180 gallon saltwater shark and ray tank

Question
Hi, I have had a 55 gallon tank for many years now, but I just recently purchased a 180 gallon tank because I want to keep a tank with some sharks, rays and eels if possible. What are the most hardy and size appropriate sharks and rays for my tank. Can I put eels and other fish in my tank with the sharks and rays and if yes then what kinds?

Answer
Hi Josh:

Good question.

Sharks acceptable for a 180 gallon that are readily available in the aquarium trade, include the following: Cat Shark, Black Banded (Chiloscyllium punctatum), and the Hasselt's Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium hasseltii) Please note, the Cat Sharks are aggressive.

Stingrays acceptable for a 180 gallon that are readily available in the aquarium trade, include the following: Chilean Round Stingray (Urotrygon chilensis), Blue Dot Stingray (Taeniura lymma), and Haller's Stingray (Urobatis halleri)

Eels acceptable for a 180 gallon that are readily available in the aquarium trade, include the following: Black Edge Moray Eel (Gymnothorax saxicola), Snake Spotted Eel (Myrichthys maculosus), Ghost Eel (Pseudechidna brummeri), Jeweled Moray Eel (Muraena lentiginosa), Snowflake Eel (Echidna nebulosa), Golden Moray Eel (Gymnothorax miliaris), Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra), Tessalata Eel (Gymnothorax favagineus), Garden Eel (Taenioconger hassi, and Wolf Eel (Congrogadus subducens)

The key with most aggressive and semi-aggressive species of the sort, is to keep them in a suitable size aquarium that includes really fine granulated sand, and keep them well fed with a proper and balanced diet consisting of a seafood regimen. Provide the eel with plenty of hiding places. Make sure to keep a full fitting glass top canopy on the aquarium, when keeping eels, because they are definitely escape artists.

Please note, I have not personally kept all of the above species, however you can definitely successfully keep certain species of sharks, rays, and eels together, when they're given the proper care and environment. The above list will at least give you a starting point, of species that can be kept in aquariums of 180 gallons, to continue your research, so you can make the best decision.

Keep in touch, and let me know what you ended up getting, and how they are doing...

I wish you the best of luck with all your future saltwater aquarium endeavors.

Sincerely,
David