Can I collect from the Ocean in So. California?

[steveweast]

Originally Posted by Charlie97L

cold water tanks are a mess to deal with... you can't use a normal tank, as it will sweat. steve weast on RC does have a 500 gallon (or so) cold water tank, but it's like 4" thick acrylic or something crazy so it won't perspire (like your cold drink does)... he's also running a super $$$$$ chiller.

Actually, I run two small cold water tanks with a common sump....one about 120 gals...one about 60 gals. My tanks and sump are made from 1" thick acrylic to completely prevent sweating....but, I've seen cold water tanks using standard 55 gal tanks (although it did sweat a little when the temp got over 95 F). Cold water tanks are far easier and more forgiving to run than a standard warm water reef.....and the chilling expense ( I use a single 1/2hp chiller) is comparable to using halides on an sps reef. The main problem is getting livestock....Cali is very hard...Oregon is somewhat hard....Washington is easy. Most of my stock was collected from Puget Sound (a few fish are from Southern Australia). I try to dive Puget Sound once a month. I have my cold tanks filling some extra space in my equipment room for my warm water tank.....the cold tanks are kept at 55 F.

[Gina]

Wow! Beautiful!

[lcstorc]

Very cool!
Thanks for sharing.

[Charlie97L]

haha, hi steve! you lurker you!

thanks for setting me straight, i read that thread a few months ago and couldn't remember the details.

[docsls6]

Originally Posted by Charlie97L

i see the big problem is that california/oregon/washington are mostly cold water areas. no tropical fish, except in some areas around san francisco, i think...

cold water tanks are a mess to deal with... you can't use a normal tank, as it will sweat. steve weast on RC does have a 500 gallon (or so) cold water tank, but it's like 4" thick acrylic or something crazy so it won't perspire (like your cold drink does)... he's also running a super $$$$$ chiller.

outside of the keys and selected other areas, you won't really find tropical reef creatures that are suitable for keeping using the standards we've all come to know.

Number 1 problem with california fish!!! Cold water = BIG$$$ to setup and care for.

[steveweast]

Originally Posted by docsls6

Number 1 problem with california fish!!! Cold water = BIG$$$ to setup and care for.

Could you elaborate where all the expense is ? It has been my experience that a cold system costs....less than an sps reef.....about the same as a mixed reef system......and a little more than a fish only system. My cold system's chiller draws the same amount of power as a two 400watt metal halides (which is common on most sps reefs above 120 gal).....but runs only about a third of the day. Past that.....all other costs are less than a warm water system....lighting is not required (since most critters are non-photosynthetic), circulation needs are minimal, and there are no additive needs like calcium. The only piece of equipment that I use is a skimmer. These things....coupled with no fish disease....really leads to a very user friendly and cost effective system. The real hurdle.....and a big one at that....is obtaining stock.

[Charlie97L]

thanks for settting us straight steve!!!

i found your thread on RC, btw, a great read!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=810595

[PetMountain.com]

Thanks for all your input, I will follow the laws so I dont get into trouble, pollution is a concern of mine since we do have problems off the coast at times! Thanks for the pics thats an impressive set up!

[music man]

No just don't try. it is illegal to transport live animals without a permit just for starters, yes even the fish/shellfish you just caught needs to be dispatched in the field prior to transporting. this prevents an envasive species from being transplanted even with the best intentions.
it is potentially harmfull to your freedom.
it is potentially harmfull to the environment.
it is potentially harmfull to the aquarium.
it is potentially harmfull to the subject in question.
it is potentially harmfull to other peoples visit to the wild.
plus it is cruel since they will almost certainly die in captivity.
I have seen large commercial setups that had wild animals in them such as the local public aquarium and the flora/fauna in them is not nearly as healthy as the stuff I see even at the LFS.
Don't even try to use "wild" water in the aquarium.
Sorry, but thats the facts it is not a new idea thousands have tried over the past century and probably less than a couple dozen or so have succeded, and they are almost exclusively commercial, licensed and experienced, most with a PHD or better in marine biology.

[cheeks69]

Steve any tank you touch becomes a work of art
I too have been following your thread at RC it's a great read !
The running costs although about the same as you mention as a reef tank but livestock can be very expensive particulalry fish.

[cheeks69]

Don't even try to use "wild" water in the aquarium

I don't agree ! Many if not most of the reefers in Portugal use NSW and the benefits far outweigh any potential problems...remember there's nothing like the real thing.

BTW Steve can you give us a closer full tank shot ? TIA

[music man]

by wild I actually meant the local water, too much trouble to filter it and get it ready for the tank. you can buy water from puget sound at the seattle aquarium if you have the "hook up" but it's been well prepped for you. I'm sure the med has areas thet would be less than desireable too but on the whole better than our smelly west coast water. with all the nice nutrients we humans have added to it over the past several generations untill recently.

[lcstorc]

Originally Posted by music man

by wild I actually meant the local water, too much trouble to filter it and get it ready for the tank. you can buy water from puget sound at the seattle aquarium if you have the "hook up" but it's been well prepped for you. I'm sure the med has areas thet would be less than desireable too but on the whole better than our smelly west coast water. with all the nice nutrients we humans have added to it over the past several generations untill recently.

Until recently? You think we have improved? Wow I hope you are right. I live on the other coast and it is absolutely apalling what we have done to our oceans and continue to do.
I'm actually in Seattle ATM and greatly looking forward to my visit to the aquarium. Hopefully they have some of the cool water stuff I have been seeing on this thread. It is definitely different and very interresting.

[boozeman]

seen these pics before also...beautiful!!!
glad you posted here on RS!!!
hopefully it will become a habit

[LuckyInk]

Originally Posted by burning2nd

couple things,

why i would, cause its free, (what they dont see cant hurt)

Nice. Very classy...