Cold Water Nano

[Maeda]

Steve Weast's sweeeeeeet cold water tank

 

I'd like to start a resource for cold water species and equiptment, because as i'm trying to find information.... what I found was very scant.

 

There's a few things you can find through local warm water trade(like Catalina Gobies) but most of the live stock seems to be a collect your own kind of affair.

 

 

I'll post more as I find more(many cold water species get very very large). I really want to set this up! Also, let me know if there are any mistakes! I'd like this to be as accurate as possible for those of us attempting this....

 

Here's my livestock list to start

 

Aggregating anemone

 

Purple Sea Urchins

 

Strawberry Anemones

 

Giant Green Anemones

 

Catalina Goby

 

Barnacles

 

Zebra Goby

 

Abalone

 

Skeleton Shrimp

 

 

Equiptment concerns

Chiller - to keep the tank within 50ish to 60ish degrees year round

Acrylic tank - to keep 'sweating' at bay

Low light - almost everything in these setups is NON-photosynthetic

VERY LARGE manner of nutrient expor ( waterchange, skimmer, etc.) see above.

[Fishfreak218]

This is a really good source of information:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=890751

 

also for livestock check out:

http://gulfofme.com/

 

and also this guy gets in some cool anemones from Chile sometimes but they do get a bit expensive:

www.coralseaonline.com

 

you can ask him when he is getting his next shipment

[adinsxq]

good luck brother

[Maeda]

This is a really good source of information:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=890751

 

I read this thread. It seems to leave out a lot of info regarding stocking. :\

[supernip]

you'd have to use some thick ass acrylic

[Fishfreak218]

I'd go with 1" acrylic..

where do you plan on getting the livestock from?

[hecsrt-4]

Good luck, this should be interesting.

 

Maybe you can get a lobster and fatten him up like Homer. Hahaha

or a king crab like sig hansen, and be honey I have dinner.

[justinl]

i have a friend who has the small barnacles and they can be a real pest by taking over large sections of rock. i would definitely not try the giant barnacles as they require constant feeding or the starve. when they die they foul up the tank REALLY fast.

 

for sure go with acrylic (i agree with 1 inch thick) or a quality tempered glass tank. the chiller will be a critical point so go with the best one you can afford. ideally a two-stage one (chill + heater to control temp). go over board with the chiller (get one rated for much more volume than you got) so overheating wont be a problem

 

and start making some buddies who go diving regularly. or go make a trip to the coast and search in tidepools. you wouldnt believe the diversity of life found in these puddles. general rule about tidepools is that if you find something alive in it, that something will be very hardy concerning salinity, temperature and nitrates.

[Haagenize]

so how big is the tank gonna be? =P u never stated it in ur topic

[adinsxq]

keep me informed about the acrylic tank. i may hire you for a double build

[Phixion]

If you collect, myself and Dave know of some good spots.

[Maeda]

Hey asses! This thread is my resource!

 

I'll start a tank thread when i'm good and ready. Im still trying to collect enough info to be comfortable starting one.

 

and as far as collecting, i think its worth the investment to get my diving cert. I mean, i am from hawaii, and i go back home 1-2 times year. Then I can dive up the coast of ca, and in hawaii.

[justinl]

not just a diving cert although you will want that. you will also need a collection permit. they differ in price from locale to locale... look into it anyways. Its a good idea to get a couple ID books on temperate species and basically memorize the books... DO NOT collect random stuff and hope for the best. the goal is to pick off a few nice things, not destroy a reef in the name of a single tank.

[hecsrt-4]

Dude you live in hawaii and don't have a diving certificate, I live in chicago and I have one.

 

But seriously you'll apreciate it a lot its a lot better than snorkeling. Especially in hawaii a lot more than the florida keys am so jealous.

[Maeda]

not just a diving cert although you will want that. you will also need a collection permit. they differ in price from locale to locale... look into it anyways. Its a good idea to get a couple ID books on temperate species and basically memorize the books... DO NOT collect random stuff and hope for the best. the goal is to pick off a few nice things, not destroy a reef in the name of a single tank.

 

I have my eye on a couple things that are easily propagated.

