welcome to reeflounge. Now for the serious part...

Leave it in the wild bro. The shark's size in relation to most other sharks is not relevant. What is relevant is that you are going to have a lot of fish that get really big in a small tank (and yes even a 220 gallon tank is small when you think about how big those animals will get). Is your 55 gallon at least 48" long? If it's only 36" long then it is not alright to keep an animal that will get up to 2' with it, let alone anything else with it. And I don't imagine that it would even be possible for it to move around much when it's 2' long and the tank is only a couple of feet longer. Sharks have enough problems as it is with pollution and loss of habitat, to have someone jack them out of the wild and put them into a tiny aquarium is a real tragedy. Sharks ARE hard to keep. They are notoriously bad shippers and if you do more research on this you will realize that for being the oceans top predator they are extremely fragile animals. If you are basing your opinions on the advice of your local LFS owner or employee I would implore you to think twice and do your own research (I am aware of the ironies of saying that in a forum which purpose is to enrich and educate, but you ask for help and opinions and then answer your own questions completely glossing over the advice that you are getting. Are the adults stronger?Sharks are not hard to keep, but the newly hatched babies might be (they need to find food). Now adult sharks (caught in the wild would be hard to keep), but CB are much stronger.
Anyone have info on the horn shark?

See what I mean?)

As for the moray eel, they can grow upwards of 8':!::!::!: The barracuda, depending on the type can grow upwards of 7':!::!::!:

The Threadfin Lookdown, sometimes known as the Lookdown, is best known for how thin it is, and its bright, shimmering blueish-silver scales which are highly reflective.

A 125 gallon or larger aquarium with peaceful tank mates, particularly those that are not fin nippers, is necessary.

The diet of the Threadfin Lookdown consists of meaty foods and occasional live items.
...$ 298.99

-quote from www.liveaquaria.com (You might want to start you research there as they sell all the fish that you are interested in and give their requirements.)

That lookdown also gets over 1' long.

The Pilotfish, also known as the Golden Trevally or Golden Jack, is shimmering metallic-gold with black vertical bands across the body.

It requires a 300 gallon or larger aquarium because it grows rapidly. It is a schooling fish and prefers other Pilofish as tank mates. It will eat smaller fish.

The Pilotfish diet should consist of prepared meaty foods for carnivores, and live fish such as shrimp, scallops, and marine flesh.

Please note: We guarantee that ALL live aquaria species we offer will arrive alive and in good condition. However, because of the large size this species can attain it has been designated as "Expert Only," (R) and we cannot guarantee it after arrival. As an Expert Only species, we recommend that only the expert marine aquarist, zoo, or research institution should purchase this species.

-quote from www.liveaquaria.com

The fact that just about any sized home aquarium tank would be too small for these animals combined with the fact that these are delicate animals that need perfect water conditions along with the fact that these animals would almost certainly NOT get along together along with the fact that you already had a pilotfish and could not meet its requirements should really be a good indication that you don't have the means or the ability to properly keep these animals. I don't mean to sound gruff, but I really want to save you and the ocean the expense of these animals. They are very expensive animals to begin with and if you were to actually try and house them all together you would wake up one morning to a tank full of really expensive and really dead animals. Please leave all of these animals to the ocean or zoo. I am not saying that you are a bad aquarist, but the husbandry skills required to care for these animals is exceptional. And as a hobbyist I have to go with the odds that you do not have the skills necessary. It's nice to see these fish and it's a common fantasy of many fish keepers to have such majestic animals, but fantasizing about having a tank that big and then putting those animals into it is one thing. It is another thing entirely to get those animals first and then fantasize about getting the proper habitat for them.

On a positive note, I am very glad that you are at least trying to educate yourself on this issue instead of just going out and doing it. A lot of expensive mistakes have been made by rushing things. A common motto here is "only bad things happen quickly in a reef". I also would not advise you to plan on upgrading later as I have heard more than one disastrous tale of people planning on doing things and then not having the space or funding to go through with it. Again, I am just trying to save you the time, money, and heartache of making a mistake like this.

[sexfasciatus style]

Thanks for the input. Keeping these things are bad i know, but after working two years in the industry, trust me I've seen much worse. One example Goniopora never live long, but they sell well, along with nurse shark, leopard shark (really popular), flame scallop, and a lot of other things.
Of all the sharks, horn and banded cat shark would be the most manageable.
And for the lookdown, I've actually had it (an adult) in the store for a long time.
The only ones I know i should not keep is pilotfish because they grow around three feet and trust me, they swim really fast, and need a lot of room. And the barracuda i know.
But moray eels, come on, this is one of the most popular fish, and every store has these.
I get all my animals from wholesalers, and they will continue to carry them, because there is a demand for them. Why do you think liveaquaria carries them?

[Samurai]

The Green Eel, also known as the Green Moray Eel, is yellow-green in color and can grow to over 7 feet in length in the wild.

In its natural range, the Green Eel poses a problem for divers who carelessly stick their hand into a crevice. In the aquarium, it can pose a major risk as well, especially as it grows.

Typically, the Green Eel is available as a juvenile, only a foot or so long. It grows quickly though, and will start consuming tank mates. It has also been known to bite its owner's hands at feeding time.

