shark?

[margaritaville]

`ok im setting up a 220 with a 55 gal sump. Just looking for some suggestions!
I would really like a shark. I was at a lfs about 4 years ago and they had some that actually looked like what most people think a shark looks like. And they were swimmers, not bottom dwellers like a bamboo? They said it needs a 180 min
tank and stayed under 2 feet. Any ideas of what they could be, or any suggestions on something else. looking for a larger fish, would like a shark.
kinda of a weird thread lol sorry.
Thanks

[JellyMan]

are you wanting a fish only tank or are you wanting Live rock??

[margaritaville]

guessing your gonna tell me if i want a shark, i cant have live rock or a course bottom. Ive heard that but i also heard sharks should have caves and ledges. What would that be if i cant have live rock? I was thinking that i would need live rock for filtration with such a messy fish. I guess im not sure, fish only or FOWLR for now, a few years down the road i might even turn it into a reef tank.
so not sure either or i guess, i would really like a shark but im thinking even a 220 is too small. just looking for maybe some ideas, thanks again

[Doc]

I love sharks. I had a brown banded bamboo for a year and a half before I sold it to my LFS. He was a bottom dweller, but was amazing to watch during feeding time. He was electrified with food - as all sharks are. I have crushed coral for my substrate and I have never had a problem with my shark getting hurt. I also had live rock in my tank. I placed it in a triangle formation in a corner and kept the lights on the rock. I left the right half of the tank dark with a few pieces of rock for the shark to hide in. That way, I could see him all the time (he was over 2ft long) and still keep corals of the left side (he never disturbed them). I was happy with the brown banded bamboo.

If you are looking for a continual swimmer, try researching a smooth hound shark. They look like mini blue sharks. They get 3 ft and should do well for several years in your 220. I would use live rock, stack it in the back wall of the tank - you want to keep as close to ocean parameters as possible - fish tend to do better with live rock than bio-balls, IMO.

Good luck, hope this helps.

-Dr Marco

[margaritaville]

cool thanks, any pictures of your tank when it was set up like that?

[Doc]

Yes, I have a few pics on my photo gallery on this web site. Go to the second and third pages and you can see all the corals set up on the left side of the tank and the shark's "home" set up on the right side. You can see a pic of the shark feeding next to a trigger, coral beauty (which the shark ended up eating) and a juvenile emperor angel. They are not the best pics, but you can get the idea. I had it that way for about a year and a half. I will get into sharks again when I can afford to get the tank I want 2,500 gallons! I should have my private practice up and running to the point that I can do that tank in about 2 years. I AM COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS!!! Good Luck.

-Dr Marco