Collecting from the ocean

[lifeoffaith]

Ok, so I'm new to the hobby, but will be taking a trip to Hilton Head in March. I've never been there in the early spring, so I don't even know if it will be all that warm. I'm wondering about collecting Macroalgae found on the shore and what I should do to clean it or "QT" it. I'm also planning on bringing back any rock or pieces of coral I might find on shore. I'm also curious about starfish/brittle stars, hermit crabs, etc I might find on the shore. Basically just trying to determine how to keep, transport and make safe before adding them to my aquarium upon return home. My van has a 12v plug, so I could run air or even a small filter on the way home to MI.

 

[llc]

whatever you try to bring home get books to look it up and see if it is safe for whatever type of aquarium you have...ie if you have corals, plants, just fish n rock etc....alot of what you find washed up wont survive because its been exposed to too much air before you get to it...especially plantlife/corals....the best thing i have found is the battery pumps...1 per container, just check to make sure the battery doesnt go dead....but they last awhile and you dont have to worry about chords....going that time of year you do have to worry about temperature changes....driving back going thru the states...the best chance of anything surviving relys on you having it inside your vehicle where it can get the heat you will be running in your vehicle to keep yourself warm....otherwise things wont make it unless its in unlikely warm spell in the states you are traveling in

 

[lifeoffaith]

The temperature thing I know and we do plan on driving straight through so there shouldn't be major temp changes. I've done quite a bit of beach combing in Litchfield Beach SC and have often found small low points in the sand that have collected enough water to have hermit crabs, starfish, brittle stars, urchins in them and alive. The starfish I've found most often are sand sifters I believe (at least look just like them). The tank is a 120 that has not been stocked yet but should have a pair of clowns and possibly 5 pajama cardinals in it by the time we go to SC. The urchins I've found in the past, I don't know the breed, but they are the only type I've ever found on the Atlantic Coast. The spines are shorter and I believe had like a purplish end to them where the rest would be a white or lighter brown. I know the bristle stars should be ok based on what I've seen in my research. Hermits I have no idea if they would do ok in the warmer temps of my tank, which would be the biggest question on all of the livestock and macroalgae that I would find down there. I know the hermits have all been tiny that I've found down there, but not sure the breed of them either.

 

[llc]

we got to beaches in the charleston sc area....and drive straight thru, and have lost things that time of year due to temp changes so do make sure things are inside vehicle with you, as we are only driving back to ohio, where you would be going further north yet.....you can try the urchins and starfish...i have tried them...they do well down there in containers while we visit for the week or so, but once i get them back here i lose most of them...dont know if its the travel or what it is...especially starfish...hermit crabs should do fine, mine have, but i dont have many corals so i dont know if they would pick at corals...but i would stick to the tinier ones