The diet of the Green Eel should include live fish and all meaty foods.

There are accounts of individual specimens growing over five to six feet long in an aquarium. The Green Eel is also an escape artist, and will try to go through any small opening in the lid of the tank. Given these characteristics, and the fact it can inflict severe bites, the Green Eel should not be kept by most aquarists. It is best kept in public aquariums or in its natural habitat.

-quote from www.liveaquria.com

Why not try a snowflake eel or a wolf eel, maybe even a hawaiian dragon eel? There are several different eels that IMO would be much better choices while still being very interesting specimens. I know that they are popular, but you said it yourself that you have seen cases of people not doing an animal justice.

Keeping these things are bad i know, but after working two years in the industry, trust me I've seen much worse.

Just because you have seen worse, doesn't mean that keeping large animals in a relatively small tank is okay. As for what a store carries- you nailed that one too, most stores will stock whatever people will buy. If they lose the demand then they will have no reason to continue the supply. Every person that says no to these animals makes it a little harder for LFS to sell them. Every teacher's favorite saying comes to mind, "what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular." LFS sell damsels and encourage customers to cycle their tank with them, but that doesn't mean that it's fair to force an animal to endure ammonia spikes and improper salinity levels (and worse), when you could cycle the tank with a couple of dead shrimp instead. The same is true of a moray eel; the assumption that it can tolerate improper conditions doesn't mean that it should be forced to. It really is the same thing as someone keeping a massive great dane in a one bedroom apartment (which btw a few people do where I live).

HOWEVER, you do say that you have two years of experience in the industry. Maybe you do have what it takes to keep these animals alive. It would certainly be a trial by fire though. Maybe you should consider trying one of the animals and seeing how it goes for a while. This is JMO and I am a pretty conservative person. I'm not saying that what you want to do can't be done. You really might be able to pull it off. But just because you might have the ability to do something doesn't mean that you should. Somewhere along the line it becomes a matter of morality. There is also the matter of physics, in a tank of that size with animals that large there is going to be a lot of waste. Then there is just basic husbandry, I don't think it is too likely for a shark or an eel to play nice with a lookdown- or eachother. Even through all of this, I don't think that it is the end of the world for someone to keep a small shark as long as they have the means and ability to keep it happy and healthy. Best of luck with whatever you decide on.

[andro]

Buddy for one horn sharks get alot bigger than 2' they get nearly four foot on average and if you cant take my word for it go look it up on
http://www.fishbase.org or http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sharks.htm If you do look at this link you will see that horns are a cold water fish meaning they will require extra maintinence having to buy that high dollar chiller to cool your water down so they can live comfortabley. I myself have just got a 220 and its 72-24-30 lwh and would not consider keeping a horn in it as it would be cruel in my opinion i would like to keep one of the bamboo's as they seem to be the best choice however there coloration as adults is not very good imho and makes them not worth keeping to me at this point in time. anyway if you really want them i wish you the best but not in a 220
later andro

[Reef Scooter]

Thought I would throw in that I got caught up in "Having a shark" when I first got my 200 gallon tank. I got a horn shark and all it did was sit on the bottom, waiting to be fed. It finally died, no matter what I tried to do.

Lots of cool fish in the ocean, learn from my mistake and leave sharks in the ocean.

[herpaquarium]

I am amazed at you people, the main reason horn and leopard sharks die in captivity is that they are a COLDWATER species, you better have at least that 220gal at 60 degrees F I go down to the piers to get bait fish for my friend's wobbie (we disenfect them, chop 'em up, add semtec, and then feed 'em) Horn sharks come up OFTEN at 2-3 feet, and I have helped pull in a 3 1/2 footer, besides that, they can eaisly reach 4 feet in legnth. check out www.wetwebmedia.com/coldshkFAQs.htm or www.wetwebmedia.com/coolh20sharks.htm If you can't chill at LEAST 220 gallons, forget about a horn, get an epaulette, ward's wobbie, or catshark, these are small tropical sharks that are well suited for your 220. If you are going to keep a shark, you need to feed commercial shark foods, natural foods, or semtec-fortified goldfish.
What kind of filter do you have in that thing, if you don't have at least a massive wet-dry and multiple skimmers forget it. Substrate NEEDS to be sand, a crushed coral or gravel substrate will scratch the sharks belly, leaving them open to infection.
I have been making plans for a 900 system (yes, it will be chilled) that will contain "only" 2 of these, as they will grow quite large. A leopard needs 1500 oval, MINIMUM 180 is the absolute MINIMUM for ANY shark as an adult. the Idea of a fifty is not advisable. It is better to start the shark in the 220 for its entire life as transporting a 1 1/2 to 2 foot shark can be a large hassle, as well as quite stressful for the shark.

[gregoryalln]

i had 2 horn shark's and 2 leopard for a few years, they finally got to big for my 350gallon, and i gave them to the newport bay aquarium. they need a fine sand since they are a bottom shark. they like big cave's. and need good water, they are very copper sensitive, and need vitamin's, and calcium. i didnt read everyone else's post (to long) but if you have any questions just ask