Coldwater Aquaria Resources

[dshnarw]

I was asked to put together a coldwater resource thread, leading to this attempt. I'm certain it won't be comprehensive, as I certainly don't consider myself an expert in the subject, and would appreciate any help that can be provided by others. I would specifically request any informative threads from Reef Central that anyone has come across, as I don't frequent the site much.

 

Coldwater aquaria is possibly the easiest type of saltwater aquaria to maintain. The livestock are hardy, the tank equipment is quite minimal and specialized to just a couple of important items, and several common issues with tropical systems are neglected completely in coldwater systems. For example IO, is a perfectly fine salt mix and you can toss every supplement you have out the window because few inhabitants that are available to coldwater aquarists require the high calcium and alkalinity we worry over so much with LPS and SPS. Light is of little concern because nearly all available species are nonphotosynthetic. Even evaporation isn't a problem - the cold water hardly evaporates. Thus, it's really down to: feeding, waste removal, and maintaining the proper temperature.

 

The singular drawback to coldwater aquaria is the difficulty in finding livestock. Luckily, there are a couple of good sources out there that have made obtaining livestock much simpler. A growing group of dedicated hobbyists have begun aquaculture of their livestock for trade with each other, making several species that were only seen in the large public aquaria available to hobbyists across the country.

 

 

The tank:

 

Coldwater aquaria often suffer from condensation on the viewing panes during summer months. This is especially true in our muggy environment. There are several ways to deal with this issue, including:

 

1. Use acrylic. Acrylic is a much better insulator than glass, thus reducing the temperature gradient between the tank surface and the air, and thereby reducing condensation. To prevent condensation completely, use thick acrylic - 3/4" is a good starting point.

 

2. Air flow. Moving air across the viewing pane reduces the condensation remarkably, even when using a glass tank. I'm using a glass 40g breeder tank, and add a small fan near the tank during the summer months. The glass still needs to be wiped on the hottest, muggiest days, but water dripping down the glass is not an issue.

 

 

Other equipment required include the following:

 

1. Chiller. This is by far the most important piece of equipment in coldwater aquaria. Oversize the chiller for the needs of the tank size you've chosen, and remember that size recommendations listed on chillers are for tropical systems. It'll take a lot more effort to cool the aquarium much below ambient room temperatures. A 1/4hp chiller would likely suit a 75g tank. a 1/15hp chiller is probably good for 10-15g tanks. Most of these have an available temperature controller, which is a must for keeping temperatures stable in coldwater aquaria. My 40g has a 1/5 hp chiller.

 

2. Lighting. The majority of coldwater species are nonphotosynthetic. Unless you are attempting to keep one of the few species that requires strong lighting, subdued lighting is best. Many species react adversely to strong lighting setups, behaving similarly to sun corals. Less light is often a benefit to your maintenance routine as well, since photosynthetic algaes cannot grow as quickly in low light. I use a standard household floor lamp with cf bulbs over my tank for cheap, effective lighting. The cost of a large chiller is easily made up here, since expensive metal halide or T5 setups aren't needed.

 

3. Filtration. Large water changes and/or an oversized skimmer are extremely important with a heavy bioload. This may be more important in coldwater aquaria than in tropical systems because of the heavy feedings and slow metabolism of the organisms in the tank. Coldwater organisms tend to do quite well in dirty water, but ammonia or nitrite is a killer. I stick combination of low bioload and large monthly waterchanges. When the bioload increase, a large skimmer will be the first upgrade to the tank.

 

4. Insulation. Keeping temps stable, and maximizing the efficiency of the chiller is key, so all panes of glass that you won't be looking through should be insulated. Any pvc or hoses should also be insulated. The insulation area of home improvement stores has a number of options to choose from for every budget. Don't forget the bottom of the tank! I usually leave the top open for top-down viewing and allow for oxygen exchange, but loosely closing the top would make the tank more efficient. No need to worry about oxygen exchange - cold water holds exceedingly more dissolved oxygen than warm water. This is also a convenience in a power outage, as you can just drop baggies full of ice in the tank to maintain the temperature without worrying as much about water flow.

 

 

Rockwork:

 

This is really up to the aesthetic tastes of the aquarist, but river rocks are most commonly used as a baserock for coldwater aquaria in order to achieve the natural look. Mine came from the local landscape supply place, and were washed thoroughly in hot water to remove dirt. Most river rock is fine for use in coldwater aquaria. Sand is generally avoided in coldwater aquaria because of the potential for detritus buildup, which is of much greater concern than in tropical systems. Keeping the substrate size large allows for easier removal of detritus, but also limits the bacterial population in the tank.

