Contemplating a Galveston Jetty Biotope

[Johnny Max]

I live about 1 1/2 hours from the East Galveston Jetty on the Bolivar Peninsula.
If I gather my marine life from there (which is legal with a fishing license) I will be limited to what I put in the tank.
Only green Macro Algae and the hair algae I don’t want.
There are Sargent Fish and blenny for fish. But. the Sargent Fish gets too big, eventually.
There are Spade Fish, big as well.
Fir invertebrates there are a lot of Sea Anemones, Snails, Peppermint Shrimp and Glass Shrimp. They also have Hermit Crabs and other Crabs.
I can add life from Sargassam, as it floats in and the marine life live in the rocks.
I am sure I will end up with unwanted worms, etc. it I go Native.
Thought?

[mcarroll]

12 minutes ago, Johnny Max said:

I am sure I will end up with unwanted worms, etc it I go Native.

I don't see any reason for an assumption like that.   To begin with, you will be selecting against anything you don't want during collection.  But in the end there aren't many worms that you could really object to.  The ones you potentially could object to are unlikely to be collected.

 

After that, the odds aren't bad at all....even if you get something "unwanted" it's unlikely to be a big deal – either your tastes will adjust or you will remove the critter.

[seamonkeyminer]

I am not familiar with Texas fishing regulations but typically you can not remove alive fauna from it's water body and transport it to a different area. While possible to do and very low chance of getting caught just be aware that there's more than bag and size limits on the books. Maybe reach out to Texas fish and game and see what they have to say

 

Also be ok to euthanize the animals at the end if you take down the tank and don't release back into the wild as might introduce disease back into the wild. 

 

Not to discourage you, but just wanted to give a heads up. I have seen some cool cold water tanks on the west coast and all that. So if done right can come out cool. 

 

I work in fisheries and the amount of paperwork and organizing it takes to move fish is pretty extreme sometimes and for good reason to protect the resources. 

[Johnny Max]

Texas, is as far as I know, the only State that allows hobbiest to collect live marine life. And I am a Texas! 

A non resident could collect with an out of state license, or have their kids collect them.

According to MARSH (Marine Aquarium And Reef Society of Houston). If you have a current Texas Fishing License, you can collect any fish that is not prohibited. Prohibited fish include game fish under size and endangered species. You can collect other fish, but you are prohibited selling them without a commercial license. I am not a member of MARCH, but I may join. They have meetings and have events where they get together for fieldtrips to gather invertebrates and fish. There is no coral, so that is not an issue.

https://marsh-reef.org/

 

Here is a link to a response from the Texas Parks & Wildlife about collecting.

https://marsh-reef.org/index.php?threads/collection-of-livestock.7997/

[Johnny Max]

Here are a few pictures of Anemones on the Galveston Beach. I did screen captures from a youtube video posted by Reefaholic. You can search and find it.

This video is why I am contemplating a Galveston Island Biotope.

These pictures were taken about 30 from the water's edge on a very small erosion prevention jetty located just west of the big pier with the Fariswheel.

I have seen them many times. I am the son of a Commercial Shrimper and have been working on the deck of a shrimp boat along the Texas Coast from Corpus Christ Bay, to Sabine Pass since I was 12. So, I am aware of all the Marine Life along the mid and upper coast. Now at 60 I am finally going to get a reef tank...

 

 

 

[Johnny Max]

 

[pokerdobe]

Tag for interest. I've collected peppermints and glass shrimp at the jetty there before but I've never done a full biotope. 

 

There are also blennys you can scoop up - I've accidentally gotten them before in my peppermint shrimp hunts. 

[mcarroll]

3 hours ago, Johnny Max said:

Texas, is as far as I know, the only State that allows hobbiest to collect live marine life. And I am a Texas! 

A non resident could collect with an out of state license, or have their kids collect them.

According to MARSH (Marine Aquarium And Reef Society of Houston). If you have a current Texas Fishing License, you can collect any fish that is not prohibited. Prohibited fish include game fish under size and endangered species. You can collect other fish, but you are prohibited selling them without a commercial license. I am not a member of MARCH, but I may join. They have meetings and have events where they get together for fieldtrips to gather invertebrates and fish. There is no coral, so that is not an issue.

https://marsh-reef.org/

 

Here is a link to a response from the Texas Parks & Wildlife about collecting.

https://marsh-reef.org/index.php?threads/collection-of-livestock.7997/

I would heed the warnings they talk about in that thread.....and I don't see any reason to take some jagoff from the internet's word on this when you can call Parks & Wildlife yourself.  

 

Spoiler

(512) 389-4800  |  (800) 792-1112

They've got a number posted for GAME THIEFS too, so DON'T GET CAUGHT if you go off-script! 😉 

[Johnny Max]

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

I would heed the warnings they talk about in that thread.....and I don't see any reason to take some jagoff from the internet's word on this when you can call Parks & Wildlife yourself.  

 

  Reveal hidden contents

(512) 389-4800  |  (800) 792-1112

They've got a number posted for GAME THIEFS too, so DON'T GET CAUGHT if you go off-script! 😉 

I have the local Game Warden's number in my phone. He would be the one to give ma a citation. I will give him a call. He is a great guy...

[mcarroll]

Same department I assume.  

 

 

😉

 

@paul_b has been famous for supplementing his reef with collections like you're talking about, but from up his way in NY – keep us clued in!!

[Johnny Max]

I am reconsidering a Galveston Island Biotope. After watching many videos of people collecting marine life in Galveston I found out that the Anemones will not open up in light, That was my main motivation! 

I may just go with my original plan. Make a refugium that has kool stuff in it.. 

[mcarroll]

17 hours ago, Johnny Max said:

I am reconsidering a Galveston Island Biotope. After watching many videos of people collecting marine life in Galveston I found out that the Anemones will not open up in light, That was my main motivation! 

I'm not sure I follow.....aren't they growing in light in the wild??  Do you know which specific anemones you were going to look for?  (Neat article about anemones in your area.)

 

Did you find ANYONE who has succeeded at it?  I have to imagine it's possible somehow.  I'm guessing from location that they would be cold water/temperate – so not necessarily very reefy.

 

You actually might want to look at that Handbook I mentioned from the 1850's (pretty sure it's linked in the book thread from earlier).  It's free, and it talks about collecting in southern England and getting things like anemones to prosper.  (They had comparable success rates as folks today, if not better.).  It's a short read – less than 50 pages for the whole book, if I recall correctly.

 

Your alternate plan is fine too though!!  🙂 

[DevilDuck]

Following, I am moving to Houston in May.