Started a tank straight from the ocean

you want porus calcium carbonate rock. although any rock will do esp if you are doing such regular water changes. bacteria live on any surface so some form of 'cycle' will ensue as when you disturbe the sand bed many small organisms will die. there are some animals that rely on a very consistent temperature and oxygen levels of which is very hard to duplicate. most intertidal organisms are quite tolerant of pH, salinity and temp changes but they have to be slow such as the rise and fall of temp with the sun rise and set aswell as the tidal flow.

as for the collection of water you DONT have to go way out to sea to get it esp if you are keeping filter feeders. yes you want to stay away from land run off of industrial outlets but many local beaches are fine for water collection for this situation. if possible run it through some form of filtration such as a micron sock or carbon filter. but it is still quite possible to collect the water safely if the water and environment around it is visable clear and healthy. you want to avoid areas of high algal and detritus content along with areas of high up welling occurances as these areas will have high nutrient availabiliy but will quickly deterate within your tank. try and collect water a day before usage and aerate it after filtering it then if possible do a dripline water change i.e a continual water change. that would help minimise the shock.

if you had some form of filtration system or skimmer etc you wouldnt have to do so much pre filtration on the water.

all that being said it is still possible in some cases to just continue what you are doing as long as it is legal within your state

Good luck

 

pretty cool man, living in Santa Cruz Ca, I've been interested in this for a little while. As far as I've been told your water changes should be enough (as long as you keep doing them) and your water collection should be more or less ok. The Monterey bay aquarium (love that place) says thy rely on water changes mostly, but they have a pump system that lest them do slow water change 24-7. From what I've read they take there water about 100ft or so out and about 25 ft down in the bay with boats driving right over it and everything.
What is the temps your running? salinity? I also would look into the law, I'm sure it's more relaxed than Cali, but out here if you grabbed the wrong thing and got busted for it (and there are undercover fish and game out here) you could be looking at a huge fine ( I think some are even like 10,000$) or something like that.

 

Some isolated and super clean looking beaches can have fertilizer from run off as well. Boats in the areas that tide brings in.... there can be many unknowns. We all scream to use RO/DI because we are afraid of the uncertainty of what can be in potable tapwater, yet have have no problem exposing critters to the unknowns of shore water? Seems odd. *shrugs*

 

Agreed. I get my water here in So Cal right underneath the Scripps aquarium at their pier. They have a filter system that runs at least a mile out so the water is not contaminated from run off. This is the water Scripps uses and everyone else down here. It's awesome because it's free. Not sure where your located Incognito but if you're close you should try it. Also, it IS legal.

 

I'm not close enough for it to feasible, unfortunately.


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if you're only stocking it with items from the same area you are getting the water... I wouldn't worry about it really...

Though, I wouldn't think you'd have long term success. Eventually you'll get a toxic build up of something. Beaches are nasty.

 

My dad and I kept a FOWLR tank for about 3 yrs when I was a kid growing up in South America. We got all the rock, sand, fish and water directly from the atlantic ocean and I did bi-weekly water changes with water I collected about 10-20 ft out. No skimmer or any other type of filtration but I'm guessing the polution levels were less in SA.

 

thank you everyone for the information. sorry I haven't responded in a couple days as I have been very busy with running my company. the tank is doing very well. I have been doing about a 10% water change everyday and that seems to be keeping everything healthy. there is a shell in the tank that has barnacles all over it. I have been keeping my eye on those and they seem to be filter feeding and surviving just fine. I am concerned about the possibility of toxic build up, because whoever said it is right...beaches are pretty dirty in some areas. It is a shame that humans have destroyed the beaches and water to the point where you have to be careful just getting water out of the ocean.

I have had great success feeding the crabs with new life spectrum marine formula sinking pellets. they go crazy for it! still dont have a battery for the camera (sorry) will post a picture as soon as I am not so busy that I can run out to the store. thanks again everyone!

 

return from whence you came

well its been a couple weeks and I have very much enjoyed my natural ocean tank. everything I put in the aquarium has done very well, and I was able to feed properly and keep the water params just right all with water changes and a simple mechanical filter.

tonight i took a bucket and returned everything to the ocean. the water in the tank was room temperature and severel degrees warmer than the ocean water at this time. when I took them out I spent a little while acclimating them back down to colder ocean temperatures.

my plan is to merely admire for a extended period of time, and then let them loose again. I will probably go out tomorrow and see if I can find new friends to inhabit my project tank. this is all a great learning experience with marine life and a lot of fun. I will keep posting if I have anything else interesting to report.