fish/inverts from the ocean?

[maddmatt02]

ok, im sure some of you might be disgusted at the very fact Im asking about uprooting something from its natural habitat but that same person might be keeping a fish from an infinite gallon ocean and storing them in a 50 gallon tank so oh well. I was just wondering if the thing is healthy in the ocean, and you QT it at home for a few weeks and it doesnt die, could it still carry something that will kill everything in your tank when it goes into the main display. reason Im asking is we have a house right on the cliff above the ocean in mexico. and soon I will live less than a days drive to that house, and posses keys to go there whenever I want. and when the tide goes out it is very rocky right in front of my parents house and ive seen starfish, (whatever a starfish with about 20 or so arms is called), octopus, serpent sea stars, cucumbers, millions of hermit crabs, misc. crabs, octpus(wouldnt bring one home anyways cuz they escape..) ive seen a few anenomes but not right in frnt of the house.

just wondering if its possible to get some saltwater life direct from the source? seems like if they stay alive in the wt tank for a while they are healthy but maybe they are just immune to whatever they are carrying.

 

[AnimaliA]

After a few weeks in qt, the animals should be "safe", but IF you decide to use them, you should set your tank to mimic the local ocean temp.

The saltwater, rocks and sand at a beach, or rock cliff are polluted. The beaches are natures protein skimmers If you need to collect local water, go at least 30 miles or so out.

 

[magdelan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9441557#post9441557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AnimaliA
The beaches are natures protein skimmers

That's really interesting. I never thought of that. I suppose the water crashing to shore simulates the micro bubbles that carry proteins to the surface of a protein skimmer. That also explains why many beaches have that "protein skimmer" smell.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

and vice versa, sometimes the protein skimmer reminds me of the beach. It is not an obnoxious smell (we are not talking skimmate here, barf)

why not set up a local climate tank? then you can throw whatever in there, because it all came from the same place anyway.

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Most fish in the LFS are from the ocean caught using either a net, trap, or cyanide. So don't feel guilty having local fish in your tank.

 

[Paul B]

You can take all of those animals mentioned and put them in a tank. Onlt the octopus requires special care. All of our animals come from the sea and it is no different if you buy them or collect them. I have had a local animal tank since the sixtees and I still have it.
Paul

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Love that black sea bass fro Montuk Point Paul

 

[Shagsbeard]

You'll have to match the water temperature very closely. Here in California that means maintaining about 55 degrees. That's possible with a chiller, but very expensive when you get your power bill.

 

[Paul B]

You'll have to match the water temperature very closely. Here in California that means maintaining about 55 degrees. That's possible with a chiller, but very expensive when you get your power bill.

That is true but I think he said he was in Mexico so the water temp should be easy to maintain. I keep NY animals in a spare tank and although NY water is cold many animals like snails, crabs, lobsters, eels etc can be kept. I can't keep local anemones, soft corals, jellyfish or many local fish. Most bottom dwelling fish will be fine as a lot of them live in tide pools where the temperature goes from the 90's in the summer to the 30's in the winter. I have been collecting local seahorses for many years and I am very surprised that they can live in the temperature extreams we have here in Long Island
Paul

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

it would depend where in mexico. I think the pacific is cold all along there too. gulf of baja would probably be good though.

Of course, if it was the Belize side CHA-CHINGGG!!!

 

[saltfan]

Paul B- I live on Long Island too, by Mt. Sinai harbor, what type of creatures do you keep in your tank that you get here?

 

[Paul B]

Saltfin I keep snails, Japanese Shore crabs, urchins, shrimp, mantis shrimp, eels, sculpins, barnacles and a few others. I don't have every one of those animals now but it is only a 5 gallon tank.
If I find something interesting while diving or just looking in tidepools I sometimes bring it home.

 

[lifesworksataol]

alls i have to say is - take me with you! - me and my buddies go almost everyweekend collecting. we even had a reef central meet and greet there - it was awesome!

 

[Paul B]

Our tide here in New York rises about 8' and of course it recedes as much leaving huge tidepools some of them acres wide and on the south shore of Long Island the pools are miles wide.
We have much different animals on the different shorse because the north shore where I keep my boat is very rocky. It was formed by a glacier during the last ice age, the south shore is mostly sand and grass flats. The south gets the seahorses, flounders, sea robins, sculpins etc and we get the crabs, eels, snails, lobsters, urchins and corals etc. During breeding season I can find horseshoe crabs by the thousands just a quarter inch long. I don't collect them as they do poorly in a tank.

 

[maddmatt02]

just wrote a big thing and accidentally hit esc key or something, any case its gone now so Ill re-type later

 

[saltfan]

Paul B where do you go for your tide pools? For the North Shore that is?

 

[Blue H2O]

Very Refreshing

Very Refreshing

This is my first post at RC, and this thread is such a relief from the battles I have experienced about this topic on other sites. I live on NC's coast and spend a lot of time on the water. I have caught everything from peppermint shrimp to lookdowns here locally. I would like to someday keep a small local invert tank, but people on other sites always bashed this idea saying it was unethical or something.

I think that most of the livestock sold has probably been trapped in a far more damaging manner (to them and the environment) than what I use.

 

[Paul B]

Blue first of all welcome here. Soon someone will print that in large blue letters but I don't know how to do that so make believe I welcomed you with big blue letters.
Forget what people say about un ethical. No one here is the God of ethics and you can do whatever you feel is right.
I eat fish almost every day, I could eat just lettuce but I like fish.
Anyway, glad you are here.
Saltfan there are two large tidepools that I can think of right now but it is easier to get there by boat. There is access to both of them but someone has to drive you there and let you off because you can't park near there. One is in Port Washington. I think it is Shore road that goes past the water on the way to Louie's restaurant. Just when you come to the water and the road turns you can getr out there and climb down to the water. It is about 150 yards of tidepool. I go by boat and swim there. The other one is in Cow bay but I don't know how to get there by car, only boat. There are smaller tide pools on Huckelberry Island which is a tiny Island just off New Rocjelle, it was a big party Island during prohibition and it is my favorite SCUBA diving place. There are loads of anemones and lobsters because it is uninhabited and off limits, a boat is needed.
A nice place that you can go to and is accessable is Bar Beach in Roslyn. You are supposed to be a resident of North Hempstead.
The boat ramp is where I collect amphipods and fiddler crabs.
Where do you live?

 

[scrmbld33]

blueh2o [welcome]


i wish i could see or collect anything for my tank, do you have any pics of the sealife in mexico

 

[saltfan]

I live in Miller Place and have a boat in Mt. Sinai harbor. Anything near there?