Yet another ZooDiver build thread (Shark display)
- Thread starter Zoodiver
- Start date
Just got out of the tank.... Moved a male Southern stingray in from the 3,700 galllon. He was in there first to make sure he was feeding well and would transition into a display from a very natural holding at the previous facility. He did well, and made the jump to the main show tank. Pics will follow once I get them off the camera.
If you have a specific fish in mind, PM me and I can get the cost for you.
I get them at wholesale cost from my collector in the Keys. It's about half of what the retail price would be for any given fish.
If you have a specific fish in mind, PM me and I can get the cost for you.
Cylinder itself is about 6 feet. From floor to top of the canopy is about 12 or 13 feet.
Juvie male Southern stingray. First step was catch it from the 3,700 gallon. That was easy. He has been conditioned to come to a feeding target, so all I had to do was call him over and scoop him up. Then he rolled across the show room floor in a bin to acclimate to the next system. Short acclimation - I run all my salinity/temp/pH the same. Watched disolved oxygen levels during acclimation with a YSI 550A hand held DO meter.
Waited for the lights to come up in the main tank. With the AI LED units, I have a sunrise to give a more natural feel. You can see what it looks like as the tank slowly lights from one side to the next.
Then I suited up, openned up the top access hatches, carried the ray up in a basket net and floated him at the surface. That gave me time to climb into the tank and lower the ray down with me in the water. Having me in the water gave the sharks something to focus on other than the new ray. I spent the next hour just hanging out in the tank, doing a little scrubbing just to keep them a little stirred up. It's been about three hours now and the ray is settled in nicely. Sharks haven't given a second glance.
Largest white tip reef is now similar in size to the smallest black tip reef.
White tips have been in the display for 11 months and have almost doubled in size.
Waited for the lights to come up in the main tank. With the AI LED units, I have a sunrise to give a more natural feel. You can see what it looks like as the tank slowly lights from one side to the next.
Then I suited up, openned up the top access hatches, carried the ray up in a basket net and floated him at the surface. That gave me time to climb into the tank and lower the ray down with me in the water. Having me in the water gave the sharks something to focus on other than the new ray. I spent the next hour just hanging out in the tank, doing a little scrubbing just to keep them a little stirred up. It's been about three hours now and the ray is settled in nicely. Sharks haven't given a second glance.
Largest white tip reef is now similar in size to the smallest black tip reef.
White tips have been in the display for 11 months and have almost doubled in size.
Very nice update! Why do you check the DO levels? or is it just because you have it on hand you use it as an extra precaution?
A large body animal can consume oxygen quickly when it's rapidly breathing in a small acclimation bin. You'd be surprised how fast it will drop off below 50% saturation. I try to keep it at or above 100%. Going 100-110% will calm down the animal.
This is a 5,000 gallon display.
I have considered adding bonnets in the future. They would get along just fine with BTRs. The female BTR will outgrow this set up and I'm ready to move her when the time comes.
The trick with bonnetheads is getting them to navigate well. They tend to swim high - and I designed the structure in this exhibit to leave the top open for bonnets and maybe cownose stingrays. I like to keep bonnets in a holding pool and slowly acclimate them to structures they need to swim around. It creates less stress for them and they do much better once into the main display. It also gives me time to ensure that they will target feed, so I don't have to worry about them getting food / vitamin supplements.
I have considered adding bonnets in the future. They would get along just fine with BTRs. The female BTR will outgrow this set up and I'm ready to move her when the time comes.
The trick with bonnetheads is getting them to navigate well. They tend to swim high - and I designed the structure in this exhibit to leave the top open for bonnets and maybe cownose stingrays. I like to keep bonnets in a holding pool and slowly acclimate them to structures they need to swim around. It creates less stress for them and they do much better once into the main display. It also gives me time to ensure that they will target feed, so I don't have to worry about them getting food / vitamin supplements.
