dshnarw February 11, 2008 Author Share February 11, 2008 very nice setup. Are you planning on getting any fish for you tank? Connor Not at the moment for a couple of reasons... I need to get the temp all the way down. It's currently at 69*, and I'm hoping to get to 55* The tank is still in a bit of a cycle - there's enough bacteria to handle the anemones with lots of waterchanges, but cycling a coldwater tank seems to be very different than tropical reef tanks (especially with the temp change going on). And I don't have access to anything other than Catalina gobies yet. Once the temps get to the right level and things settle a bit, I may look for something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txaggies07 February 11, 2008 Share February 11, 2008 I almost had a coldwater reef with a power outage tonight :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 18, 2008 Author Share July 18, 2008 (edited) Time to bump the thread... Looks like I may soon be getting new livestock! I'm working on getting an order of strawberry anemones and plumose anemonies in. Posted some details in group buy if anyone's interested in setting up a coldwater tank. A few impressions on coldwater keeping: EASIEST TANK I'VE EVER KEPT! cycling turned out to be really easy - add livestock, do a few waterchanges, and you're done. the only expensive thing needed was the chiller, conveniently all the nonphotosynthetic livestock meant lighting isn't needed except to see in the tank. and, maintaining it is the best part - I top off with a gallon of water every 1-2 months. I change about 30% of the water once a month. Thats it. Algae grows EXTREMELY slow, so I rarely have to wipe the glass. One downside, besides the chiller popping on sometimes, is that it does sweat, but not nearly as bad as we'd thought. Certainly doesn't run water down the glass...just beads up quite a bit. Edited July 18, 2008 by dshnarw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav July 18, 2008 Share July 18, 2008 funny to see this pop up again. I recently saw the cold water atlatnic display at the public aquarium in Mystic CT... stunning, huge look down (almost touch-tank) system. very low light, tons and tons of very colorful anemones... all I can say is wow. The whole place was nicer than I expected, but the cold water tank really knocked my socks off. If you ever get the chance to see it... take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 18, 2008 Author Share July 18, 2008 funny to see this pop up again. I recently saw the cold water atlatnic display at the public aquarium in Mystic CT... stunning, huge look down (almost touch-tank) system. very low light, tons and tons of very colorful anemones... all I can say is wow. The whole place was nicer than I expected, but the cold water tank really knocked my socks off. If you ever get the chance to see it... take it. I'll have to check that one out one day. Coldwater tanks are usually my favorite tanks in any aquarium...just when tropical marine aquariums start to seem sort of blase`, the coldwater stuff really perks me up again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS July 25, 2008 Share July 25, 2008 Hey I just saw this..sweet tank. I noticed you're looking for some strawberry anemones. I have quite a few that appeared as hitchhikers on some macro in my seahorse tank. It's not exactly a cold water tank but is it kept cooler than norm...around 74 and these guys have taken off. I recently was cleaning out some of my macro and wanted to save these so I fragged them out off the macro and now have them all one one rock...well most of them. I have various others hiding throughout the rock work in my tank. I could be convinced to part with some of them. I was actually worried that they might not be such a good idea with the seahorses but then I read somewhere that their sting is actually really weak so I haven't worried about it as much. Anyway if you're still looking for them drop me a pm...I'd be happy to trade you a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte July 25, 2008 Share July 25, 2008 Good to hear this is going well. Don't you love not having to top off?!?! Have you added a fan blowing at the glass? Nothing huge, just a small desktop fan. If you haven't, that might help out a little. Pics soon? Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtfleming July 25, 2008 Share July 25, 2008 Just curious, but are you using any lighting at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 25, 2008 Author Share July 25, 2008 Hey I just saw this..sweet tank. I noticed you're looking for some strawberry anemones. I have quite a few that appeared as hitchhikers on some macro in my seahorse tank. It's not exactly a cold water tank but is it kept cooler than norm...around 74 and these guys have taken off. I recently was cleaning out some of my macro and wanted to save these so I fragged them out off the macro and now have them all one one rock...well most of them. I have various others hiding throughout the rock work in my tank. I could be convinced to part with some of them. I was actually worried that they might not be such a good idea with the seahorses but then I read somewhere that their sting is actually really weak so I haven't worried about it as much. Anyway if you're still looking for them drop me a pm...I'd be happy to trade you a few. Thanks, but I'm not sure how well they'd do in this tank - water is currently at 60* where I've left it for the last month or so, and I'm going to be dropping it down to 55* to make it more comfortable for the new stuff I've bought. Good to hear