Hello! I'm a restaurant owner located in southern Ohio, and I've been working on a business plan for a new restaurant with saltwater fish tanks and potentially a shark tank behind the bar (ORV sharks, not bottom dwellers). I've been a saltwater aquarist for around 15 years, and opening this restaurant has been a dream of mine for a long time. Yes, I know keeping sharks in captivity is very expensive, requires a massive tank, and takes a lot of work to do right. However, I plan to have a team of aquarists on-staff to help share the load. And I want to build the tank right the first time, so I'm gathering as much info as possible before moving forward.
I've spoken to a couple of experienced shark keepers, and they've recommended species like Finetooth, Atlantic Sharpnose, and Bonnetheads. It's looking like an oval-shaped fiberglass tank with viewing windows is going to be the best option for the tank itself. It'll be 26 feet long by 12 feet wide by 5 feet deep. I'm considering keeping the bottom bare for easier cleaning. Since these will be ORV sharks, they won't really need a sand bed or live rock in the tank.
I've heard a few different opinions on filtration and life support equipment, but I thought I'd check on here to see if anyone else has some opinions. It never hurts to ask around. I know there are a handful of experienced shark keepers on this forum, so it would be nice to get their perspectives.
Possibly the most important thing to consider other than tank size is filtration/life support. Right now, the plan is to install a saltwater-grade rotary drum filter, which will automatically remove waste from the water column and send it down the drain, eliminating the need to change or clean filter cartridges. From there, water would travel to a large sump (likely with a sand bed and lots of live rock), which would have an RK2 filtration system on it as a side loop. The RK2 system has a fluidized sand filter, and a massive protein skimmer. I will also likely add a UV sterilizer to the setup. For the sump itself, I'm thinking something like this would work. And a return pump somewhere in the range of 10,000-15,000 gph. I'll also have a couple of massive water change tanks to mix saltwater and store RO water, an inline heater built into the return line (or two, just in case one dies), and probably some kind of aeration assembly that would pump air bubbles into the tank.
So, those of you with experience keeping the species that I mentioned above, does this plan make sense from an equipment perspective?
The next thing I need to figure out is where to position the drain(s) and return pipes in the tank. I've read that some people put a drain at the bottom, while others stick to a surface skimmer (like a pool). Does anyone have any input on this?
I've spoken to a couple of experienced shark keepers, and they've recommended species like Finetooth, Atlantic Sharpnose, and Bonnetheads. It's looking like an oval-shaped fiberglass tank with viewing windows is going to be the best option for the tank itself. It'll be 26 feet long by 12 feet wide by 5 feet deep. I'm considering keeping the bottom bare for easier cleaning. Since these will be ORV sharks, they won't really need a sand bed or live rock in the tank.
I've heard a few different opinions on filtration and life support equipment, but I thought I'd check on here to see if anyone else has some opinions. It never hurts to ask around. I know there are a handful of experienced shark keepers on this forum, so it would be nice to get their perspectives.
Possibly the most important thing to consider other than tank size is filtration/life support. Right now, the plan is to install a saltwater-grade rotary drum filter, which will automatically remove waste from the water column and send it down the drain, eliminating the need to change or clean filter cartridges. From there, water would travel to a large sump (likely with a sand bed and lots of live rock), which would have an RK2 filtration system on it as a side loop. The RK2 system has a fluidized sand filter, and a massive protein skimmer. I will also likely add a UV sterilizer to the setup. For the sump itself, I'm thinking something like this would work. And a return pump somewhere in the range of 10,000-15,000 gph. I'll also have a couple of massive water change tanks to mix saltwater and store RO water, an inline heater built into the return line (or two, just in case one dies), and probably some kind of aeration assembly that would pump air bubbles into the tank.
So, those of you with experience keeping the species that I mentioned above, does this plan make sense from an equipment perspective?
The next thing I need to figure out is where to position the drain(s) and return pipes in the tank. I've read that some people put a drain at the bottom, while others stick to a surface skimmer (like a pool). Does anyone have any input on this?
