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Aqua Logic Coldwater Tank(s)


MrAnderson

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Good point. I've never popped the case off my chiller to look, lol.

 

Have you figured out how you're stocking it yet? The phyllum collections from gulfofme.com have always looked enticing.

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all their collections are enticing. i may go with a 25gal sampler, with some of their sand, supplemented by a few large Urticina and Metridum.

 

what do you make of the "live rock" they sell, and why does it look like coral-based (calcite) rock??

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i have too many questions for email, so i'm going to call them and make sure they realize i'm spending a decent amount of someone else's money (i.e. good customer). plus they seem to cater to education-types so hopefully the fact that a university is involved will help things along.

 

i'm also hoping that the fact that this is for educational purposes helps me get some advice and/or pruned specimens from the NY Aquarium. they actually have some really, really nice coldwater setups, and if i recall correctly (and hopefully not confusing it with the shedd) a tank with hundreds-thousands of strawberry nems. i need to go back for some stocking and design ideas as well.

 

i haven't wanted to go to work this badly in a long, long time. i can't wait for tomorrow morning.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I spoke with someone from the NY Public Aquarium who is their coldwater curator and got some tips on setup and stocking, and hopefully the sand will come this week.

 

The NY Aquarium's cold water tanks are open systems, they pretty much just have fresh seawater all the time (from Brooklyn, ew, but it works apparently). He recommended using the original filters with the eggcrate bottom and water changes for nitrate export. He thought the ideas I had for denitrification were worth trying and sounded good, but not as a turnkey setup. As a result I'm going to try a sandbed in one tank, started up at room temp then moved to 50degF, and the other with eggdrate, carbon and filter floss. One will be a holding tank, the other display.

 

So based on this conversation, the goal is to be nitrification, and forget about denitrification; nitrates will be handled by water changes. However, what I don't understand is why the carbon/floss setup should be superior in nitrification to the sandbed. Although carbon may remove more impurities, the bacterial populations should be similar given the large surface area of the sandbed. This is why I'm going to try both and see what happens.

 

Also, he claimed that the Urticina and Metridium are easily kept, and should do well in a community of stars and urchins. So this is the new short term stocking goal. However he warned me that specimens shouldn't be obtained before October, they will just not stay cold enough in transit. I figure this should give me enough time to get the bacterial populations established so it's probably a good thing. Perhaps I will even add some false load like cocktail shrimp to help the slow, coldwater growth kinetics before stocking. Also, I may actually try to collect my own down at the shore in the meanwhile.

 

Also, Jer, did you mention using river rock for your rubble bottom? Where did you get it and did you worry about impurities not native to marine habitats?

 

This is going to be a slow build... Thaks for looking.

 

MrA

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kingwintergreen
So based on this conversation, the goal is to be nitrification, and forget about denitrification; nitrates will be handled by water changes. Also, he claimed that the Urticina and Metridium are easily kept, and should do well in a community of stars and urchins. So this is the new short term stocking goal. However he warned me that specimens shouldn't be obtained before October, they will just not stay cold enough in transit. I figure this should give me enough time to get the bacterial populations established so it's probably a good thing. Perhaps I will even add some false load like cocktail shrimp to help the slow, coldwater growth kinetics before stocking. Also, I may actually try to collect my own down at the shore in the meanwhile.

Also, Jer, did you mention using river rock for your rubble bottom? Where did you get it and did you worry about impurities not native to marine habitats?

MrA

MrA: If you will believe me, you will be relieved to hear that cycling your tank won't require as much effort as one might think. Here's why: It's true of course that nitrification (and denitrification for that matter) will occur at a slower pace due to the reduced metabolic capacity of the nitrifying bacteria. What that doesn't necessarily mean however is that you will experience a rapid buildup of ammonium, because (as the lower temps slow down the entire nitrogen cycle) the saprophytic bacteria will be functioning more slowly as well. I would suggest that rather than adding dead shrimp to your system, you may add some "false load" by adding actual "live rock" from the beach (it sounds as though you have access to the shore anyway)-- that way, any die-off would serve the purpose the shrimp (which would have left much ickiness behind like undecomposed chitin, etc.) and anything that lived would obviously be a welcome addition nonetheless. And, obviously, the rock itself would be a more realistic representation of the environment you intend to recreate in your biotope. I envy you for your "discovery" of those tanks, I can't wait to get a nice coldwater display of my own up when time and finance allows for it. I hope you keep posting lots of pics along the way...

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if anyone knows a place to get coldwater-specific livestock, please let me know.

thanks for looking

MrA

 

I am looking for a home for my Catalina Goby which is a coldwater fish and neeed between 55-65' temperatures. If you teach me how to ship I am DEFINATE you could give it an awesome home.

 

023.jpg

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MrA, the rocks and pebbles came from Home Depot. They're granite and tumbled smooth, but I did a long vinegar soak just in case. I'm not too worried about contaminants. Should I be?

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MrA, the rocks and pebbles came from Home Depot. They're granite and tumbled smooth, but I did a long vinegar soak just in case. I'm not too worried about contaminants. Should I be?

 

not really. granite is extremely slow reacting in cold seawater.

 

i.e. I've analyzed granite that has been underwater off the coast of Maine since the last ice age and found only minor changes in sodium and potassium, the iron had oxidized. Everything else, including volatile trace elements, were in their normal respective ranges.

 

Unless they sprayed it with something (seems unlikely at best), it's fine.

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i'll be stocking it soon. i've had one running with a 4-5" sandbed at around 80 degF for the last couple months now, using it as a waterchange tank for my 30 breeder. when i get some time i'll be chilling it down and ordering some livestock.

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