Free Shark

[Fishwise]

I have a three foot nurse shark that needs a home. I am very picky about where he will go, but if anyone is interested let me know. Im in Georgia so anyone close would be nice too. I tried to give them to the aquarium, but they don't seem to care.

Someone please take him

 

[Len]

Sorry to hear about your predicament. Sadly, collectors are still collecting them for our hobby, wholesalers are still bringing them in, retailers are still selling, and people are still buying this species (and any sharks) that is totally incompatible for most captive husbandry.

I doubt you will find any hobbyist that will take this fish or can accomdate it. I know public aquariums will not take in people's stray fish (for many reasons, one of which is introduction of disease). Your best bet is to contact a big local aquarium servicer/installer who can perhaps find it a home in a very rich person's big aquarium. Lots of people who own these big installations seem fascinated by sharks, so there's a glimmer of hope there.

 

[Anonymous]

Fishwise your chances of finding someone with an aquarium in their house large enough to *PROPERLY* accomodate this animal is almost nil.
You're talking a minimum of 1000 gallons, preferably twice that.

Your effort to do the right thing is appreciated though.

 

[Fishwise]

I run an aquarium maintenance service and i took this shark from a guy that raised it from 8 inches. He had the shark for 6 years and it got to big for his tank. I had a client that was going to build a 4000 gallon saltwater pond and told me to get the shark. I got the shark and then he backed out on me. So far the best that i have been able to do is the 400 gallon vat in the garage. I have a chiller im putting on it for now. I have had him for a year. So far the only glimmer of hope ive got is a possibility of a client putting in a 1400 in his basement, but he has been talking about it for six months. I don't want him anywhere smaller than 1000, but even that won't house him long. I took him with hopes of giving him a better home. They really shouldn't be in the hobby. People buy them because they fit in there 125 when they are a foot long and no one can get rid of them once they get bigger. Oh, and the aquarium I figured would take him as an exception and save him. I do know they have strict specifications on their inhabitants.

 

[Anonymous]

DRive to florida and let him go.

 

[Anonymous]

That's what I would do too.

 

[Anonymous]

Double Post, sorry

 

[wade1]

It would be better to put the shark down than to release it into the wild. While the chances are disease from tank > ocean are minimal, I would never, ever propose to release any captively maintained fish into the wild. Native or not.

Sorry to hear that you are stuck with it for now. Keep pressing people about it. Think the New Orleans aquarium will be rebuilt??

 

[SavetheReefs]

PM sent

 

[GSchiemer]

I'm with Wade on this: Even though it's native to the east coast of Florida, releasing it to the wild is a BAD idea and potentially illegal. Please don't consider this suggestion.

Have you contacted the people at the new Georgia Aquarium (AKA Home Depot Aquarium)? I would think they might be interested since they're new and in the market for animals to exhibit.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, some aliens released me back to Earth after they do some probing on me. I am glad that they don't have the same "protocol" as you and Wade...

 

[wade1]

But you weren't maintained as a pet. They kept you in quarintine, took lewd pictures, pointed, and laughed... but they didn't keep you for long. :twisted:

 

[Fishwise]

Im not releasing in the wild.

 

[Nanogasm]

Curious... I'm new to the hobby so I'm a little ignorant of ramifications of releasing to the wild. What are they?

 

[Mihai]

I think that the theory is that the shark could have picked up some lifeforms from the Pacific (parasites/diseases) and release them in the Atlantic. It sounds very unlikely to me, but I guess that you can never be too cautios with this sort of things.

M.

 

[Len]

Keep in mind that fish from all parts of the world's oceans are kept together in captivity. While unlikely, you don't want to chance introducing unnatural pathogens into a new ecosystem.

The biggest no no is releasing a specimen into environments that is outside its natural range. There is a startling number of lionfish and other Pacific tropical fish being sighted in the Atlantic.

 

[GSchiemer]

There's also the issue of disrupting a fragile ecosystem. There are countless accounts of accidental and intentional introductions of foreign species that have caused major havoc in ecosystems around the world (e.g., the mussels in the Great Lakes, Caulerpa in the Mediterranean, Nile Perch in the Rift Lakes, Snakefish in local lakes and ponds, etc., etc.).

Greg

 

[MandarinFish]

The shark would also die.

It hasn't been hunting vigorously from birth. It's been mollycoddled since 8" long.

Nature is quite unforgiving and the steep learning curve of survival doesn't stop for domestics.

Few "domesticated" animals would survive long in the wild. Even apex predators. That poor shark would be eaten by another shark quickly.

Poor thing. Wish I could help. *Please* keep us posted.

 

[Fishwise]

Ill let you guys know what happens. She is pretty happy now but will out grow the vat she is in now. I can pet her and she is pretty tame all though i tried to feed her out of my hand ONCE just to see what would happen and she sucked my hand in with the piece of catfish and took a chunk off the back of my hand. Hey you never know until you try.

 

[Anonymous]

Note to self: hand feeding shark inadvisable.

Note back from self: well duh!

Sorry Fishwise, couldn't resist it. :lol: