Starting A Temperate Pico

[AquaticEngineer]

Just about anything intertidal that doesn't have specific dietary needs IMO

[AquaticEngineer]

OH! and one more thing, how should i transport these? I work at my lfs and have gotten pretty good with bagging, so should i bag them then put them in a cooler with some sea water to keep them cold or some other method? I've actually fallen in love with ur guy's vid "a day in the life of CWMA" and saw that you ran some air tubes into a cooler with the goods

 

 

For transport I like to use "bait buckets" while collecting instead of regular buckets. The bait buckets are designed to let water flow through them and have a trap door that's easy to get into and out of with gloves on. I use to use regular 5 gallon buckets with lids, but they are a PITA to get in and out of and you either have to drill holes in them to allow water flow or run a battery powered air pump to them which means you gotta keep it dry. So pick up one of these https://www.google.com/#q=bait+bucket+turbo+troll

 

For transport from the ocean home, you could go a couple ways.

 

1)You could use a cooler with icepacks floating and run an air pump off of an inverter through a hole drilled into the lid of the cooler.

 

2)Or you could individually bag each animal if you have easy access to bags, rubberbands, and an O2 bottle. Then put the bags in the cooler with the icepacks.

 

Personally I like a combination of both. If I'm only getting one species (like just anemones) I'll just bring a cooler and keep them cold with some water. But if I get other sensitive species, like shrimp for example, I like to bag them by themselves in clean water or run the air pump to them in a separate container.

 

Main thing to remember in transport is to keep them as cool as possible, with as much oxygen ass possible, and segregate species that would have issues in transit.

[YaBoyLaj]

 

For transport I like to use "bait buckets" while collecting instead of regular buckets. The bait buckets are designed to let water flow through them and have a trap door that's easy to get into and out of with gloves on. I use to use regular 5 gallon buckets with lids, but they are a PITA to get in and out of and you either have to drill holes in them to allow water flow or run a battery powered air pump to them which means you gotta keep it dry. So pick up one of these https://www.google.com/#q=bait+bucket+turbo+troll

 

For transport from the ocean home, you could go a couple ways.

 

1)You could use a cooler with icepacks floating and run an air pump off of an inverter through a hole drilled into the lid of the cooler.

 

2)Or you could individually bag each animal if you have easy access to bags, rubberbands, and an O2 bottle. Then put the bags in the cooler with the icepacks.

 

Personally I like a combination of both. If I'm only getting one species (like just anemones) I'll just bring a cooler and keep them cold with some water. But if I get other sensitive species, like shrimp for example, I like to bag them by themselves in clean water or run the air pump to them in a separate container.

 

Main thing to remember in transport is to keep them as cool as possible, with as much oxygen ass possible, and segregate species that would have issues in transit.

 

Thanks! It's really nice to have someone to keep me educated about all this, I can't wait!

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

Lots of great information for anyone wanting to collect from the Pacific coast. I started my project of a cold water nano while scuba diving. I brought home some live rock from small stones I got off the bottom of the bay. They were for educational study and so, I wasn't afraid to take them.

 

They were returned once my findings were completed.

[YaBoyLaj]

Lots of great information for anyone wanting to collect from the Pacific coast. I started my project of a cold water nano while scuba diving. I brought home some live rock from small stones I got off the bottom of the bay. They were for educational study and so, I wasn't afraid to take them.

 

They were returned once my findings were completed.

 

Nice! I'm heading to San Diego over spring break to get some washed up stones, i want smooth rocks for a base and maybe some scattered rugged dry rock for a refuge for smaller inverts or a better foothold for nem's

 

For transport I like to use "bait buckets" while collecting instead of regular buckets. The bait buckets are designed to let water flow through them and have a trap door that's easy to get into and out of with gloves on. I use to use regular 5 gallon buckets with lids, but they are a PITA to get in and out of and you either have to drill holes in them to allow water flow or run a battery powered air pump to them which means you gotta keep it dry. So pick up one of these https://www.google.com/#q=bait+bucket+turbo+troll

 

For transport from the ocean home, you could go a couple ways.

 

1)You could use a cooler with icepacks floating and run an air pump off of an inverter through a hole drilled into the lid of the cooler.

