All about Pet Sharks
Yeah, that’s right; some guys actually have pet sharks. And I don’t mean little tiny fish that look like miniature sharks, or little tiny real sharks that just happen to be from some weird offshoot of the shark family. I actually mean sharks. The kind of sharks that eat other fish and that will chew on your fingers if you let them.
So are pet sharks for you?
The Cost
Although sharks are, in fact, dangerous, this is not usually the central obstacle to people owning sharks. Most pet sharks can wound you, but are unlikely to kill you, and even the dangers of being wounded by a pet shark are small so long as you handle them with care.
Danger is not the obstacle. Cost is. Owning a pet shark is just very expensive. Sharks grow large and require a large space. Saltwater aquariums of the size appropriate for sharks, even of the smaller variety, are very expensive as is their maintenance. Shark food can get expensive as well, so it is not a cheap proposition.
Aquarium Requirements
The minimum size for a shark aquarium is 50 gallons. Many kinds of sharks however, require larger tanks. The cost of the tank alone can easily get you to $1,000—and that’s before you get the shark. The tank will need to be saltwater for most sharks and you will also need to buy the proper lighting.
For most sharks, you should keep your tank temperature just below 80 degrees to keep your sharks at their ideal temperature.
You will also need both an air filter and a chemical filtration machine to make sure that your sharks have the proper mix of chemicals in their tanks. The larger your tank or tank set up, the more complicated the setup can be.
You will also need to purchase rocks and rocklike accessories so that your sharks will feel at home at the bottom of their tanks. Sharks like to hide behind things and swim through things, so you should keep this in mind as well.
Aquarium Maintenance
Something people often forget when they are getting fish is that they have to clean the aquarium. Every so often, you have to remove the contents of your shark aquarium and clean them off so that they do not become a source for disease.
Also, if your sharks leave any remains of their meals, you have to be sure to remove that or the rotting carcass may become a source for disease in your tank as well. If the thought of doing this regularly sounds like a drag or you’re not so sure you want to fish things out of a tank with live sharks in it, then sharks may not be for you.
Lifestyle Requirements
Another aspect of shark ownership that you may want to consider is your lifestyle. Sharks live for a long while. Is your life stable enough where you will be able to take care of these creatures long term? A shark is not like a cat.
When you go away to college you can’t simply hand your shark off to just anybody. Have you reached the point in your life where you are stable enough to take care of these sharks long term?
Do you own your own home? If not, are you sure that your landlord is okay with you having a shark on his property? Will you be able to move where you want to in the future and take your shark with you?
These are all consideration that you should keep in mind when you are considering whether a shark is for you.
If you decide to take on this responsibility then you will find the wonderful world of shark awaits you. But make sure you have thought through what you’re getting into.