coldwater reef
New member
ok I'm having trouble with the pics...I'll take a break before I go into neanderthal mode...
Cold/Temperate Water Reef
- Thread starter reefnewbie54321
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acroboy
New member
Coldwater,
Grouper is just the start. We had hundreds of voltan Lionfish this year. I have too bright red cardinal fish, Bigeye orange filefish, lookdowns, goatfish, cowfish, bluespot corronetfish, feather blennies and so on. Caribbean fish were so abundant in New York until the end of this month that it is amazing, and I don't even dive.
Grouper is just the start. We had hundreds of voltan Lionfish this year. I have too bright red cardinal fish, Bigeye orange filefish, lookdowns, goatfish, cowfish, bluespot corronetfish, feather blennies and so on. Caribbean fish were so abundant in New York until the end of this month that it is amazing, and I don't even dive.
coldwater reef
New member
Amazing! So what's the water tempurature there? I'm wondering if a lionfish would do well in a temperate aquarium.
When I was in Bristol Bay, Alaska salmon fishing I took temp. readings, up there it was in the mid 60's!
Anyhow I'm trying to figure out how to post some pics of my tank...
When I was in Bristol Bay, Alaska salmon fishing I took temp. readings, up there it was in the mid 60's!
Anyhow I'm trying to figure out how to post some pics of my tank...
coldwater reef
New member
I keep my stuff at 55F, so too bad. I know I was just dreaming anyhow.
skylsdale
Reefer
Dale, I agree with what's been said: a chiller would help keep things just a bit lower during the summer, however, if you stick with animals from the intertidal zone and pools that you can easily collect yourself, they'll be more resilient to those temps (keep in mind, when the tide comes back in, all those 'warm' pools get a huge flush with nice COLD water, so they're obviously not existing in those higher temps for a few months, but just certain temporary times during the day).
coldwater reef
New member
Well said skylsdale that was what I was trying to get at but failed to articulate.
By the way everybody, christmas tree anemones are NOT compatible with warbonnets, neither are metridiums. However, rose anemones are!!! I have a bonded pair warbonnets and a lone female, They came up from 75' with some live rock horse barnacle clusters...they still have their original home. They've adapted quite well to their new home and cruise around the tank together when they think I'm not looking. That bad part though is that anemones are on their food chain. By chance I noticed that they had totally eaten a small medtridium...So here's my plan-down in the marina a 3 minutes drive from my house there are gazillions of little metridiums. I'll harvest a hundred or so of the smallest and place them around the area where the warbonnets live. The chrismas tree anemones will be at the far end of the tank and out of sight, out of mind I hope. One thing for sure though is that the rose anemones aren't being bothered, they're open all the time and really colorful. If worse comes to worse I'll have to plumb in another tank, I already have the capacity. My chiller can handle another 200 gallons
and I really like the warbonnets. I'm out of the diving until further notice, the seals on both my drysuits need replaced 
Anyhow I've got some really beautiful christmas tree anemones if anybody wants them...
By the way everybody, christmas tree anemones are NOT compatible with warbonnets, neither are metridiums. However, rose anemones are!!! I have a bonded pair warbonnets and a lone female, They came up from 75' with some live rock horse barnacle clusters...they still have their original home. They've adapted quite well to their new home and cruise around the tank together when they think I'm not looking. That bad part though is that anemones are on their food chain. By chance I noticed that they had totally eaten a small medtridium...So here's my plan-down in the marina a 3 minutes drive from my house there are gazillions of little metridiums. I'll harvest a hundred or so of the smallest and place them around the area where the warbonnets live. The chrismas tree anemones will be at the far end of the tank and out of sight, out of mind I hope. One thing for sure though is that the rose anemones aren't being bothered, they're open all the time and really colorful. If worse comes to worse I'll have to plumb in another tank, I already have the capacity. My chiller can handle another 200 gallons
and I really like the warbonnets. I'm out of the diving until further notice, the seals on both my drysuits need replaced Anyhow I've got some really beautiful christmas tree anemones if anybody wants them...coldwater reef
New member
never tried them long term. Like I mentioned I get them fro the marina so they must be pretty hardy coming from that nasty water there. Y'know they can live up to 800 years so they must be tough. What I'd do is target feed with fine chopped fish such as silversides. I seem to have good luck with inverts.
Dale Carlisle
New member
Good point skylsdale. I'm gonna have to chew on that.
I'm going to try running ambient temps. The fact that not many people have these systems intrigues me. Worst case scenario I'll have to plug a chiller in but I'm as interested in the design model as I am in the aesthetics, if you know what I mean.
My goal is to try and create a low energy input system. One main external pump, gravity feeds, simple lighting and no/limited temp control. I'm interested in the design as an economic way to create a large system down the road. I'd also like to get back to basics and stop being so reliant on increasingly complex systems and devices that I have to buy instead of build as is the trend in tropical reefing at the moment.
A question.
