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Innovative Marine Aquariums

5.5 Pacific Coast coldwater tank


horusmachine

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Are those abalones on the left side? Cool, but I thought you weren't supposed to collect them anymore...

 

Yes those are abalone on the side. I bought them for five dollars each at the harbor. The person owns an abalone farm, and he sells them from his boat at the harbor. Pretty easy to keep. I just got them to eat

nori the other day.

 

H

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Very nice. I'm tempted to order some of those nems you had shipped from the UK.

 

By all means do so!!!

 

Good news on that front. I received an email from him comfirming that he is opened to direct sale

to us if we want to order from him. It was one of the most smoothes transactions I have

dealt with concerning live anenomes. I will post a link to his email shortly.

 

H

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looks great! that abalone looks huge in that tank! :D What's in the acrylic box?

 

 

Yes I have two abalones that are about 3 1/2 inches across. They usually stay in that corner and wait for food.

The acrylic box is a holding container for the beadlet anenomes I got from the UK. They are going to transfered to a new tank in the near future.

 

If you look at the right side corner front (just under the acrylic box), you can see the anenome rocks I got from the Barview Jetty. They are doing just fine and are really cool. I had to stay the night in Garibaldi to wake early for lowtide to get them at Barview. Again thanks for the tips.

 

H

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This tank is awesome, I just got back from Monterey and of course I went to the Aquarium. Lots of 'harbor' and coldwater things to see. I really want a coldwater tank now, I have a 1/10th hp chiller I could use...why not right?

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Was wondering when you were going to chime in. LOL

I do remember how well versed you are on the regulations

of collecting. Thanks for shedding some light. Might

have to consider seriously becoming a certified diver

in the future.

 

H

I've done a lot more freediving (breath-hold diving) than scuba diving, and I really enjoy it much more (when I'm in good shape, and can hold my breath for a while). SCUBA gives you a lot more time underwater, but there is a lot more hassle and expense involved. If you just get a kayak, surf board, or even an inner tube (with a nylon cover, like the abalone divers use) then you can find a lot of places in ten or fifteen feet of water where you can collect stuff without scuba. I like the feeling of gliding through the water like a ghost, without being slowed down by all the bulky SCUBA gear

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Yes I have two abalones that are about 3 1/2 inches across. They usually stay in that corner and wait for food.

The acrylic box is a holding container for the beadlet anenomes I got from the UK. They are going to transfered to a new tank in the near future.

 

If you look at the right side corner front (just under the acrylic box), you can see the anenome rocks I got from the Barview Jetty. They are doing just fine and are really cool. I had to stay the night in Garibaldi to wake early for lowtide to get them at Barview. Again thanks for the tips.

 

H

 

cool! glad it worked out.

 

I've done a lot more freediving (breath-hold diving) than scuba diving, and I really enjoy it much more (when I'm in good shape, and can hold my breath for a while). SCUBA gives you a lot more time underwater, but there is a lot more hassle and expense involved. If you just get a kayak, surf board, or even an inner tube (with a nylon cover, like the abalone divers use) then you can find a lot of places in ten or fifteen feet of water where you can collect stuff without scuba. I like the feeling of gliding through the water like a ghost, without being slowed down by all the bulky SCUBA gear

 

Do you have any tips for getting anemones off rocks while free diving? Last time I went I found an urticina, but I didn't really have enough time under water to peel it off, and I also didn't have any sort of tool (I forgot I'd be wearing gloves). Actually, I didn't have a weight belt either, which didn't help, but I still feel like it would take a long time to peel an anemone off a rock while free diving. Have you ever tried before?

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Do you have any tips for getting anemones off rocks while free diving? Last time I went I found an urticina, but I didn't really have enough time under water to peel it off, and I also didn't have any sort of tool (I forgot I'd be wearing gloves). Actually, I didn't have a weight belt either, which didn't help, but I still feel like it would take a long time to peel an anemone off a rock while free diving. Have you ever tried before?

Okay, you got me. I only have one anemone in my tank, besides the strawberry anemones, and for that one I took the whole rock, so I've never removed an anemone from a rock (anemones are a hazard for an octopus). I imagine it takes a long time, and that scuba is the only way to go. Sure, you could make multiple trips freediving, but that sounds like way too much work, unless they come off more easily than I suspect.

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Okay, you got me. I only have one anemone in my tank, besides the strawberry anemones, and for that one I took the whole rock, so I've never removed an anemone from a rock (anemones are a hazard for an octopus). I imagine it takes a long time, and that scuba is the only way to go. Sure, you could make multiple trips freediving, but that sounds like way too much work, unless they come off more easily than I suspect.

