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07-10-2005, 12:14 PM
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#1
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Aquarium Advice Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oregon
Posts: 98
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Coral Gathering
I am curious if I can use coral I find washed up on the beach in my reef aquarium (cycling) without doing anything special? The coral in question came from a beach in Hawaii. Also, are shells and sand dollars ok to add?
__________________
39 gallon (2yrs) 40lbs live sand. 23 lbs LR (still collecting) , 1 turbo snail, 5 Nasarius snails, 10 blue knuckle hermits, 1 zebra hermit, 1 scarlet hermit, 5 red tip hermits, 1 Green Chromis, 1 Blue Damsel, ? Ricordia, candy cane coral.
135gallon (2 months)
125lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock, 2 175W Metal Halide, 1 175W VHO Actinic (so far). Berlin Protein Skimmer in 40 Gallon Sump. 2 Maxi Jet 1200's. 10 Nassarius, 10 mexican turbos, 10 astreas, 20 Blue Leg Hermits, 20 Scarlet Hermits, 5 Emerald crabs, 5 peppermint shrimp. 1 Copper Band butterfly, 2 False Perculas, 1 Javanese Damsel.
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07-10-2005, 12:22 PM
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#2
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Savage, MN
Posts: 7,889
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Are you taking about dead coral skelotons? I believe collecting live wild in Hawaii is illegal. You run the risk of oluting your tank anytime you add something fromthe beach to it.
__________________
Some people are like slinkies...they serve no real purpose yet can still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!:p
Have a great day! Brian
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07-10-2005, 01:56 PM
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#3
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Aquarium Advice Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oregon
Posts: 98
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I imagine the gift shop I got the coral from came from the beach. Who knows? As for being dangerous to add to the aquarium......why?
__________________
39 gallon (2yrs) 40lbs live sand. 23 lbs LR (still collecting) , 1 turbo snail, 5 Nasarius snails, 10 blue knuckle hermits, 1 zebra hermit, 1 scarlet hermit, 5 red tip hermits, 1 Green Chromis, 1 Blue Damsel, ? Ricordia, candy cane coral.
135gallon (2 months)
125lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock, 2 175W Metal Halide, 1 175W VHO Actinic (so far). Berlin Protein Skimmer in 40 Gallon Sump. 2 Maxi Jet 1200's. 10 Nassarius, 10 mexican turbos, 10 astreas, 20 Blue Leg Hermits, 20 Scarlet Hermits, 5 Emerald crabs, 5 peppermint shrimp. 1 Copper Band butterfly, 2 False Perculas, 1 Javanese Damsel.
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07-10-2005, 06:04 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Indiana USA
Posts: 2,694
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coral from the gift shop would be dead coral skeletons. Would probably be ok if that was the look you were going for.
__________________
*180 gal Display, 100 gal basement sump, 33 gal refugium, 3x250 MH, 2x160 VHO actinics, zoos, some softies, LPS & lots of acros and other SPS.
*100 gal prop tank plumbed into main system w/ 2x96 PC lights and 1x150 MH,
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07-10-2005, 09:00 PM
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#5
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Aquarium Advice Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oregon
Posts: 98
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They are small pieces, I want to use for some rubble around the base of the live rock.
__________________
39 gallon (2yrs) 40lbs live sand. 23 lbs LR (still collecting) , 1 turbo snail, 5 Nasarius snails, 10 blue knuckle hermits, 1 zebra hermit, 1 scarlet hermit, 5 red tip hermits, 1 Green Chromis, 1 Blue Damsel, ? Ricordia, candy cane coral.
135gallon (2 months)
125lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock, 2 175W Metal Halide, 1 175W VHO Actinic (so far). Berlin Protein Skimmer in 40 Gallon Sump. 2 Maxi Jet 1200's. 10 Nassarius, 10 mexican turbos, 10 astreas, 20 Blue Leg Hermits, 20 Scarlet Hermits, 5 Emerald crabs, 5 peppermint shrimp. 1 Copper Band butterfly, 2 False Perculas, 1 Javanese Damsel.
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07-10-2005, 10:38 PM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Indiana USA
Posts: 2,694
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I used to use that stuff in my first SW tank about 10 yrs ago. Worked well. It will get algae on it and turn live after awhile. I used to bleach mine to get the white look back. Little did I know 
__________________
*180 gal Display, 100 gal basement sump, 33 gal refugium, 3x250 MH, 2x160 VHO actinics, zoos, some softies, LPS & lots of acros and other SPS.
*100 gal prop tank plumbed into main system w/ 2x96 PC lights and 1x150 MH,
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07-11-2005, 10:04 AM
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#7
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AA Team Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Western NY
Posts: 4,064
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the standard disclaimer always applies; check local laws before collecting, even dead "thiings" from teh beach. Some places discourage beach collecting because the nefarious types will dive to collect and claim they "found it on the beach". So, if it IS ok to collect, you should be fine but be sure anything you collect is cleaned throughly (without any bleach or solvents) before putting into your tank. The risk of pulutants is completely dependent on the beach itself. Some are cleaner than others. But there is always risk of disease or other harful critters ending up in your tank.
Check the laws, use caution when choosing and cleaning, and you should be ok.
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07-11-2005, 03:53 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Indiana USA
Posts: 2,694
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I used to soak shells and dead skeletons that I bought at gift shops so there was not collecting issues. I used a 5 gal bucket filled with water and a bit of bleach. That was the only way to get them clean. Let them soak a day and then soak them in plain water for a day or 2 after, changing the water if the bleach smell persists. I did this for many years with no problems.
__________________
*180 gal Display, 100 gal basement sump, 33 gal refugium, 3x250 MH, 2x160 VHO actinics, zoos, some softies, LPS & lots of acros and other SPS.
*100 gal prop tank plumbed into main system w/ 2x96 PC lights and 1x150 MH,
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07-11-2005, 06:35 PM
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#9
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Aquarium Advice Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oregon
Posts: 98
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Awesome, thanks for the suggestions!
__________________
39 gallon (2yrs) 40lbs live sand. 23 lbs LR (still collecting) , 1 turbo snail, 5 Nasarius snails, 10 blue knuckle hermits, 1 zebra hermit, 1 scarlet hermit, 5 red tip hermits, 1 Green Chromis, 1 Blue Damsel, ? Ricordia, candy cane coral.
135gallon (2 months)
125lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock, 2 175W Metal Halide, 1 175W VHO Actinic (so far). Berlin Protein Skimmer in 40 Gallon Sump. 2 Maxi Jet 1200's. 10 Nassarius, 10 mexican turbos, 10 astreas, 20 Blue Leg Hermits, 20 Scarlet Hermits, 5 Emerald crabs, 5 peppermint shrimp. 1 Copper Band butterfly, 2 False Perculas, 1 Javanese Damsel.
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