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[SilentScope12]

Hello,

I am the latest FNG who is going to clog the forum with questions that have been asked and answered thousands of times. I would call myself a fish enthusiast; I have always liked them and have had a desire to get a saltwater set up. I have tried freshwater a few times with limited (being gracious) success.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a reputable resource to help me plan out my tank? It is probably a few years off since I am planning a long distance move within that time frame but I want to start researching now. I love sharks so I want my tank to be based around that. Since I am not rich "real" sharks are not really an option (yes I know there are people are reading this post like: ) However, I really hate the sharks that don't look like "real" sharks (bottom feeders etc.). I really like watching Tanked (yes I am aware there are serious downfalls regarding the fish portion of the show) and saw Smooth Hound Sharks which seem to look like "real" sharks. Any advice (tank size, shape, marine life, etc) would be greatly appreciated.

[Valentini89]

Originally Posted by SilentScope12

Hello,

I am the latest FNG who is going to clog the forum with questions that have been asked and answered thousands of times. I would call myself a fish enthusiast; I have always liked them and have had a desire to get a saltwater set up. I have tried freshwater a few times with limited (being gracious) success.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a reputable resource to help me plan out my tank? It is probably a few years off since I am planning a long distance move within that time frame but I want to start researching now. I love sharks so I want my tank to be based around that. Since I am not rich "real" sharks are not really an option (yes I know there are people are reading this post like: ) However, I really hate the sharks that don't look like "real" sharks (bottom feeders etc.). I really like watching Tanked (yes I am aware there are serious downfalls regarding the fish portion of the show) and saw Smooth Hound Sharks which seem to look like "real" sharks. Any advice (tank size, shape, marine life, etc) would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, and welcome to reefcentral. Important things to think about, the coral you plan on keeping dictates the lighting you will need, unless you are doing fish only. Also when you get into SPS corals you have to dose. You have to always research your fish before you buy to make sure they are compatible with your current fish and corals. If you plan on keeping larger fish you should plan on a longer rectangle tank. Also it helps to research ALOT about EVERYTHING. I am planning a new build in several months myself and I am doing the same thing, researching everything. You should make a list like I did.. yours will be much different but yeah...

Tank- 60*30d*24w drilled $1200
Lighting- reefbreeders $599
Sump- trigger emerald 39 $500
Return pump- reef octopus $349
Wavemakers- current. $300
Skimmer- reef oct classic $250
Heater- won bros 800w. $40
Inkbird. $45
ATO - Neptune systems $200
Trigger Emerald ATO box. $60
Neptune DOS pump. $200
RODI unit. $150
Sand. $200
Rock $400
Tripp lite power strip 16 $50
Renew pro waterchanger. $649
Maxspect Gyre Flow Pump. $339

That's my 2¢

[SilentScope12]

Thanks for the reply, with such a hefty investment can you give me an idea on how much that setup would cost to run every month (just the operational costs).

[Ryan Darilek]

This of course is an incredible source of knowledge. Check out the many threads for "newbies" that go into all the basics from water chemistry to cycling and so on. Also, check out YouTube... There are many great educational videos on there. My tank is much smaller than Valentini's (only a 32 gallon), but I spend about $80 a month on the operational costs (food, water, salt, testing supplies, filters and media replacements, etc.). It's not a inexpensive hobby, but it is extremely rewarding! Here's a photo of my 32 Biocube:

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[SilentScope12]

Originally Posted by Ryan Darilek

This of course is an incredible source of knowledge. Check out the many threads for "newbies" that go into all the basics from water chemistry to cycling and so on. Also, check out YouTube... There are many great educational videos on there. My tank is much smaller than Valentini's (only a 32 gallon), but I spend about $80 a month on the operational costs (food, water, salt, testing supplies, filters and media replacements, etc.). It's not a inexpensive hobby, but it is extremely rewarding! Here's a photo of my 32 Biocube:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Damn! Does that include electricity costs? Not sure if this is going to be a viable hobby. According to my research, the smooth hound shark needs 300+ gallons minimum. So that means I would probably have to invest close to $10,000 in set up. Not sure if I would want to do a tank without the sharks.

[Ryan Darilek]

That doesn't include electricity cost, but I use LED lighting, so it's minimal. If you do enough planning and take your time finding the right deals, you can likely accomplish your goals for much cheaper...

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[Valentini89]

Originally Posted by SilentScope12

Thanks for the reply, with such a hefty investment can you give me an idea on how much that setup would cost to run every month (just the operational costs).

As far as my electrical costs go, I don't pay the power bill here. But I assume it isn't cheap.

[Ron Reefman]

As far as keeping sharks... very, VERY few do it and it is very, VERY expensive. If that is a make it or break it decision for you, you had better do a lot of research.

[SilentScope12]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

As far as keeping sharks... very, VERY few do it and it is very, VERY expensive. If that is a make it or break it decision for you, you had better do a lot of research.

[TokiHacker]

Originally Posted by SilentScope12

There is a gentleman that has some sharks in the aggressive thread and it had to be in a pool that he built in his basement if that gives you any idea how big the tank has to be.

on top of that the tank needs to be round for any free swimming shark.

[Ryan Darilek]

This is the tread Toki is referring to:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2432500

Pretty fascinating read actually, and I'm pretty sure everyone thats read it wants to do exactly this! I unfortunately wasn't able to sell my wife on the idea. Lol. To shed more light on what Toki was saying, the tank needs to at least be a racetrack design... You can't have any 90° angles that a shark can hit its nose on. For your money's sake, I would recommend just doing an aggressive fish only tank... Your money will go much further than making accommodations to house a shark

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[LuizW13]

I really enjoy watching the "52 weeks of reefing" on the BRS youtube channel. Those guys are super informative- as well as other youtube channels.

I have been reading, watching and researching on an off for over 3 years; i finally pulled the trigger and bought almost everything i need a couple of days ago. If anyone wants to donate me a stand, i'd gladly accept (still don't have one lol)!

[Stolireef]

Other than public aquariums (and some of these are inadequate) sharks should be left in the ocean. Rays too. You'd need a huge tank (and 300 IMO would be very undersized), extraordinary filtration (sharks are heavy eaters), preferably a circular tank (very difficult for most people to set up), etc.