 

I definetly will not even start my tank if it happens to be detrimental to the environment.

[Raskal311]

Both of my partners and I dive regularly and have been thinking about a cold water show tank at the shop since we can collect our own specimen. I’ve already built a 28gal Cube out of ½ acrylic but was also thinking about insolating all sides except the top and front panel with “great stuff”. I was also thinking about making a Styrofoam cover for the top and front panel to insolate the tank when ever it’s not being viewed to help keep the system cold.

 

As far as collecting I believe all you need is a saltwater fishing license and a list of species legal to collect. And be careful about what you take because I’ve been checked at 3am in the morning by fish and game before.

[Phixion]

Dude you live in hawaii and don't have a diving certificate, I live in chicago and I have one.

 

But seriously you'll apreciate it a lot its a lot better than snorkeling. Especially in hawaii a lot more than the florida keys am so jealous.

 

He lives in LA. No use for one here with our nasty harbors, like the one that Catalina water is collected from!

[Maeda]

Both of my partners and I dive regularly and have been thinking about a cold water show tank at the shop since we can collect our own specimen. I’ve already built a 28gal Cube out of ½ acrylic but was also thinking about insolating all sides except the top and front panel with “great stuff”. I was also thinking about making a Styrofoam cover for the top and front panel to insolate the tank when ever it’s not being viewed to help keep the system cold.

 

As far as collecting I believe all you need is a saltwater fishing license and a list of species legal to collect. And be careful about what you take because I’ve been checked at 3am in the morning by fish and game before.

 

You guys mind collecting me a couple things?

 

I'm going to come down in a couple weeks to talk to you about this, among other things. Be prepared!

 

I live in L.A. but I also go to hawaii regularly (im originally from there).

 

Enough sillyness. Doesn't anyone have anymore species care or equiptment recommendations? o.O

[SeeDemTails]

I found an old lobster tank at a local bait shop the other day. They want to keep bait in it, so I doubt they will need the chiller part. I will see if I can convince them to part with it.

 

I am pretty sure lobster tanks(like the one at red lobster) have sick chillers in them. If they can cool an obvious 100/150 gal type tank to 50*, a nano would be cake work.

[kinetic]

this makes me want to setup my 68g 1" thick acrylic for coldwater =/

[Maeda]

this makes me want to setup my 68g 1" thick acrylic for coldwater =/

 

Yes you do. That and post it up on rt.com

 

 

and of course, share livestock with me.

[supernip]

john if you're really serious about collecting, I will order a 13inch cube with 1in acrylic to build a cold water system. I want some lumpsuckers damnit

 

[Jamie]

If anyone is into collecting, all these are native to the pacific northwest.

All these pictures are from Marine life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby

 

 

Cribrinopsis fernaldi:

 

Urticina crassicornis:

 

Urticina lofotensis:

 

Urticina piscivora:

 

Corynactis californica:

 

Epiactis prolifera:

 

Epiactis lisbethae:

 

- All of these range into southern california except Epiactis lisbethae and Cribrinopsis fernaldi

 

edit : E. prolifera's color came out really bad. Just imagine it being dark maroon / purple.

[Uploadead]

Maeda, if you don't want to destroy the environment when you frag the corals or the anemones split put them back into the wild.

[justinl]

do NOT reintroduce animals into the ocean after they've been in your tank. There are plenty of regulations on this and it is a huge headache to go through all the red tape before you can reintroduce stuff into the wild. there are regulations on this for a reason.

 

Instead, research before removal. if you see something you like, but dont know what it is or if you can care for it, LEAVE IT. when you collect, be conservative. go read a bunch of ID books (there are plenty) so you're prepared for most of what you might see.

 

Jamie, those are gorgeous anems. Id also like to add the emerald anemone to that list because it is so easy to find (tidal pools) and is sweet looking. be warned people... these temperate anemones can get huge. the giant green gets up to a foot in diameter i believe. plus youll need to feed it to keep it goin since cold corals dont do photosynthesis as much as tropical coral.

 

supernip, i LOVE lumpies! the lab i work in currently has lumpsucker babies... they're so cute! i call the adults "golfballs" and the babies "font 16 commas"