Cold/Temperate Water Reef
- Thread starter reefnewbie54321
- Start date
Dale Carlisle
New member
Hi Snarlax,
The Mussels are added primarily for the stars. I just plop some more in when they need replenishing. I also feed the stars clam meat from the grocers which they take no problem.
The snails, shrimp and hermits I added as cleaning crews. They seem to avoid the stars although the limpets get eaten every so often.
The sunflower star (the largest and most active star) has become quite habituated to offered clam meat. It comes out and cruises the tank, passing up mussels and snails, looking for the magical clam provider. When it is fed it retires to a recess and hides out for another day or two.
The limpets do eat algae. There is a brown algae/diatom growing on the glass that they seem to like. I also add some sea lettuce, kelp and other macros every so often. The hermits tend to decimate the kelp.
I feed the fish frozen Bloodworms and Mysis shrimp. All of the animals have taken to prepared foods right off the bat. I think this is because they are all harvested from the intertidal zone of a tidal bay and are used to scavenging. The fish also consume frozen rotifers when they are dosed.
I feed the anenomes chopped up clam meat and some times bloodworms or Mysis.
The Mussels are added primarily for the stars. I just plop some more in when they need replenishing. I also feed the stars clam meat from the grocers which they take no problem.
The snails, shrimp and hermits I added as cleaning crews. They seem to avoid the stars although the limpets get eaten every so often.
The sunflower star (the largest and most active star) has become quite habituated to offered clam meat. It comes out and cruises the tank, passing up mussels and snails, looking for the magical clam provider. When it is fed it retires to a recess and hides out for another day or two.
The limpets do eat algae. There is a brown algae/diatom growing on the glass that they seem to like. I also add some sea lettuce, kelp and other macros every so often. The hermits tend to decimate the kelp.
I feed the fish frozen Bloodworms and Mysis shrimp. All of the animals have taken to prepared foods right off the bat. I think this is because they are all harvested from the intertidal zone of a tidal bay and are used to scavenging. The fish also consume frozen rotifers when they are dosed.
I feed the anenomes chopped up clam meat and some times bloodworms or Mysis.
Dale Carlisle
New member
All the tanks are just standard thickness glass.
I haven't had any condensation issues so far but the heat of summer hasn't hit either. I agree with Steve that thicker glass/acrylic would help reduce condensation and if I could afford it I'd have thicker ones. One of my DIY goals in the future is to build a large plywood tank to replace the display with thick starfire glass for the viewing port (but at the moment I am in scuba mode
).
My tank is in a pretty cool garage already with only the entryway pane exposed to house air (cooler basement entry as well). In the fishroom I run a vented bathroom extractor fan on a timer for 10mins/Hr and haven't had any condensation issues running ambient temps for 2 years. My chiller is set to 60*F and my 125 FW tank in the same fishroom is currently running at 66*F ambient (no heaters or chillers).
One note with the chiller. In the process of chilling the water it throws a lot of excess heat off and I found that it was heating up my fishroom (thus heating the chilled tank). I had to place it against a wall and vent it outside to solve the problem. Something to think about if one is planning the future layout for such a room.
I haven't had any condensation issues so far but the heat of summer hasn't hit either. I agree with Steve that thicker glass/acrylic would help reduce condensation and if I could afford it I'd have thicker ones. One of my DIY goals in the future is to build a large plywood tank to replace the display with thick starfire glass for the viewing port (but at the moment I am in scuba mode
).My tank is in a pretty cool garage already with only the entryway pane exposed to house air (cooler basement entry as well). In the fishroom I run a vented bathroom extractor fan on a timer for 10mins/Hr and haven't had any condensation issues running ambient temps for 2 years. My chiller is set to 60*F and my 125 FW tank in the same fishroom is currently running at 66*F ambient (no heaters or chillers).
One note with the chiller. In the process of chilling the water it throws a lot of excess heat off and I found that it was heating up my fishroom (thus heating the chilled tank). I had to place it against a wall and vent it outside to solve the problem. Something to think about if one is planning the future layout for such a room.
Last edited:
I really like that it is so simple to keep starfish! The big predators seem to be nice looking, easy to feed and have no negative side effects. I really think I'm going to get some of those.
You may also consider placing the chiller in the livingroom, if the noise isn't too bad. It will work as a heat pump in the winter letting you use the aquarium energy to heat the house. I do that in my apartement and I am happy with the solution. Though I have build a sound dampening box for the chiller.
Condensation is not so much a problem in summer as in winter. In winter the sea temperatures, and thus the tank temperaures if you keep it realistic, get very low and condesation is guaranteed on any thickness of glass. The nice thing is that it is so easy to make double glass for an aquarium. Just buy a thin glass sheet at your local glass shop. Stick it to the front of the tank and seal around with some air tight window tape. Place som silica gel in the void between the glass panes. You can take it off in summer and for cleaning, no need to mess with silicone or any other permanent sealant. Simple, cheap, risk free, guaranteed to work. See my blog for an example.