 

 

The cycle:

 

The nitrogen cycle in coldwater aquaria is an exceedingly slow process, and much different from that of tropical systems. In most coldwater systems, the cycle is estimated to take 6 months or more. The mini cycles commonly seen after moving a tropical system may take 3 months or longer in coldwater systems. Additionally, there is no coldwater equivalent of live rock in the hobby at this point, except possibly obtaining a few pieces of rock from a fellow coldwater aquarist. This leads to two methods of cycling a coldwater tank:

 

1. Slow cooling method. In this method, tropical live rock is added to the tank at the standard tropical temperatures, and cycled in the traditional way. Upon comletion of the cycle, the temperature is dropped slowly over the course of weeks and months to the target temperature - usually a degree F per week or two weeks. This method allows for additional biodiversity in the tank because some of the tropical species will survive the temperature change, but the tank will sit devoid of coldwater inhabitants for 6 months or more. I have several small hitchhiking feather dusters that survived the temperature change.

 

2. "Soft" cycling. Just like the common cycling of aquariums with damsels, it is common in coldwater aquaria to just toss in the inhabitants and watch the cycle commence. The difference here is that normal water changes and tank maintenance are continued to prevent buildup of toxic ammonia and nitrite, and lessen the stress on the inhabitants. This undoubtedly lengthens the cycle, but most coldwater livestock are hardy and quite tolerant of the conditions. The key with this method is keeping a watchful eye on the livestock. Signs of stress should be met with a large water change. This method may stress out the inhabitants, but the timescale required for the addition of livestock is much more attractive to the average aquarist.

 

 

Feeding

 

Food is as important to coldwater livestock as it is to sun corals. The vast majority of coldwater livestock survive on meaty foods. "Off the shelf" foods such as Cyclopeeze, mysis, and silversides are great for coldwater inhabitants. If you prefer to prepare your own, just about any mix of fresh frozen seafood is acceptable, cut into appropriate sizes. Optimally, coldwater inhabitants are fed daily, but every couple of days or even a couple of times a week is sufficient. Just like sun corals, the more often you feed, the faster the livestock grows. In many cases, coldwater livestock can go weeks or even months without food, but I would discourage this practice - similar to starfish in tropical systems, they can look perfectly fine for several months even while starving, just to suddenly die with no apparent cause. Remember that these are nonphotosynthetic organisms - they will require what seems to be an extremely large amount of food per individual polyp.

 

 

Livestock sourcing:

 

Finding livestock is the most difficult part of coldwater aquaria. Only a handful of online vendors carry coldwater livestock, and several that carry the livestock limit their sales to research institutions. Those that do cater to individual aquarists are:

 

Gulf of Maine: http://www.gulfofme.com They specialize in livestock from along the northeast coast of the US. The website is somewhat difficult to navigate, and you have to research each species to find out its individual requirements, maximum size, etc. Email them with the livestock you're interested in, and they'll send you a price list. (FWIW, I fully intend to buy from them this spring, if anyone is interested in a small group buy).

 

Foreshores: http://www.foreshores.net Foreshores specializes in livestock from the Pacific Northwest. They offer several of the most common coldwater species found at public aquaria, including aquacultured strawberry anemones. The prices seem a bit expensive to me and they require a $200 minimum purchase. On the other hand, they don't charge shipping so it probably works out about the same. They are perfectly willing to do group buys with nice discounts, but the deals are catered towards fairly large purchases.

 

Live Aquaria: Surprisingly, the Diver's Den at LA often has coldwater fish, mainly from Australia. Quite beautiful species, but often very expensive. One thing to consider is that they typically keep these fish at the upper portions of their temperature range, so it may be rather stressful for the fish going from 70* to 60* water during acclimation.

 

Locally, garibaldi and catalina gobies may be found at the LFS. Again, remember that these fish are in tanks with much higher temperatures than a coldwater aquarium is likely kept, so it may take some effort to slowly reduce the temperature and minimize stress on the fish.