 

2)Or you could individually bag each animal if you have easy access to bags, rubberbands, and an O2 bottle. Then put the bags in the cooler with the icepacks.

 

Personally I like a combination of both. If I'm only getting one species (like just anemones) I'll just bring a cooler and keep them cold with some water. But if I get other sensitive species, like shrimp for example, I like to bag them by themselves in clean water or run the air pump to them in a separate container.

 

Main thing to remember in transport is to keep them as cool as possible, with as much oxygen ass possible, and segregate species that would have issues in transit.

Just purchased an 8 quart bait bucket!

[YaBoyLaj]

These guys are sadly o.o.s atm but i definitely want them, prob with the zebra is that he needs warmer water from 68 to 75

[AquaticEngineer]

These guys are sadly o.o.s atm but i definitely want them, prob with the zebra is that he needs warmer water from 68 to 75

 

Don't believe the temps listed, particularly on websites focused on selling to tropical keepers, they tend to edge the temps on the higher side so people think they can keep them successfully if they just drop the temp down a little bit.

 

When exploring potential species for your tanks the best way to gauge temperate is to look at the animals collected range, then compare it to temperatures in that range. I like to use temperature readings taken by divers at depth, but NOAA buoy temps are just as good most of the time. If using the buoy temps make sure and get a good range since they are taken at the surface.

 

Like in this link to a buoy on the southern most ocean area of California its only reading right now at 64F at the surface, and has dipped as low in the last few days as 61.9F. Now imagine what the temp 30-40 feet below that would be.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46086

 

Reference that buoy info against a point map of known collections like this

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?kind=Lythrypnus+zebra

 

Then you get a much more accurate idea of the temperatures they are found in vs the generic version of 68-75

[YaBoyLaj]

 

Don't believe the temps listed, particularly on websites focused on selling to tropical keepers, they tend to edge the temps on the higher side so people think they can keep them successfully if they just drop the temp down a little bit.

 

When exploring potential species for your tanks the best way to gauge temperate is to look at the animals collected range, then compare it to temperatures in that range. I like to use temperature readings taken by divers at depth, but NOAA buoy temps are just as good most of the time. If using the buoy temps make sure and get a good range since they are taken at the surface.

 

Like in this link to a buoy on the southern most ocean area of California its only reading right now at 64F at the surface, and has dipped as low in the last few days as 61.9F. Now imagine what the temp 30-40 feet below that would be.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46086

 

Reference that buoy info against a point map of known collections like this

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?kind=Lythrypnus+zebra

 

Then you get a much more accurate idea of the temperatures they are found in vs the generic version of 68-75

 

Sweet, i love noaa, never thought i could incorporate them into a tank lol

[YaBoyLaj]

OK! This has gone wayyyy too long... so I had to quit my job due to my boss being a giant asshole to me & my parents, but it was for the better, sadly this means that i have no income and no one really hires 15 year olds... lol but i am looking for ways to make some $money$ but right now it looks slim, i still have a saving box for the tank which i definitely haven't given up on and hope to get in this year but idk yet

[AquaticEngineer]

I bet a resourceful young lad like yourself can likely find a small setup for free or next to nothing Start scouring local reef club forums and maybe even throw up some posts looking for a small thick acrylic tank and a used chiller. Look through craigslist also

[YaBoyLaj]

I bet a resourceful young lad like yourself can likely find a small setup for free or next to nothing Start scouring local reef club forums and maybe even throw up some posts looking for a small thick acrylic tank and a used chiller. Look through craigslist also

 

Alrighty, i'll give it a shot!

[YaBoyLaj]

I bet a resourceful young lad like yourself can likely find a small setup for free or next to nothing Start scouring local reef club forums and maybe even throw up some posts looking for a small thick acrylic tank and a used chiller. Look through craigslist also

OK so i have some good news! After about a month of all but giving up on the cold water game I got a break for a few reasons! 1. Summer! so i can strictly focus on the hobby 2. Interviewing for a decently paid job at the top fish store in my area $$$ 3. Birthday money and 4. Ive been bitten by the cold water bug again so hopefully i can snag one of Mike's acrylic tanks sometime in the summer and get a build thread going!