this is going well. Don't you love not having to top off?!?! Have you added a fan blowing at the glass? Nothing huge, just a small desktop fan. If you haven't, that might help out a little. Pics soon? Cheers Mike I LOVE the lack of top off Unfortunately, it also means a lack of attention sometimes, so the glass needs some algae scraping...just a small amount of hair algae has started to build up, but grows EXTREMELY slowly in the cold water. I haven't had a fan blowing on it lately, but if it gets much worse, I'll probably start. I don't mind the sweating much, just a quick drying with a towel covers it. I'll see if I can get some pics after a good cleaning this weekend, but really, NOTHING has changed except where the nems are sitting and the feather duster (the TROPICAL!!!!! featherduster...one of the small kinds that pops up on live rock) has grown quite a bit larger than he would have in my biotope. Frankly, that's the most surprising part of the whole thing...the duster seems to be enjoying itself. Just curious, but are you using any lighting at all? The tank gets a couple of hours of fairly strong, but indirect, sunlight which is the only reason I have algae in the tank at all - the nems don't profit from it. When I want to watch the nems, I turn on a CF reading lamp...but thats not on any daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor July 25, 2008 Share July 25, 2008 Dshnarw did you ever get any fish for your tank? -Connor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 25, 2008 Author Share July 25, 2008 Dshnarw did you ever get any fish for your tank? -Connor nope...apparently fish are about 10 times harder to get than anemones, if you discount Catalina gobies. I'm working out a deal with the same group buy people for a sculpin, but until then I'm open to suggestions. If it comes down to it, I might try my luck catching something in some of the tidepools along the east coast, but I haven't figured out the restrictions on that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE July 25, 2008 Share July 25, 2008 www.marinecenter.com had an ornate boxfish about a week or so ago, now it says there are none left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 26, 2008 Author Share July 26, 2008 www.marinecenter.com had an ornate boxfish about a week or so ago, now it says there are none left. too bad. he's probably too big for the tank anyway. how much were they asking? I saw some several months ago in the $400 price range. That's a bit out of my league with a new car, puppy, and soon to be house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE July 26, 2008 Share July 26, 2008 It said to call for a price, so I'm guessing it was A LOT cause the fish that's supposed to be the "relative", shaws boxfish, was like $600. Way more than I would ever spend on a fish but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw July 27, 2008 Author Share July 27, 2008 It said to call for a price, so I'm guessing it was A LOT cause the fish that's supposed to be the "relative", shaws boxfish, was like $600. Way more than I would ever spend on a fish but... wow...their shaws boxfish was expensive. I know I've seen them for less elsewhere. But yeah...until coldwater hits the mainstream a bit, that's the way it'll be. :( Sad too...coldwater is MUCH easier, just as pretty, and cheaper (in terms of setup) as tropical tanks. And some of the best stuff is right off our own coastlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 5, 2008 Author Share November 5, 2008 YIPPEE!! Weather cooled enough for shipping, and after several attempts with HORRIBLE shipping errors on the part of the companies sending stuff, I finally got the holy grail of coldwater, as far as I'm concerned. A few pics of the new acquisitions, 10 minutes or so after I dropped them in: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtfleming November 5, 2008 Share November 5, 2008 STRAWBERRIES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia November 5, 2008 Share November 5, 2008 Need more pictures!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 6, 2008 Author Share November 6, 2008 STRAWBERRIES Need more pictures!! i'll get some more up soon when the strawberries are all opened up. In other, related, news...I'm going to upgrade this tank to a 40 breeder. Got the tank, with a bulkhead drilled already. Stand will be finished this week and then I just need to get it plumbed (hopefully with help cause my plumbing skills stink), styrofoamed for insulation, and find some granite river rocks to add to the rock I already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 6, 2008 Share November 6, 2008 Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 8, 2008 Author Share November 8, 2008 More pics...they're quite happy now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 23, 2008 Author Share November 23, 2008 Upgraded the tank to a 40g this weekend: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 23, 2008 Author Share November 23, 2008 And more pics of the new tank: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaironman November 23, 2008 Share November 23, 2008 Pretty! What is the official name of the strawberry (anemone?) ? Beautiful new pixes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw November 23, 2008 Author Share November 23, 2008 Pretty! What is the official name of the strawberry (anemone?) ? Beautiful new pixes! thanks Corynactis californica is the scientific name for the strawberry anemone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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