 

Trade with hobbyists and collecting your own: Trading with other hobbyists is becoming increasingly popular in coldwater aquaria. Most states have few laws regarding the collection of coldwater livestock, save species of commercial interest. Some appropriate aquarium species can be found in the Chesapeake, even more a few hours north along the coast. Additionally, the inability of aquarists to get livestock from the opposite coast has led to interest in trading between coasts. I recently obtained several strawberry anemones found along the west coast in trade for anemones from the Atlantic.

 

 

 

More places to look:

 

More information can be found on WAMAS here: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=19406

 

Additionally, I would direct anyone interested to a few non-WAMAS locations...

 

Steve Weast's enormous coldwater system: http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm

 

Also, the coldwater resource thread at nano-reef.com: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=164213 which includes a number of nano-reef member's tank threads, technical articles, and other coldwater-centric groups that may be of interest. As far as I know, the list there is one of the most complete groupings of information on coldwater aquaria.

 

 

 

 

 

Please add any information you may have, links to threads, or questions about coldwater aquaria that I neglected to cover.

[vaironman]

Thank you Daniel. Off to reading. Fascinating and I think I am going to start setting a cw tank soon. Now, start with reading. Much of oregonreef.com repeats most of what you said above and fun reading.

 

"General thoughts on running a cold system

Running a cold system is really akin to running a fish only system.....in that a lot of waste needs to be handled

[Stephen]

Nice job! Very good read.

 

The guy at Oregon Reef has an incredible reef tank to go along with his cold water tanks.

[dshnarw]

Thank you Daniel. Off to reading. Fascinating and I think I am going to start setting a cw tank soon. Now, start with reading. Much of oregonreef.com repeats most of what you said above and fun reading.

 

"General thoughts on running a cold system

Running a cold system is really akin to running a fish only system.....in that a lot of waste needs to be handled…..but, minimal lighting and reactors are needed. Yes, you need a thicker acrylic tank…..and yes, you need a chiller…..however, you do not need calcium reactors, heaters, high flow, or metal halides. The cost of running a cold tank is less than running an SPS reef, about equal to running an LPS reef, and a little more than running a fish only tank. For those who think that they can run this type of system employing “natural” filtration methods (e.g. no skimmer and nutrient export through a refugium), you’re sorely mistaken. These tanks have huge nutrient inputs..…and consequently, need huge mechanical nutrient exports to be successful."

 

Thanks for writting such a detail guidelines for the newbies like me.

 

 

anytime! let me know if you have questions, and when you get around to purchasing some livestock, i might be able to work up some money to share in the cost since my tank is still a bit on the empty side.

 

 

Nice job! Very good read.

 

The guy at Oregon Reef had an incredible reef tank to go along with his cold water tanks.

 

Thanks Stephen. I, with much sadness, corrected that one for you. He suffered a tank crash on his reef tank a while back and decided not to rebuild such a large system in favor of a smaller one that gives him more freedom. His coldwater tank was sold to another individual, and now resides at an LFS in Oregon - still doing very nicely last I'd heard. But they certainly were beautiful tanks, both provided me much inspiration.

[Stephen]

Thanks Stephen. I, with much sadness, corrected that one for you. He suffered a tank crash on his reef tank a while back and decided not to rebuild such a large system in favor of a smaller one that gives him more freedom. His coldwater tank was sold to another individual, and now resides at an LFS in Oregon - still doing very nicely last I'd heard. But they certainly were beautiful tanks, both provided me much inspiration.

 

Oh wow. I bet that was hard to swallow for him. What happened to it?

[dshnarw]

Oh wow. I bet that was hard to swallow for him. What happened to it?

 

I think he had a malfunction with his ATO system which overflowed the tank and dropped the salinity. There's a thread on RC somewhere that describes it in fairly depressing detail.

[Stephen]

Bummer.... I may have to see if I can find it later. I noticed you had a tank thread on nano-reef.com I've been following. Don't post much there though after watching it become such a rampant troll playground.

[dshnarw]

Bummer.... I may have to see if I can find it later. I noticed you had a tank thread on nano-reef.com I've been following. Don't post much there though after watching it become such a rampant troll playground.

 

Thanks for keeping up with my thread at least If you follow no other threads over there, you should at least check out the various tank threads Jamie has - very impressive cw nano tanks with a lot of good info on the species and where he obtains them.

 

 

LA Divers Den has a few nice coldwater trunkfish up right now. They had a couple of coldwater anemones as well that I grabbed up .