 

They don't come off more easily than you suspect. -_- :sigh: I need scuba gear. I might have gotten it, but the vis was in the 6-7 foot range and it took at least two dives to find the nem again after surfacing for air. Someday I'll try it with a weight belt and a plastic putty knife on a day with good visibility... then I'll get back to you. :P

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Everyone dives I just go tidepooling at low tide haha. Then again my tank is pretty empty at the moment, but I will have more and maybe be able to compare to yours horus :)

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Everyone dives I just go tidepooling at low tide haha. Then again my tank is pretty empty at the moment, but I will have more and maybe be able to compare to yours horus :)

 

No I do not dive either, but I wish I did. I bet tidepooling in your area is awesome, you live in beautiful country.

I am sure you will soon even sure pass mey tank. You have 10 more gallons than I do. LOL.

 

H

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Absolutely beautiful tank, and I love the Catalina gobies. Great job would love to be more pics. :D

 

Thanks!!! More pics on the way.

 

H

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By all means do so!!!

 

Good news on that front. I received an email from him comfirming that he is opened to direct sale

to us if we want to order from him. It was one of the most smoothes transactions I have

dealt with concerning live anenomes. I will post a link to his email shortly.

 

H

 

Here is the email where you can purchase Beadlet Anenomes (Actina Equina) as promised.

Let him know you are from Nano Reef biotope forums.

 

H

 

Guy Hirst-Amos, jackboy1973@sky.com

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No I do not dive either, but I wish I did. I bet tidepooling in your area is awesome, you live in beautiful country.

I am sure you will soon even sure pass mey tank. You have 10 more gallons than I do. LOL.

 

H

 

Oh, well your tank looks great without diving :)

 

Ya it is really fun tidepooling, neat stuff out there. Haha maybe, your tank looks pretty cool, and those abalones are awesome, I want one.

 

 

How much are those beadlet anemones?

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How much are those beadlet anemones?

 

Ok here is the breakdown

 

Each anenome cost me £1.00 GBP (.58 USD)

 

Standard international shipping was £42.00 GBP (68.30 USD)

 

I bought 3 anenomes and had them shipped to San Francisco Bay Area.

 

The whole thing cost me $77.05

 

Not to bad for what you would usually pay for coldwater items such as these.

 

H

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They don't come off more easily than you suspect. -_- :sigh: I need scuba gear. I might have gotten it, but the vis was in the 6-7 foot range and it took at least two dives to find the nem again after surfacing for air. Someday I'll try it with a weight belt and a plastic putty knife on a day with good visibility... then I'll get back to you. :P

I started to reply to this, and realized that I was stealing the thread away from talking about how awesome Horus' tank is, so I started a thread about freediving to collect animlas, for the few people that are interested.

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Happy Holidays!!!

 

supergreen.jpg

Anthropleura xanthogrammica

 

:blink:

 

I have never seen one that brilliant before. Is there some weird lighting effect going on, or does it actually look like a yellow highlighter? And nice waratah!

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:blink:

 

I have never seen one that brilliant before. Is there some weird lighting effect going on, or does it actually look like a yellow highlighter? And nice waratah!

 

Believe me when I saw this one it floored me. I have only seen one of these so far. It was the

transluscency and the brilliant lime green that got my attention. Spotted it at a low tide in Carmel.

This has got to be the most beautiful giant green I have seen so far. Next time I visit Carmel at lowtide

I will check to see if it still there and just look and not touch.

 

H

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It looks like you have some macro algae growing, and your lighting is rather bright. I keep an octopus, which likes low light, so I don't have a problem with algae growth, but I'm considering setting up a second tank with brighter lights. How do you keep the "bad" algae under control while providing enough light to keep your macro algae happy? Do your chiton and snails get the job done? Do you need to scrub the glass a lot?

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It looks like you have some macro algae growing, and your lighting is rather bright. I keep an octopus, which likes low light, so I don't have a problem with algae growth, but I'm considering setting up a second tank with brighter lights. How do you keep the "bad" algae under control while providing enough light to keep your macro algae happy? Do your chiton and snails get the job done? Do you need to scrub the glass a lot?

 

What I find amazing is that I have never had a problem with cyano bacteria with this tank. I consider my 5.5

gallon way over crowded for its size. You would expect under those conditions that I would have an enormous algae bloom at times, but I have not had one yet. I guess the right balance of snails limpets and chitons took care of the algae. Truth be told I have never ever scrubbed my tank, because the snails always got to it first. The red macro algae you see in my early pictures is long since gone because the abalones got to it. Before the abalones the red macro algae thrived and was occassionally nibbled on by snails. I think if you provide sufficient enough light and the right balance of snails you should be ok. It is a challenge to keep snails feed and keeping macro algae alive. I myself am starting a new tank with more macro algae in it and

brighter lights. Guess we shall see how it goes.

 

H

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