Some of the tanks/pools...

[Rbacchiega]

Brett (Lastlight) asked me to show some of my tanks, specifically the shark pool. Currently I'm in Ontario, but thought it would be a great idea to at least get it started.

I'd been reading on various forums about people building shark/ray tanks out of industrial feed bins or the like and figured it couldn't be too hard, all you would need to do would be to modify the filter/pump system.

So I bought one of these http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...08474396672346

which fit nicely in our quanset on our acreage. I was worried that it wouldn't hold up as well as I would want it to over time so I actually epoxied over everything like one would when they're building a plywood tank or a large custom pond.

Which brings me to the next step. Water movement/filtration. A lot of lage ponds utilize giant tubs that are usually plumbed away from the actual pond. (If anyone has ever read any of the pond usa or koi magazines, you'll know what I"m talking about) Anyways, I decided I could make my own out of rubbermaids..(it took some figuring out) I bought three of these
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...romSearch=true

I used the pump that came with the pool to move the water from the "tank" into the first tub which was stacked on top of the other two. This holds sponges and rough media to do the "mechanical" filtration. it then flows down to the second one, housing the chemical filtration (purigen, seagel) and the third is just for extra water. I'll admit, it's not the most practical, which is why I changed it out and ended up buying two 30" models of these
http://www.bestpondfilters.com/

which I tied into a propane fed line heater that I was installing for the gar/ray pond also in the quanset. The only reason I was able to do this is because the temps need to be comparable for both tanks, so it was easy to sort of set it and forget it.

For the tank itself I didn't want there to be too much live rock, but did want there to be islands, so I bought about 250lbs of it and arranged it into three or 4 piles all the while trying to not make it look too fake. Since there were no plans for corals, I bought three flood lamps that we suspended from the ceiling.

Let the tank cycle for nearly two months and added my 3 sharks (1 coral banded, 1 "zebra" (really just another form of a coral banded) and a smoothnosed) The two bandeds just chill out on the bottom, but the smoothnose swims like you'd imagine.

There are always issues with algae that require me to get in there every now and then with brushes/scrapers on rods or with large gloves. I've never been bit (or even been shown interest) by any of the sharks, but I'd rather not risk it.

Feeding is pretty simple, I buy alot of seafood medley, talapia, shrimp etc for the gars and the sharks all eat it as well.

When I get home PICS!! And I'll add more about everything else....

[lastlight]

Whoa. Ask and I shall receive. Can't wait to see some pics.

And an aquatic quonset. Now I know why they call you cash! How has that pump handled saltwater?

[Rbacchiega]

The initial pump that came with the pool was replaced when I bought the two tub filters. I ended up switching them to two Red Dragon pumps...I think 8.2's (one of the most expensive parts of this project actually)...If they weren't so damned expensive I would use them on every tank I own...love the pump and for larger setups you just can't beat em!

[Rbacchiega]

we built a step up deck/viewing area that went around about half of the shark poon and completely around the gar pond. It's really nice on a hot summer night to head into the quanset, have a beer and watch the sharks. Get the barbeque going and get those steaks grilled...yum. Anyways, back to the projects..

When we bought the quanset it was orriginally being used as a mechanical garage. There was a pit dug measuring roughly 10 feet long by 4 feet wide and about 5 feet deep. This works out to just under 1400 gallons. We'd been talking about a large pond for a long time and knew that when we initially bought the property we would be adding at least one here. (We now actually have a koi pond out by a shadded area with a swing chair...quite pretty actually) Since we were redoing alot of the plumbing under the quanset anyways, we dug a trench so that I could run 2 2" pvc lines up into a filter.

In order to accomplish this I pretty much built a fake floor in the bottom of the pit, about 4 inches off the actual bottom. In the floor are two drains similar to what alot of people have in their fish rooms. The rest of the pond was built as anyone would do with their normal out door ponds. We did use 1" styrofoam to help insulate and then pond liner and then epoxy. We used a very dark one, which now that I see it all the time, I wish we could have found something that didn't dry so dark.

Before we even added water I knew it was going to be too deep to even consider seeing my rays...what to do?

Pretty simple really. Build a shallow end! I wish we could have done it gradual, but for ease we pretty much just made a 5 foot section of the tank only 2.5-3 feet deep. The rays use the entire tank, but know when the lights go on to head to that end...it's feeding time.

Considering gars and rays don't necessarily enjoy overly well lit areas, I needed to get something that would still allow me to see the fish (otherwise, what's the point?!) but not be so bright as to bother them. We ended up going with lights that you would normally see in buildings (with 4 t8 or 12 bulbs in them) and suspending 4 of them above the tank. There is still some glare off the surface, but not enough to distort the view.

That pond currently houses a shoal of 8 Florida/Spotted gars, ranging in size from 20-24" and a trio of Motoro rays, the largest has a disc span of approximately 18" the last time I tried to measure.

Heat is again provided via a inline propane heater. Best investment for these two setups. EVER.

[karazy]

really cool! i was actualy going to send you a message bout your ponds and tanks today

i really hope you aren't in Toronto for too much longer.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Wow! Sounds amazing. Can't wait to see pictures.

[Delphinus]

I think I'm in the wrong line of work. Tattoo artist? Need an apprentice? I can't draw though. Is that going to be a problem?

Errr, I mean .. I can't wait to see the pictures. Hurry home.