You may also consider placing the chiller in the livingroom, if the noise isn't too bad. It will work as a heat pump in the winter letting you use the aquarium energy to heat the house. I do that in my apartement and I am happy with the solution. Though I have build a sound dampening box for the chiller.
Condensation is not so much a problem in summer as in winter. In winter the sea temperatures, and thus the tank temperaures if you keep it realistic, get very low and condesation is guaranteed on any thickness of glass. The nice thing is that it is so easy to make double glass for an aquarium. Just buy a thin glass sheet at your local glass shop. Stick it to the front of the tank and seal around with some air tight window tape. Place som silica gel in the void between the glass panes. You can take it off in summer and for cleaning, no need to mess with silicone or any other permanent sealant. Simple, cheap, risk free, guaranteed to work. See my blog for an example.
tigereye37
New member
I love this thread, and i miss it!
bump!
bump!
tigereye37
New member
oops! double post....
I enjoyed reading this tonight. I had a 100g CW in 93' but had to stop it when I entered the workforce after college and relocated. Not sure if they are still there but a cold water wholesale supplier would sell me whatever he had. He was in Sand City (next to Seaside and Monterey City if you know the area). He was a Delta Star chiller dealer and hooked me up with stock too. Hmm, still have the chiller...maybe I need another small tank...
Dale Carlisle
New member
I think Steve took down his system for a while. You can check him out at oregonreef.com
Didn't they also do the Medusa Controllers as well?
I talked to them in 99 and they said they could only supply schools and people with the proper "educational" permit. Guess I should have just driven the 20 minutes ans spoke directly to em, eh?
I'll push Steve to give an update here
steveweast
Active member
Like Dave said....I broke down my tanks in Oct 07 to pursue some contract opportunities. I recently completed those obligations and I'm preparing to return to cold water reefkeeping. I only viewed my first iteration of cold tanks as experimental anyway. I just wanted to learn what I could and could not keep. I gave my setups and stock to a dive friend of mine ....so, I occassionally get to visit them. Getting stock is still a major hurdle.....especially if you don't have access to Pacific Northwest waters. My next cold tank will be in the 300 gal range and won't be so ghetto looking.....but, I don't want to jump back in until this current economic malaise seems to bottom out. Although I'm getting through this mess, my industry is in the crosshairs.
Dale Carlisle
New member
Good to hear from you again Steve.
My system is still running but I have remained strangely silent about it for a while. I decided to wait until I had something to post about. I wanted to go at least a full calendar year before saying which species did well and which didn't. What I am really learning about now is PNW species compatability issues (with some surprises).
Current tank temp is 48*F.
So far, I can say that my sunstar and ochre star have survived and doubled in size in the year or so I've kept them. As well green surf, plumose and brooding anenomes seem to be doing well. One problem I currently have is nuisance algae control as all the grazing shellfish I put in (limpets, welks, snails, chitons) get eaten by the sunstar. I am planning to add an urchin and see what happens. Also surviving are pricklebacks, sticklebacks, tidepool sculpins, algae shrimp and hermits.
I could say, now that I'm diving, the livestock is free but I think I'm down 2-3K in scuba gear so...
Prudent fiscal management is not my long suit
My system is still running but I have remained strangely silent about it for a while. I decided to wait until I had something to post about. I wanted to go at least a full calendar year before saying which species did well and which didn't. What I am really learning about now is PNW species compatability issues (with some surprises).
Current tank temp is 48*F.
So far, I can say that my sunstar and ochre star have survived and doubled in size in the year or so I've kept them. As well green surf, plumose and brooding anenomes seem to be doing well. One problem I currently have is nuisance algae control as all the grazing shellfish I put in (limpets, welks, snails, chitons) get eaten by the sunstar. I am planning to add an urchin and see what happens. Also surviving are pricklebacks, sticklebacks, tidepool sculpins, algae shrimp and hermits.
I could say, now that I'm diving, the livestock is free but I think I'm down 2-3K in scuba gear so...
Prudent fiscal management is not my long suit
steveweast
Active member
Nice Dale.....some of your findings are the same as mine. The sunstars are quite the little feeding monsters. They are fast and will eat anything as soon as the scent hits the water.... and they will even go after the urchins. In my next system, I'll just stick with the ochres and linkias. I've also found it necessary to really skim hard and employ GFO to control algae (as well as using low lighting). The only critter that I had trouble keeping was the nudibranchs which, I'm sure, had diets that I could not supply. Even the non photosynthetic gorgonians did well using Reef Nutrition's Roti-rich.
Dale Carlisle
New member
Yes, but they will be kind of boring.
My wife keeps getting on my case about how blah the tank looks and I keep telling her it's a research project, not something to show off. She says, in that case, I shouldn't have cut a hole in the wall of the main entry of the house...
She doesn't make any sense at all!
I'll try to snap some this weekend.
My wife keeps getting on my case about how blah the tank looks and I keep telling her it's a research project, not something to show off. She says, in that case, I shouldn't have cut a hole in the wall of the main entry of the house...
She doesn't make any sense at all!
I'll try to snap some this weekend.
Similar threads
