Bull Shark

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lol you really want a bull shark? they get huge!!! i catch em here all the time ranging anywhere btween 1ft to 9ft weighing 350+lbs
you could prob put 1 to 2 ft one in a 300+ gal tank or a 10'x4' 600 gal for a while i dont know their growth rate but they eat almost anything live or frozen so they prob would be cheap to feed
 
dbcb314;2923141; said:
doesnt gilbert arenas have some or is getting some lol

from his blog...

“…Then I’ll have my personal shark tank that’s going to be in my basement. My basement used to be my weight room but I’m converting it to a shark tank. I cut a whole wall out down there and replaced it with a 10,000 gallon shark tank. That’s going to be my aggressive tank, only filled with bullhead sharks. If anybody knows what a bullhead shark is, it’s the No. 1 killing shark in America. It can go in salt water and it can go in fresh water. I’m going to have a salt water tank so I can have my eels and my stingrays too.”

(yes he sounds like an idiot... but he seems to like fish)
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I wouldnt say he sounds like an idiot,but rich and ignorant yeah.I hope he takes the time to learn about what he is spending his money on.
 
If you ever win the lotto and want a bull shark shoot me an email. I do sell them but keep in mind that if you're in California you'll need a Restricted Species permit from the Dept. of Fish and Game in order to legally have it. Other than that, the species does very well in captivity and would make an awesome display animal. Good luck on that lotto win!
 
Personally - I'm not sure it's even possible for a private aquarist to get a permit to keep a Bull Shark.

Bull Sharks are incredible husky, and aggressive sharks. And definitely aren't suited for any private aquarist. First they need a tank that is at least 250,000 gallons with a footprint of at least 2,800-3,000 sq.ft. Then just imagine the cost of keep a active carcharhinid shark that can grow to 11-12' long and can weight more than 660 lbs (300 kg). That over 1,500 lbs of fresh fish & seafood per year.

A better shark that looks similar would be a Sandbar or Brown Shark. They tend to be more docile (compared to a Bull) and only grow to about 8' long. So you could likely keep 2-3 Sandbars in a 250,000 gallon tank, instead of single Bull.
 
::Just here to plug bamboo cat sharks::

You can hand-feed 'em! Scare the crap out of your friends!
 
i catch em here all the time ranging anywhere btween 1ft to 9ft weighing 350+lbs
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I highly doubt that you catch Bull pups that are less than 2 ft long - since even newly born Bull pups are at least 2 ft long. And they are usually born in fresh or brackish water.

you could prob put 1 to 2 ft one in a 300+ gal tank or a 10'x4' 600 gal for a while
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I wouldn't recommend it - is it's cruel to keep any newly born carcharhinid shark in such a cramped space. While a 1 foot bonnethead or sharpnose, or even a 18 inch Blacktip Reef may seem to be okay in a 600 gallon tank (10' long x 4' wide). You have to remember that most retangular tanks have sharp corners - which are bad for requiem sharks. Personally for small requiems of only 1-2 ft - I would suggest a round pond that is at least 10 ft in diameter. For juvenile Bull & Lemon sharks that are born at about 2 ft - I would suggest at least a 12 ft diameter pond for maybe a few months.

As for the growth rate of juvenile Bulls - it generally averages about 10-11 inches (25-28 cm) for the 1st couple of years of life. Of course that in the wild, in captivity - it may be a bit faster than that.

And Personally - I would suggest just about any shark that is available to private aquarists would be a better choice than a Bull. Be it a Nurse, Bonnethead, Blacktip Reef, Bamboo, Epaulette, Wobbegong, Horn or a Catshark.
 
i would go with nurse sharks, they dont get quite as big and are waaaay cheaper, however, the footprint requirment is still very large.
 
Actually - the Nurse Shark can get as large as the Bull shark. Yes, the largest confirmed report for Nurse Sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is about 11 to 12 ft long. But they rarely exceed 10 ft.

Still the Nurse is a vastly superior choice compared to the Bull Shark, for the following reasons.

- Much better temperment
- Hardier species
- Requires less spaces & a smaller tank/lagoon
- requires less food.

Actually the Nurse - is a superior choice when compared to most carcharhinids.
 
As somone who has worked with bulls in the wild and raised them in captivity, leave them to the pros. You're looking at 500,000 gallons or more and a major life support system to keep them. You're also looking at a food bill that will cost more than a car each year. Pups are just shy of 3 feet when born. I would never keep a pup in anything less than 7,000 gallons (assuming you have a good footprint).

Adult female bulls are 12-14 foot animals that need a LOT of room to swim (males are a bit smaller). They are also a lot more dangerous to work with than other similar sharks.

If you really want to see them, the aquarium in Tulsa, OK has them, Predator World in Branson, MO has them and soon I hope to have them on display here in Miami.
 
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