Temperate Tanks

[diveonin2000]

I have already posed this question in the California regional forum. I live in Southern CA and I thought it might be fun to have a tank that shows off our local waters. That way my friends can see 'what I see' when I go diving. Has anyone here ever tried a temperate setup? Are they harder than tropical? Does anyone know where you can purchase temperate livestock? I don't think the DFG (Department of Fish and Game) nor my diving buddies would like me if I caught my own. It seems there is not a lot of info out there for temperate aquaria. The only difference I know of would be a chiller rather than a heater. Beyond that I am dumbfounded. :? I have also heard that nudibranchs are hard to keep alive in aquariums. If anyone has had a temperate setup did you try to keep a Spanish Shawl? In case you don't know what they are, they are the most beautiful little purple and orange creature and they are everywhere on the reefs in Laguna.

 

[biotoxin]

i live in norcal and the water here is pretty cold. I think if you wanted to do a local setup you would probably need a chiller and those arent cheap. Also the fish in the local area, at least around here, get a lot bigger than most aquariums hold. Unless you have large aquarium. I still think it would be cool to do one tho, maybe have some abalone and cold water anemones. I say go for it

 

[diveonin2000]

Water temp down here at depth is 55 in winter to 68 in the summer. There are some small reef fish, but you are right in stating that most fish do get rather large. Plus the brightest fish would be a Garibaldi but those are illegal to catch. It would mostly have anenomes, small crabs, baby lobsters, algae plants. Maybe an eel.

 

[biotoxin]

id like to do a number of setups like a mangrove, river ecosystem. i really like the micro-environments. I just wonder if the anemones would eat a totally different food source than those in the tropics, i would say yes.

 

[BBReef]

i think it would be awsome to do a tank of our local waters. i would love to see it if you do get it up and running, i live in mision viejo. ive only been fishing in the kelp beds and such but have never been diving or seen any of the creatures that live here. i have no idea about where to buy them though. thats probably gunna be the hardest part.

 

[diveonin2000]

I am glad you guys are as excited as I am. The only thing is I don't really know where to begin? That is why I posted. Maybe I will try and email the Long Beach Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have huge tempertae tanks.

 

[BBReef]

they should be able to help you out. do some research on the species that live here too. you'll be able to start the tank just like any other tank, just with a chiller to keep the temp low. everything else should be the same. im not shure about lights, im sure they wouldnt need as much light since it is deeper water, but i dont know.

 

[diveonin2000]

Yeah I know the light requirement is not nearly what corals need. Our water clarity is not nearly what the tropics are due to all the plankton we have in our water.

 

[biotoxin]

plankton and old tires you mean maybe just use blue led's to penetrate the water deeper. You can always do water changes by driving to the beach Might wana find out how to feed what you get also since its probably not sold in stores but who knows.

 

[diveonin2000]

Maybe in norcal that's what you get. But the dive sites we visit are pretty much trash free. All the various groups grab trash if they see it. Now, if I wanted to do a Newport Bay tank that would be a different story. I would need some way to recreate the oil slick on the water surface and get about 6" of sludge on the bottom.

 

[biotoxin]

nah its really clean up here actually i like goin to the beach in this area watchin whales and fat people tryin to crawl down the cliffs.

 

[diveonin2000]

What you have to do now is go to your local Scuba shop get certified then pick up a used drysuit and have some fun. I even use a drysuit down here in the winter. Then you can swim in the worlds biggest fishtank.....

 

[Porksound]

Your dive buddies might get angry at you taking away some critters but fish and game won't care much as long as you don't take too much abalone. I live in NorCal and used to know someone who had a marine tank stcoked from the waters near Dillon Beach. Water, livestock... everything (he lived 2 blocks from the shore). And aside from the chiller and a skimmer he didn't need much else... The tide pools provided him with everything he needed in his tank. And he ran a 50/50 light strip for 8 hours a day. There are alomost no symbiotic anemone's in northern water, there's just not enough sunlight... so they all have to be fed.

He fed them chopped shrimp, a little formula 1 every once in a while and did waterchanges from the ocean which provided LOTS of plankton for food.

BTW, his tank was ugly! Colorless, drab, cold and murky. But healthy! And fascinating as a piece of local landscape.

He said it was easier than a tropical reef, he'd done both for years, so he knew!

shrug

p

 

[biotoxin]

Ive heard of dillon beach is that near bodega bay?