Who is or isn't using tropical origin live rock? What experiences did you have when adding it to cold water (die off, re populating etc...)?
I'm going to try running ambient temps. The fact that not many people have these systems intrigues me. Worst case scenario I'll have to plug a chiller in but I'm as interested in the design model as I am in the aesthetics, if you know what I mean.
My goal is to try and create a low energy input system. One main external pump, gravity feeds, simple lighting and no/limited temp control. I'm interested in the design as an economic way to create a large system down the road. I'd also like to get back to basics and stop being so reliant on increasingly complex systems and devices that I have to buy instead of build as is the trend in tropical reefing at the moment.
A question.
Who is or isn't using tropical origin live rock? What experiences did you have when adding it to cold water (die off, re populating etc...)?
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reefworldaq
New member
Very interesting and beautiful tank. Does anyone know the supplier from puget or australi. I'm from Indonesia, maybe the supplier in here. Thank's
skylsdale
Reefer
I totally understand where you're coming from Dale, and am not suggesting against it at all...but am wondering if sustained exposure at those warmer temps might cause some illness or die-off with some of the inhabitants you might get. I think sticking with animals that you get out of the pools toward the top of the intertidal zone will be your best bet as they get the most exposure and will most likely be able to handle it the best.
As for the tropical liverock, I think you'll get quite a bit of die-off. You might have some fauna that will survive, but personally, I would go with completely site-specific rock from near you to get all the inverts and creatures that are from the same area (there are PLENTY of shrimp and worms and 'bugs' in this part of the Pacific). Another thing to keep in mind is disease transmission--if you ever decide to remove or release something from your coldwater system and it's possibly been exposed to some sort of tropical 'nasty'...not a good thing. For that reason I would stick solely with native rocks and materials and animals, just to prevent any sort of cross-contaimination.
As for the tropical liverock, I think you'll get quite a bit of die-off. You might have some fauna that will survive, but personally, I would go with completely site-specific rock from near you to get all the inverts and creatures that are from the same area (there are PLENTY of shrimp and worms and 'bugs' in this part of the Pacific). Another thing to keep in mind is disease transmission--if you ever decide to remove or release something from your coldwater system and it's possibly been exposed to some sort of tropical 'nasty'...not a good thing. For that reason I would stick solely with native rocks and materials and animals, just to prevent any sort of cross-contaimination.
coldwater reef
New member
There's a lot of native live rock with pinl coralline algae encrustation which looks good...and you can collect it yourself
With the warm temps I'd expect diatom bloom. I'd really go with a chiller Dale.
With the warm temps I'd expect diatom bloom. I'd really go with a chiller Dale.
keefsama2003
In Memoriam
Do you guys need special permits to collect in Neah or do you guys go out with the natives in that area?
my wife is native and her family is from neah bay so shes up there alot and if you need anything let me know i can get her to make a few call.
my wife is native and her family is from neah bay so shes up there alot and if you need anything let me know i can get her to make a few call.
steveweast
Active member
IMO....3 pieces of equipment are mandatory in keeping a coldwater reef.....
1) a insulated tank/sump....ie. thicker acrylic (if only a little thicker)
2) a chiller.....for the reasons discussed above.
3) an oversized skimmer. The feeding necessary for most cold invertebrates rapidly degrades water quality.
My skimmer does a great job at removing waste....but, NO3 build up is still a problem. As a result, I'm also going to add an S- denitrator on my system. Between the fish and high amounts of food fed to the anemones, I have to water change twice a month to keep NO3 below 20ppm. The local Puget Sound rock is like granite rocks.....little, if any, significant dentrification is taking place. Coldwater reefs are really closer to warm water fish only systems in operation.... where NO3 becomes a problem. I knew that NO3 was going to become a problem I just didn't know as to what extent. The reactor should eliminate any NO3 build up betweem monthly water changes.
1) a insulated tank/sump....ie. thicker acrylic (if only a little thicker)
2) a chiller.....for the reasons discussed above.
3) an oversized skimmer. The feeding necessary for most cold invertebrates rapidly degrades water quality.
My skimmer does a great job at removing waste....but, NO3 build up is still a problem. As a result, I'm also going to add an S- denitrator on my system. Between the fish and high amounts of food fed to the anemones, I have to water change twice a month to keep NO3 below 20ppm. The local Puget Sound rock is like granite rocks.....little, if any, significant dentrification is taking place. Coldwater reefs are really closer to warm water fish only systems in operation.... where NO3 becomes a problem. I knew that NO3 was going to become a problem I just didn't know as to what extent. The reactor should eliminate any NO3 build up betweem monthly water changes.
coldwater reef
New member
I guess I meet those criteria Steve...my wet/dry filter and skimmer are oversized for the tank. Reminds me though, I'm due for a water change here in the next couple days. One of my new additions is an RO filter, it makes things easier on me and the critters I think.
coldwater reef
New member
NY city?!? I thought it was so polluted that not even microbes could survive....
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