Oyster Reef Ecosystem Tank

[Chasmodes]

I've read about the oyster rock possibly being a phosphate problem...something I'll have to experiment with. Fortunately I don't think that this tank will require much light. I'm going to use whole oyster shells in the LR mostly for cosmetic reasons, so the rock will look more like an oyster reef, not crushed oyster shells, so maybe that will help. Also, the salt in the DIY LR will be long dissolved before it goes in the display tank, so that shouldn't be a problem. I also plan to mimic tidal movements, so hopefully that will help keep slime algae down to a minimum. The rocks for use in the display tank will look like large clumps of oysters, hopefully with lot's of nooks and crannies for blenny hiding spots. I'll scatter some oyster shells on the sand bed too. My initial plan was to scatter oyster shells as the entire display, but I felt that I needed the filtration of the LR in addition to the sand, so why not incorporate both?

The rock found in the bay is mostly clay based...not very porous. There is some sandstone as well. All of it seems to come from Calvert Cliffs. It may have enough of the right bacteria to seed the rock in addition to the live sand. Sand is plentiful, mostly silica and quartz I think.

I think that in this system there may not be a wrong way to do it simply because these animals are so hardy. That said, I'd like to find a successful system and give these animals optimal conditions... This system won't have the color and beauty of a reef, but it will have it's own appeal. Actually, the male striped blenny gets extremely colorful during spawning! If that happens then I'll know I'm on the right track.

 

[Chasmodes]

I just thought of something...maybe not for a display but for the fuge. People are always dumping stuff in the bay, mostly that is a negative thing. But for me, maybe it could be a positive thing. I wonder if discarded broken cindar blocks would make for good LR, they are plentiful just about everywhere in the bay. They are certainly porous enough. Anyone know how these are made and/or if they would be bad for a system like this? That way, I wouldn't have to wait for DIY rocks to cure to get the tank cycled.

 

[graveyardworm]

Here's a couple threads you may be able to pull some info from. if you havent read them allready.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...9&perpage=25&highlight=temperate&pagenumber=3

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...1&perpage=25&highlight=temperate&pagenumber=1

 

[Sarah D.]

My killifish caught off of Chesapeake Beach do just fine in the higher temp of my tank. Though I should say that they were caught this summer when the shallow temps were pretty high.

They breed like crazy. The raised salinity hasn't affected them.

 

[Chasmodes]

Thanks for the links David. I haven't read them, will check them out.

Sarah, I was amazed at how much life there was in the shallows this summer. I do a lot of sharks tooth hunting and there was life everywhere, fish, crabs, and the water temps had to be in the 90's. Even at massive low tide, I'd pick up a rock hoping for a megalodon underneath and fish would shoot out in less than an inch of water! I may bring home some rock from there. If it's from the right Shuttock's zone, maybe when it breaks up there'll be a meg in there!

You can bet that I'll have some sand from that area in my tank! Might help me find some micro sharks teeth too... The sharks teeth in the sand bed will add to the asthetics:thumbsup:

 

[ccoons43]

here are the pics of the tank. I have a useless camera so the pics are not the best.

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I will try to get some data from the prof. as soon as possible

 

[ccoons43]

T

 

[ccoons43]

This guy was in the tank but is now gone

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[AVALover5498]

That's an amazing tank. Looks like it should belong in public aquarium. Good luck.

 

[Chasmodes]

Thanks for the pics ccoons43! I wonder if they need specimens? If I have extra when I collect I'd be willing to give them to the school.

The last two pics are Chasmodes bosquianus (striped blenny), which will probably be the dominant species in my tank (that is my plan anyway). Nice pics of the blenny too, probably as good as any that are on the net. Hopefully if my system is successful I'll have a male in breeding colors to post I also expect that I can get the skilletfish and the gobies to breed as well.

I was hoping to get some Hypsoblennius hentzi blennies too, but the more I read about them the more I've determined that they are probably found a bit deeper than I'd be able to collect. Maybe this will inspire me to recertify for diving after all these years since my cert expired. If I happen on some of them then that would be a bonus, but I want a tank full of striped blennies for sure.

Looks like the other types of fish that I can make out in there are banded killifish, mummichogs, spot or croakers?, small striped bass, and a toadfish. Intesting about the oyster reef, they built it like a wall. I was thinking about aquascaping the back walls in a similar way with a fake piling and a couple oyster rock islands over a sand bed. When I'm done making my DIY rock/oyster clumps I'll post a link to the pics that I'm going to post on the DIY rock thread I'm going to start making those rocks ASAP so they will be reef ready by the time my tank comes in. I need to find a supply of old oyster shells, that's my project this weekend. If I can get them quickly then I may have some time to make my first batch of rock/reef.

