Things from the ocean...

[mopardwh]

Well I realize that tank raised animals are going to do better than wild. But what about rock, sand, and water? Just curious. I know there are a lot of you that live close enough to the ocean and have put wild things in your own tank. If so: what please tell. And specify east, south, west. Thanks!!!

 

[teen]

im on long island (east coast)
i put hermit shells from the beach in my tank, i just clean them up first.
im gunna start using ocean water, i just gotta get a few more buckets first. luckily the inlet is right by my house so its a short drive by boat to the ocean(10-15 mins), and then ive gotta go about 2 miles out which is another 10-15 mins.

 

[natureboy]

I have heard that you have to be careful what you put directly in your tank from the ocean because it can carry diseases that your fish and corals are not used to. Many of the tropical fish that stores sell come from half a world away and may not have any sort of immunity to the bacteria and viruses found off of the US. I live in South Carolina and have put brittle stars in from the ocean as well as shells for my hermits. I boiled the shells first in hopes of sterilizing them though.

 

[mopardwh]

I've seen a few people with hermits and other inverts that do just fine. But I'm more interested in live rock, sand, and water. I am planning a 175-300 in about a year when I move back to Houston. So I am trying to lower initial start-up costs. I realize these should probably not be brought from the gulf of mexico, but I could easily go farther out. Thanks again!

 

[whackamole]

i have sargent majors and pipe fish that i caught. ive also had puffer fish and sargasum and they have all done fine. im not positive about the water andd sand. but the sand by the beach i live in is pretty ugly and brown (when wet) anyway. u could probaly take the water just measure it for the salinnity and ph and so forth

 

[mopardwh]

Originally Posted by whackamole
i have sargent majors and pipe fish that i caught. ive also had puffer fish and sargasum and they have all done fine. im not positive about the water andd sand. but the sand by the beach i live in is pretty ugly and brown (when wet) anyway. u could probaly take the water just measure it for the salinnity and ph and so forth

Hey thanks! Where and how did you catch your fish???

That sounds so cool...

 

[whackamole]

just in the sea weed. all u have to do is take a net and scoop the seeweed from the bottom and i get all types of crabs and fish and shrimp and there all slow. u can catch most with ur bare hands. try it out. if gotten 40 dollar puffer fish. and some big sargasums as well as pipe fish, file fish, sgt. majors and others that i dont know the names

 

[mopardwh]

Originally Posted by whackamole
just in the sea weed. all u have to do is take a net and scoop the seeweed from the bottom and i get all types of crabs and fish and shrimp and there all slow. u can catch most with ur bare hands. try it out. if gotten 40 dollar puffer fish. and some big sargasums as well as pipe fish, file fish, sgt. majors and others that i dont know the names
In florida I assume?

 

[whackamole]

yea but it might be the same up there maybe a little change in fish but as obvous looking in the see weed is. u would of thought u would have already saw on a family trip to the beach but these fish are masters of camo. and u cant see them unless u really know what 2 look 4

 

[teen]

theres a lot of stuff like that on long island as well. butterfly fish, seahorses, boxfish, pipefish, lookdowns, wrasse, and ive even caught some type of tang, my guess is a blue atlantic.

 

[mopardwh]

I'll eventually look for fish. that just sounds like fun catching your own. But does anyone know of anything that could be wrong with the sand or rock from the ocean? Diseases or something? or do you think it would be alright?

 

[fishfatty]

when you all catch fish...you go pretty far out dont you? where do you go, along the shore?

 

[whackamole]

depends. where ever the sea weed is. i never have gone out that deep max 10 feet. usally the seaweed is in waste deep water. just walk on out an scoop up the seaweed. throw it on to a bogey board and pick out what critters ya want. sounds sweet rite :cheer:

 

[teen]

its usually illegal to take LR from beaches. i would stay away from sand as well unless youre like 2+ miles off the shore. it will have less minerals and pollutants out that far.
i usually collect fish about 20-50 feet from the shore in patches of seaweed in no more than 5 feet of water.
i dont reccomend collecting fish unless you have a species tank. depending on where you live, the water can get fairly cold, so it may not be a good idea to put a lot of these animals in an 80 degree tank. theres also a lot of laws protecting some of the fish, there was a law passed a few years ago here that made it illegal to collect seahorses.the only fish ive kept long term was a blenny my dad caught while diving. i had him for about a year and then he died. everything else i catch and release.