Cold water anemones

[sandlot13]

Hey everyone, kinda curious if anyone has kept any of these, or perhaps experimented with a "puget sound" themed aquarium. I think it might be kinda cool to set up a tank with that theme, be able to just go wade the tide pools and see some neat critters. I guess i would also need to know what kind of regulations there would be on this..... if i wanted to just go snag a few small anemones from a tide pool or something along those lines. Im thinking as long as i avoid taking anything that is considered "fishable", such as dungenous crab, i should be okay. Lemme know!

thanks!

 

[nano_reeflover]

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16193

 

[sandlot13]

wow, thanks for the link.......... i guess my next question would be who has collected anything around the olympia area??? any good places for tidepools?

 

[steveweast]

You're not going to find much in the tidepools. The good stuff is around 20 - 100 ft. I'd avoid the anemones in the tidepools since they ( the green ones ) are photosythetic and will require strong lighting. The tidepools will be good for a few snails, hermits, maybe an urchin, some starfish, and some small fish......but, like I said....to get the real nice stuff ( like this ), you're going to have to dive. Many of the tidepools are preserves too....while few dive sites are.

 

[sandlot13]

wow! those are awesome! can i ask how you came about those? im really kind of interested in a) the marine life around here and b) diving! Id like to get some cold water anemones like that (or any other color thats bright), but as of right now i dont know how to dive Any tips on how to get into diving?

As for the tidepool anemones, high light requirements is no problem... i guess the bigger issue i would be looking at is something that is interesting to look at and study close up in an aquarium. Thanks for the cool pic steve!

anyone else know of any tidepools around here in olympia?

 

[aquariumdebacle]

I would recommend getting a fishing liscence and a shellfish liscence as well. Washington is in the dark ages when it comes to collecting animals as far as keeping them vs. eating them is concerned. It is quite allright to rip an animal from its comfotable home, throw it in a pot of boiling water and consume it (providing the appropriate liscenses are in place) but to acutally keep it alive is currently against the law. This is due to the protectionist and greedy aquaculture industry in this stae. They at the same time promote that they do not wnat foriegn intrusion but do not allow harvesting on the small scale. What it comes down to is that they do not whnat competition and have eliminated any access that would not require a huge input of capitol. I would advise people to not take any life forms from the state waters unless they are going to consume them. That is the law.

 

[steveweast]

Collection is a gray area in the state of Washington for the critters that we are interested in....but, from my conversations with DFW.....you need a shellfish, fishing, and seaweed license. Collection must be in non- reserve areas and must be for personal use (ie you can't sell them). The state is rightly more concerned with game fish/crabs than the small critters in an aquarium.

As for diving.....you need to take some lessons to get your certification. Then you need some experience....Puget Sound can be tricky with cold temps, strong currents, and low visibility.

Strong lighting IS a problem in a cold water system since you have to keep the water around 55 F or less. Halides will heat the water.... which then the chiller has to remove.

 

[sandlot13]

yes, i gotcha on the halides heating the water......

so sounds like it could be tricky to get into the water and leave with something neat for the fish tank! Steve, do you currently have a coldwater tank? Im assuming by the picture above that you do.

Thanks for all the input everyone..... ill keep looking into the licensing requirements, but i guess for now i just want some cool tidepools to go explore!

so no one knows of any nearby to olympia? within a 45 min drive?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Many years back, I kept a cold water tank in Portland, OR.
Kept it directly in front of a south facing window in an unheated room for lighting with a little supplemental florescent. Worked well enough for a lower powered system.

Do not forget, NW area filter feeders expect a lot of food.

Cold water NW tanks are a LOT more work than any warmer water tanks. It was a good day when I returned the stuff from whence it came...
Mike

 

[sandlot13]

ya, i hear you on the lots of work.... mostly im interested with this because I will be doing a senior thesis next year, and there seems to be a lot of ideas running through my head about using marine organisms for it. It would be nice to have local animals to work with

 

[morgan]

i have kept coldwater anenomes under 2 fluros they dont mind there hardy and kill fish and are not the best thing to keep in a tank
also the collection of anything of the coast of america is prohibited so if ur gonna do u have to be very careful not to get caught

 

[steveweast]

also the collection of anything of the coast of america is prohibited so if ur gonna do u have to be very careful not to get caught

Completely WRONG. Every state has their own rules and regulations. For example, In Oregon, collection is legal in non reserve locations....but, a fee must be paid to transport them within the state. In Washington, you need the proper licenses (easily gotten online for about $100)....but no transportation fees are necessary. In California, there are license and transportation requirements. So, check the state's DFW websites in which you want to collect. Plus, the items that we are interested in fall between the cracks....the DFW is far more interested in spear fishing, crabbing, clamming, and oyster collection.

As for light...most of the cold water critters are non-photosynthetic....so, only viewing light is required. I've found the cold water reef to be easier to maintain than its warm water cousin....no Ca additions....no coralline algae.... no disease.....slow metabolisms....no high light requirements.... no high flow requirements....the list goes on.