 

[ccoons43]

The biology class collects stuff all semester, I always check the tank for new stuff. the two white tubs one with oysters and the one with crabs are in the lab and are an open system with water continuesly pumped from the river. They also use the lab to keep corals and some sw fish.

I didn't take the pics of the blenny that's why you can see him. The pics were taken by a co-worker who spends as much on his cameras that some do on their reef tanks.

 

[Chasmodes]

It's my wallpaper at work now! :fun4:

 

[ccoons43]

here are some more pics from the tank that my co worker took

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[Chasmodes]

Nice pics!

I found a good source of oyster shells and purchased some Portland I cement and some solar salt. I had some time to make some rock yesterday but football got in the way! I'll be out of town so it will be a couple weeks before I can start building the reef rock. When that is done, I'll have my first pics.

I currently have a 55g that I was going to use as a QT. I may set that up as a temporary system and see if I can fill it with a few fish while I'm getting everything else done... I love to hunt for sharks teeth along the bay, so I'm thinking that I'll combine one of those trips with some collecting The other good thing is that I just purchased a nice pair of waders from LLBean!!!! I'm good to go as long as fish are still in the shallows!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ccoons43]

If you have not been to calvert marine museum in solomons you should go check it out. They have several displays set up to show the life of the bay and the attached bodies of water. They also have an oyster reef setup. If you ask and tell them your plan you can probably go behind the scenes for a tour. I was there for the reef symposium on saturday and a few members took a tour behind the scenes, But our local club is planning a trip for a behind the scenes tour.

the best place that I am aware of to find shark teeth is Calvert Cliffs state park

Good Luck with the setup

 

[Chasmodes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8494142#post8494142 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ccoons43
If you have not been to calvert marine museum in solomons you should go check it out. They have several displays set up to show the life of the bay and the attached bodies of water. They also have an oyster reef setup. If you ask and tell them your plan you can probably go behind the scenes for a tour. I was there for the reef symposium on saturday and a few members took a tour behind the scenes, But our local club is planning a trip for a behind the scenes tour.

Yes, their oyster reef display is the inspiration for my tank! I love that tank!!! Last time I was there with my family my wife nearly tore my arm from my shoulder socket trying to get me to leave that tank! I would love to take a behind the scenes tour.

 

[Chasmodes]

Update! I’ve ordered and paid for an aquarium for my oyster reef. Rather than a quarter cylinder, I’m having a custom cubish style tank built. It’s going to be 36”x36”x18”, 100 gallon acrylic. The sump/refugium will also be acrylic, 36”x12”x18”. I’m going to have a mud style natural filtration system, no skimmer, with live rock (DIY rock as stated earlier). I’ll have pics once the tank has been built and delivered to me. I’m estimating 4 to 6 weeks or so. That said, I’ve been lazy on the DIY rock project. I made a batch of my oyster rock but it turned out poorly. I hope to make another batch soon. When I do, I’ll post pics of those rocks if they turn out OK.

I'm stoked! :bounce2:

 

[Chasmodes]

Update:

I recently heard that my tank is nearly finished and he's building my sump, which will actually be a bit bigger than I first posted which is fine because it's going behind a wall and in the basement out of site. He said it should be ready soon...I'm on the edge of my seat and can't wait to get started.

I'm working on a design for my stand this weekend, if I can finish then I'll post it here. I have much to do to get this rolling. Once stand is completed, the tank and sump delivered, the equipment and plumbing are done, then I'll begin collecting some rock, sand, mud and eventually algae/plants from the Bay and get things cycled properly. If I can't find plants that are suitable then I may purchase some chaeto for the sump, which is probably what I'll wind up doing.

Once the parameters stablize then I'll be collecting the critters, with primary focus on the blennies!!!!

I am so friggin stoked!:bounce2:

Oh, and I'll start posting pics when the tank arrives!

 

[Chasmodes]

The fun begins!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I am very excited about this project. I just picked up my tank which is 36"X36"X18", almost 100 gallons, thanks to Jeff (NAGA) who built these for me (awesome job Jeff!!!):

Here's the sump, 36"X17"X18", fuge on the right, return on the left. Right now I'm leaning toward all natural filtration, so really the middle section will be involved in that fashion too. If I decide to employ a skimmer then I'll worry about implementation of that at that point.

Next steps will be to complete the stand, install plumbing, purchase pump and lighting, and then the fun begins, collecting! Collecting will involve first establishing the biological filter using cinder blocks that I'll find along the shore along with some bay live sand. I also think that I may bring in bay water too. When I can find time I'll be making my own LR for the display to replace the cinder blocks later down the road.

 

[ccoons43]

Looking good so far I can't wait to see it finished.