Leopard Shark

So basically I've caught small 12 inch long LS pups and I was wondering how it would be to keep one 0.o. First of all they get 5ft long and they would probably have to be donated to an aquarium since I wouldn't be able to keep one at that size.

What tank size would you guys recommend? This is mostly hypothetical by the way. First I would have to catch one again .

BIG! sharks need to swim in order to breath so a tank that lets them circle about is a must.

at least 1,500 gallons. Make a SW pond. 5,000 gallons would be good

1,500 gallons for a twelve inch fish .

I never new that Michael! We really do learn things on TR .

Sharks are really old life forms. Older than the dinosaurs. Sharks and rays are a family separate from the slimy boney fish we usually keep. Those fish fill their mouths with water and then use their tongues to push the water over their gills. Sharks just open their mouths and swim.

So how do they breath when the pups are still in the eggs?

Leopard Shark are viviparous Hero, their embryos develop inside eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch.

Check this wikki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplacental_viviparous

It blow my mind!

I guess I did know they were viviparous... Thanks for the link.

I think there some good info out there Far too loud seems like a genuine fellow.i really like this forum very much...

The one thing that is a bummer about trying to keep a Leopard Shark in California is that you can only legally take them if they are 36" or larger.

Michael Milligan wrote:BIG! sharks need to swim in order to breath so a tank that lets them circle about is a must.

This isn't actually true... Some sharks - Houndsharks in this case - can breath while being still, and Leopard sharks often rest in the bottom during day time.
So they can breath when not swimming, but they will sink if they stop moving.

Also, just because a tank allows them to circle does not mean they will do well. Banking into a constant turn is very tiring(think of the efficiency of turning an airplane in a circle or doing donuts in a car)...this will tire out and eventually kill the shark. A tank needs to allow the shark to glide for a distance before being forced to turn. Look up the elasmobranch husbandry manual to read more.

Lately I've been reading and asking around about Leopard Sharks.
I visited Skansen Aquarium in Sweden, and they had two adult semifasciatas in one tank.
Mostly they just lay on the bottom, as they did now... I spoke with the aquarists, and they thought a 400-500 gallon tank will house a pup for several years.

Leopard sharks are really slow growing, as are many other coldwater sharks, and it takes years until the shark matures.
I am currently considering of maybe getting one, if I find a small enough pup.
There is one in my LFS's stocker, but it is XL (don't know what that means, might be 1 meter or 30 cm).
The price is a bit salty, it's about 1000€. The fish is from Mexico...

If I got one I already have a big backup tank for it on a local aquarium.
That is the place where my other sharks are born...

Hahaa! The wholesaler had wrong information! It is scyllium, not semifasciata!
Still considering it though...

http://www.elasmobranchhusbandry.org/

Thanks! I have read that page already
The fish is 30-35 cm now, if they get in a smaller one I might get one.

did you read the manual?

Howcome, did I miss something? 

the manual at top of the page gives you a breakdown of species and care in captivity