tide pool build

[sivart33]

Well here we go, i have always wanted to build a cold water/tide pool tank. I will be kept outside in my unheated shed since i cant have another tank inside my small house atm. building another once permits go through, but might as well do something with this tank i have on my hands.

Chilling it is an issue at this moment, i have had a 10g out side for about a week and it never broke 60 degrees inside the shed, but WA weather has been horrible for the summer.

I am looking around for a good deal on a chiller that can work with my 135 i picked up, got it today with working canister filter (175 gallon) both for 150. great deal imo. but the tank should never get that high in temp. but ill be looking around.

yes tide pools get about 70 many times in the summer when on low tide, so temp control would be great but starting out small, then maybe a chiller later down the road.

just need to re-enforce the bench it is on, before adding water. So wont be starting for a few days. Ill be using LR or rock from the Puget sound, and tide pools form the area. Any advice would be great but i know cold water setups are very rare. yes ill have to get a fishing license before getting anything. the regs have a prity open ended on collecting fish/inverts, it has a limit.

Also i will be getting a power head or two just to increase the water flow in
the tank.

 

[jag3534]

That looks like it'll be really interesting to see how it goes!! I'll be tagging along! I've heard that condensation on the glass can be a problem for these tanks. It'd be cool if you could talk to the people at point defiance aquarium, in the tide pool room, heck even get ideas from it. Good luck and happy fishing!

 

[eww]

Hitchin a ride. I would like to see this too.

 

[sivart33]

ya i have heard issues with condensation, but will have to see. yup should be started hopefully by the weekend. got to fix the filter a tad, going to add bioballs to it since WA has horrible surface area so less bacteria in the water.

 

[NWDiver]

Until you chill the water there will be very little condensation. I ran a 55 standard with local life for about a year this way before I chilled the water. Even with the chiller there was little condensation except on really warm days. Let me know if you have any questions, I'm no expert but I have had a cold water tank for a little more than two years now.

-Todd

 

[sivart33]

ya, only wonder i have is where did you keep your non chilled tank? and ya today it barley broke 70 for the air temp inside the shed. no water yet in any tank inside still have to beef the the bench before i do anything

 

[NWDiver]

I had it in my shop which stays <than 65 on all but the hotest days.
After I ran like that for a while, I built a chiller out of a used de-humidifier.
Now I have a tank made by marineland to run cold water.
If you keep tidepool only critters, most will do okay in the 60's. Put a fan above, and watch your evaporation.

 

[sivart33]

ya i have a fan set up in there already for the cooling. and ill be getting a chiller here when i find one at the right price.

 

[psb]

Todd, what were the things you kept in your cold water tanks?

 

[NWDiver]

Well after the "heat event" I have not gone diving so I'll see what I can remember:
A few armored cuc's, and several small whites.
3 "fish eating" anemones.
Many plumose anemones
2 decorator crabs
1 large rock scallop and assorted lamp clams
Assorted barnacles and mussels
A few hermits (one sponge) and a few shore crabs.
orange cup coral
Purple urchin
assorted tube worms
2 shiner perch
1 large striped perch
2 sculpin
1 14" green gunnel (eel)
That's all I can think of at the momment.

 

[sivart33]

can you post pics? maybe a few would l;voe to see what it looks like?

also got the bench all strengthened, and now its just fixing the latches on the canister filter and getting the water, which should be this weekend. and the rock/staceping of it which will be a long day.

 

[sivart33]

http://emeralddiving.com/id_other_fish.html

good info on fish in the PNW

 

[sivart33]

water 3/4 full with gravel/sand in

found out the canister filter is broke leaks in a one place, going to get a new one tomorrow

 

[NWDiver]

Sure, I will put some pictures up if you want, I hate to hijack your thread...

 

[sivart33]

does not bug me

 

[sivart33]

got the filter working today, clearing up slowly but surly. got a few rocks with barnacles and an algae (on one) to start. yes need better squarer rocks for aquascaping. but still looking around for some. got to go and get some suitable rock, very picky.

so that is the start. barnacles are alive and fine int he tank, the water is low for a reason cause when i add rock its going to rise fast. just need to go out and get the rock and start.... also found like 10 tiny snails in the bottom of my buckets today... so sweet some unknown tiny snails.

 

[sivart33]

need a ton more rocks to make a dent in the tank lol

kinda hard to find stuff i like

temp hit 66 today at the height of the temp, but my fan was not on.

 

[sivart33]

so got more rock in, checked the ammonia lvl a few days ago was at .8 ouch right, but checked today and it was at 0 everything was undetectable. so either my first reading was bad or my second was. going to recheck tomorrow and i did toss some food in the tank (some mariene blend blended food). a day before the first test. so no way it cycled that fast, but with LR/sand. very well could have but very very unlikely and unheard of.

 

[sivart33]

sorry about the crappy pics, but what can you do lol.
went to grandparents boat shed, garbed/ dip netted what i could off the sides, 3 shrimp, anems ( a bit), 1 muscle with anems on it. chitons and some seaweeds (algae)
fed the anems today, that is why some you can see red inside of it. my favorite chiton ans 3 small anems on it hes the one of the glass so kinda hard to get pics.

 

[jhampton_wsu]

Looks good. My dream tank is a chilled outdoor saltwater pond like The Seattle Aquarium has. I'll keep dreaming like it's still 2005 though.

Jason