If Using Local Marine Life?

[blesum]

I live at the beach and have some very basic questions that I can't seem to find the answers to despite overworking the search engine here... Complete newbie, 120 gal tank.
1) Should I still buy RO water from the local water store, or can I just use water scooped directly from the ocean here?
2) I'm confused about Live Rock. It sounds like a great item to have, but since it's from Fiji from what I understand, does that mean it would only work in a tropical tank? My tank would be for local cold/cool water speices. Or should I Just use rock that I scoop up when I go diving (covered with alage, weeds and small animals)?
3) Do I need Live Sand? There's a ton at the beach out front. Do I want ultra-fine, fine or coarse sand? Do I want sand that's already dry, or wet sand from the water for more life?
A big part of me thinks that getting my items locally from the environment that the fish will be coming from would be the best.
-Blesum

 

[cain420]

how polluted is your beach? do a good water test on it, if it comes up good, i would save some money! If the water is good, just sift thru the sand that u grab for debris like broken glass, etc.. I wouldnt take any rock from the water unless u check ur local laws about it. since the tank will cost min. to setup, if it does crash, u can easily start over! just make sure to watch your water levels, do water changes and you will probably be fine, i used to have friends in nj that did this (yes, using NJ beach! i know :notsure:

 

[crazyaqua]

Yeah make sure anything you take is not illegal and if you make a tank just out of local stuff keep everything the same like if you get rock from the ocean dont get rock from any other place same with fish sand and anything else i learned the hard way and tried to mix a invert from the gulf in a tank with store bought fish and that invert was very happy for the buffet

 

[sharkbait9]

i don't know were your from but my first tank was all jersey coast life. pretty much what every one is teliing you about being legal or not. check out your local marine water testing station or coast guard base. I used the one on sandy hook here in jersey. pretty much for jersey waters the illegal fish and marine life you can't keep unles you rocking out a 1000 gal tank. rocks and stuff i used was diy rock, had my friend took me out on the boat dropped down 75 feet and let the ocean make my live rock, all natural jersey marine life. The tank would still be in service today but i moved to an apartment and tanks were not allowed on the second floor.

 

[ophiura]

I would agree that if you are setting up a local biotope tank, that you should get local rock, etc...but look into whether it is legal.
Local water would be good as well but best if you can get it a ways offshore.
Sand, also, you do not want to get from the beach if there are any signs of vehicle activity, etc.
And I always say this: ONLY CATCH WHAT YOU CAN KEEP. Do your research before hand. Never, IMO, catch a fish and plan to release it later. In your case, if you are only keeping local stuff it is not necessarily the same issue as people keeping stuff from different oceans. But if anything goes in there from another area, diseases can be passed on. Plus, it is possibly unreasonable to think you can raise a fish in captivity and then release it to a happy life. So be careful what you collect!

 

[blesum]

Thanks everybody who chimed in.
So to summarize for future readers who just want the cliff notes.
1) Use local ocean water.
2) Use local rock.
3) Use local sand.
My students will be thrilled - this means we will be able to focus our funds on a higher quality filter/skimmer set-up for the classroom tank.
-Blesum

 

[thegrog]

Originally Posted by Blesum
Thanks everybody who chimed in.
So to summarize for future readers who just want the cliff notes.
1) Use local ocean water.
2) Use local rock.
3) Use local sand.
My students will be thrilled - this means we will be able to focus our funds on a higher quality filter/skimmer set-up for the classroom tank.
-Blesum
OK, so this is for a classroom activity! I see that in a little different light now. I think it would be a great idea.
I agree with all said above. Get your sand and water as far from shore as possible. Obey the laws (I know Florida is very touchy about this type of thing) for collecting.
Research what you catch before introducing it into your tank (A temp QT tank would work for this) and if you can't keep it in your main tank after having the students research it, release it ASAP.
I think the most important thing is to only keep what you find locally. Do not introduce anything from another region as it could spread disease to the local creatures. If you do happen upon a creature that should not be there (liek a south pacific fish in the mid Atlantic), I would take it and not re-release it. Do your little part to clean up the mess that others make.
I think tanks are a great learning experience. It teaches Biology, ecology, physics (water flow) and Chemistry to students.
Good luck and be sure to post pics when it is set up!!

 

[teresaq]

i would like to contact one of the mods in private in regards to some of the avatars. I know this is a public forum, but there are several young people here, and i just saw one thats not appropriate.