temperant species

[JNye]

what motile inverts can handle 62* average temperature with fluctuations. I plan on keeping a 2.5 gallon pico with a light and powerhead only and want to know who can handle this enviroment? I specifically want 3-4 bumblebee shrimp and maybe a sexy shrimp. but i am also open to all suggestions as i know I may be limited in my stocking options.

 

[Packersfan21]

Well i know maragrita snails come from colder water. But i'm not quite sure how cold, so i don't know if they would live or not in 62 degree water.

 

[Tayler]

turbo snails are also from colder water.

 

[philter4]

I've collected bumble bee shrimp and sexy shrimp, never found them in temperate water, always tropical. Not sure if they could live in 62 deg water. Also bumble bees are very territorial, in a small tank they will kill each other unless you get a proven pair.

 

[JNye]

thanks philter guess I'll try only one if I do at all, can you mail me some!

 

[mollymonticello]

I tried sexy shrimp at 68 and they didn't do very well. There are lots of temperate inverts but we just can't get them.

Are you planning a temperate tank? What are you planning to keep in there? I am curious because I wanted to do one also last year but changed my mind when I realized there is no where in the midwest to get live stock for it, aside from Catalina gobies and Wartah anemones.

 

[JNye]

molly- yes I am, did you read the first post, I don't really know what to put in it, thats for you smart people out there to tell me.
I haven't asked any local fish stores about acquicing colder water species because its only a 2.5 gallon and i can't do fish really. It would have to be and invert. I'll prolly put frags in there from my display like xenia and shrooms to see if they can take it. But i want some motile inverts besides snails. Too bad about the sexy shrimp.

 

[icy1155]

If your doing a temperate tank I would suggest seeing if you can get someone that lives on the coast in that area to pick you up something... might be the easiest way rather than losing corals trying them.

 

[chrisstie]

Why will the tank be that cool? Is your room temp really low? Also the light will probably heat the tank and the powerhead will also. Granted I keep a heater in my 2.5g (its really unobtrusive, a 25W i think) and have a pistol shrimp and some not reef safe inverts like a crab with anemones that live on its shell and whatever interesting things I find that don't belong in the reef tank downstairs.

Even without the heater i think it would stay higher than 62 - with a powerhead probably at least 70

 

[mollymonticello]

I guess I didn't phrase that the right way. I know you're doing a temperate tank, I was just curious as to why. Like, were you setting it up that way on purpose for one particular species or for a particular ecosystem? Or like Chrisstie said, are you just expecting it to run that cool because of ambient temps?

 

[JNye]

I just don't want to use a heater? Its a smaller tank, I don't even want to use a powerhead but i consider that to be a must. I guess I just want a really simple tank and see what how it functions and what i can keep in there. I guess I assumed I would need temperate species but this might not be the case.
Christe those #s were just guess of mine, I keep my house at 69*, so you could be right it may be fine in there.

 

[chrisstie]

Hmm you keep your house a little bit cooler than most probably do but at this time of year in IL its probably easier to do than where I am from in FL!

I think for the most part you'll be fine with inverts especially in the summer months ahead but you'll have to keep an eye on temp swings at night but im sure some of the cooler inverts would do fine with it where some more delicate corals probably would not.

I'm not sure if it'd be cool enough for a catalina goby. i guess you'd have to set it up and actually measure to see. you can always decide to add on parts later if it doesn't work out exactly the way you thought it would.

 

[mollymonticello]

Definitely not cold enough for a Catalina or any other temperate or subtropical species. Your tank will be tropical, especially in the summer. A powerhead is definitely enough to raise the temperature a couple degrees. I keep my tank at 72 or 73* F in the winter and I have a few SPS. I think you'll be fine with tropical species, if you can keep the temp relatively stable. I'd recommend mushrooms and peppermint shrimp to start.