thinking of doing a native tank

[tattman]

Hi everyone i have been in the reefing world for about ten years in detroit. I moved here 4 years ago and i finally got back into salt again. so im pondering on doing a native tank and what would u all suggest or is it even possible I have a 65 gal with 20 gal sump running 4 t5 ho blue ,gymnasium purple from Europe and 3 10ks temp is 75 have a electric blue damsil and a nice rbta. 20 pounds sand 20pnds argonite and 15pnds of live rock always looking for more (im a tattooist i barter) salinity .25 to .26 everything ealse in tune.. just have a cyonic alge bloom trying to rid. What native fish are good i am going to go get some ghost shrimp in a few days since i live on salt march in Hampton. i was told Boston marina and south to RI are really common for pipes and others. Any suggestions

i know creeb crabs grow to fast so do blue leg crabs......

Thanks Fellow Reefer

 

[Owen386]

Welcome to the Forums.

I have always Thought about doing a native tank. You would need to chill it and thats why I have not done it. What temp you keeping your tank at right now? Its gotta be at least 75-80 degrees running those lights and in this weather. Anything you find around here wont survive in your tank.

 

[P-Nut]

It can be done, but it will need a chiller all year long.

You can keep your water at 74-75 if you have a couple of fans pointed at it all day long. I keep my reef that way when its 85 and I have my windows open. My reef never goes above 76.6 during summer (as long as the fans are on).

I have seen chillers bring down the temp in a 150 down 1.2 F in less than 10minutes. If you use a chiller like that in a smaller tank it would keep it cool and maybe work 10-15min every hour. The chiller also got the entire room cold in those 10minutes. It was impressive.

 

[tattman]

Yea i have a buddy that worked for a company that made server tower frames and giant cases that would house 2 1/2 inch cooling fans i run three of them it keeps water cold hot hot days it runs 75 and cool days it runs about 72 degrees

 

[jarrodsanborn]

I have an unheated basement. During the winter my reef tank gets down to 65*(average is 70) since the heaters cant keep up. I decided to take advantage of this and keep clams from the grocery store, fiddlers, and other random stuff i got at hampton.
It worked great until about a month ago when temps started coming back up.......fish got a nice meal out of it.

 

[this is me]

As you're already aware, the cooler temperature is the problem for a native tank. Definitely could be done but the amount of money you spend running chillers to keep the tank is probably not worth its beauty or lack of IMO. When I see the native tank in the aquarium, I always pick the tropical reef.

 

[Old Glory]

Would be cool. My brother in law has pipe fish and sea horses he caught in RI. He does not have a chiller. He has caught triggers, angels and other tropicals there as well.

 

[P-Nut]

Would be cool. My brother in law has pipe fish and sea horses he caught in RI. He does not have a chiller. He has caught triggers, angels and other tropicals there as well.

All that in RI?? That is awesome. I didn't know they survived in this area.

 

[Dashiki]

they don't. Rhode island has an area that the gulfstream dumps the fish when they get sucked up from the Caribbean. fort witherall is a popular place to collect the New England Aquarium has collection days up there.

 

[P-Nut]

they don't. Rhode island has an area that the gulfstream dumps the fish when they get sucked up from the Caribbean. fort witherall is a popular place to collect the New England Aquarium has collection days up there.

That's aewesome. I'm not spending any more money on fish.

 

[Old Glory]

Yes he donates some stuff to the Aquarium

 

[frank180reef]

they don't. Rhode island has an area that the gulfstream dumps the fish when they get sucked up from the Caribbean. fort witherall is a popular place to collect the New England Aquarium has collection days up there.

years and years ago I remmber someone saything they caught queen angles off the coast of RI or NY

 

[tattman]

No kidding hmmm i might have to go on a road trip lol its only 2 and a half hour drive i have family in south ma that way 5 min from prov ri hmmmmmmmm im wondering thow would i be able net them or is it going to be scuba diving cause if its diving then im sol i know pipes and horses i can net in the weedy area thatnks thow for the insites

 

[dcforester1]

All that in RI?? That is awesome. I didn't know they survived in this area.

There was a guy on here a couple years ago that posted some nice natives he caught. His screen name was lemonpeel??? you might look it up, or our resident historian John K might be able to find it. LOL He has a way with finding old threads.

Good Luck Derek

 

[adrand]

Ive been tossing around the idea of doing a native tank as well recently. I found a serpant starfish last year while clamming in the cape and put it in my reef tank (78 degrees). It has thrived in there with no problems. I think species in the colder waters north of the cape would have trouble in that warm of a tank though obviously. We really have two different water temperature zones in new england. if I started a native only tank I would probably stick with species from around the cape. My basement stays very cool all summer and im thinking I could avoid needing a chiller down there.

 

[tattman]

great looking brittle thanks all

 

[BigZ]

good luck

 

[BrianOD68]

I have always wanted to do a local cold water tank and after a visit to the Nantucket Aquarium I am seriously considering it. The Nantucket and Maine Aquariums are seasonal aquariums of all local fish either caught by employees or donated by local fisherman. I spend alot of time in our local waters snorkeling,fishing and soon to be diving. I know I could collect some great stuff. I am also curious if this could be done without a chiller. All of the local tanks in the Nantucket Aquarium were just in a designated room with an AC unit running almost constantly and only a couple of their tanks had chillers. The only tanks that had chillers were very large tanks with fish like black sea bass or sea robins that are bottom dwellers and use to deeper and cooler water. I would like to experiment with a small tank of things you would find in a tidal pool becuase I know these animals are use to a range of tempature differences.