Pacific cold water reef tank

Anybody do this?
I want to start a tank from my oregon coast.
What are things to be aware of?
And does anybody know if it's legal to take wildlife?
I know it's legal to take some urchins, and star fish.
I have a shellfish license.

 

I would think you would need a license to take most wildlife. Coldwater is tougher from everything I've heard, but I have no experience with it.

 

I have no experience hear but I have always wondered about this.. I lived in western Washington state my entire life, close to the beach (until I started collage in eastern WA) and always wanted to do one.. Keep us posted if you do decide to do this.. Thanks!

 

I would look at the laws closely. You can be almost sure that taking live rock would be illegal (federal law, unless your state specifically allows it). Also, having your current shellfish license doesn't mean it would be legal to take them for a tank. Legally speaking, there is a HUGE difference between harvesting wildlife for food/recreation, and collecting them for keeping in captivity.
If its something you are seriously considering, I would HIGHLY recommend actually seeting an appointment to sit down and PERSONALLY speak with someone at Fish and Game/Department of Wildlife.

 

One problem with a cold water reef is keeping the water at the correct temperature. You will obviously need a chiller, and usually a powerful one to keep the water in the 50F range.

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/tropical-fish/cold-water-marine-aquariums-55755.html

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm

 

We kept a Monterey Bay cold water tank at the pet store I worked at. You still have the lighting requirements but the chiller has to be insanely powerfull. A lot of the stuff living in that environment can't take temp fluctuations so 52 to 54 degrees was required at all times. That is really cold to clean in =)

 

And everything looked shades of rad and brown. Well not everything but most of the stuff we had was in those shades.

 

I believe your shellfish license is adequate for the harvest of inverts (though I'd still check in with ODFW to cover your butt). Fish are an entirely different matter. Also, check the regulations booklet to be sure there are no special restrictions on some invert species, esp. those that are commercial fisheries (e.g. urchins). Also, you will absolutely need a powerful chiller that is capable of keeping temps below 58 F, even on the hottest summer days. Kept cool, it's almost mind-boggling how hardy temperate intertidal inverts are in aquaria-- though that shouldn't really be surprising considering the extreme conditions they are adapted to endure.