 

 

 

 

 

Thought I'd add a few more pieces of information to the thread slowly over time, mostly regarding livestock that can be found somewhat easily.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll start with the strawberry anemone, Corynactis californica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little jewel is one of the highlights of coldwater aquaria. Most commonly found in pink, it also appears in orange, purple, red, peach, and white. It is found off the coast of California, in fairly deep water. I usually consider these the mini carpets of coldwater aquaria - the species that everyone wants but no one can find. It is illegal to remove these from California coastal waters without an extremely difficult to obtain permit, which has prevented all but public aquaria from getting their hands on them. Recently, however, Foreshores.net was able to obtain quite a few from unknown (to me) sources, and sells them at a premium - $25/polyp. A few oil rig divers have collected these from international waters during cleaning dives on the rigs and brought them back legally into the country through other states...these collections are very few and far between, but a hobbyist with good connections and lucky timing can obtain a few hundred for the cost of shipping.

 

In the tank, these are extremely hardy corallimorphs. They hold their own against poor water conditions and the attacks of other species equally well. A word of caution when dealing with several groups - each colony of strawberries can/will attack any other colony of strawberries they bump into. Keeping them with their own clones is fine, but putting multiple clones near each other may result in some nasty warfare.

 

My experience is that foods should be fairly small in size. They really enjoy cyclopeeze and small pieces of mysis. They have very large, fairly sticky nematocysts that are well adapted to catching food. I tend to just toss the food in the tank and let them catch it on their own.

 

Reproduction in strawberry anemones is extremely fast. They have been called the coldwater aiptasia in this respect. Fortunately, they tend not to move around the tank, choosing instead the relative protection of the group. This allows the hobbyist to simply prune the anemones back as needed. Strawberries reproduce by pedal laceration, like tropical mushrooms. In several cases, a single polyp has been seen making up to 7 babies at a time. It would not surprise me in the least if they could be sliced up like a tropical mushroom polyp and tossed back in the tank.

 

Lighting should be subdued for best presentation - in my experience, strawberry anemones are quite light sensitive, and strong lighting will cause them to stay closed through much of the light cycle. This better mimics their natural condition, living mostly at depths where little light penetrates. Divers have reported that, around the time they begin to rely on their flashlights, they begin to see strawberry anemones on the oil rigs.

 

Water temperatures can range from 55*-62* with no issues. They may do well beyond this range, but most coldwater aquaria are kept at or near 60* to provide optimal conditions for the most livestock possible.

 

Flow can be quite variable. They seem to spread more quickly in high flow areas, but have done well in every system and flow regime I've found.

 

 

Altogether, these are one of the best species for consideration in coldwater aquaria, but be prepared for a long wait and/or a hefty price in obtaining them. Well worth whatever price and whatever wait you have to endure - undoubtedly my favorite coldwater coral/anemone.

[Jan]

Great thread. I found it doing a search on Google for strawberry anemone. Now that I have them what do I do with them? Can these anemone survive in my reef tank at a temperature of 79 degrees F?

[lanman]

Great thread. I found it doing a search on Google for strawberry anemone. Now that I have them what do I do with them? Can these anemone survive in my reef tank at a temperature of 79 degrees F?

I have what appear to be corynactis in my nano - and they seem to be surviving quite well, even though the colors aren't as strong as the pictures above. Obviously I'm over-feeding my tank.

 

bob

[dshnarw]

I have what appear to be corynactis in my nano - and they seem to be surviving quite well, even though the colors aren't as strong as the pictures above. Obviously I'm over-feeding my tank.

 

bob

 

Yup, Corynactis - different species, but same requirements (except for temperature, of course). IME, the tropical species tend to be more drab colored, even under optimal conditions. There are certainly examples of tropical species that differ from that trend, but the vast majority are brown or muted pinks and oranges. Hopefully with the increase in hitchhiking Corynactis, we'll get some of the more colorful ones along as well, such as the bright green Corynactis viridis:

 

(NOT my photo, from www.marlin.ac.uk)

 

more commonly, the tropical species are in this color range:

[L8 2 RISE]

found this for you cold water/temperate reefers http://www.nyaquatic.com/servlet/the-705/R...-Anemone/Detail

[dshnarw]

found this for you cold water/temperate reefers http://www.nyaquatic.com/servlet/the-705/R...-Anemone/Detail

 

AWESOME!! Thanks much

 

bought it

 

Edited April 3, 2009 by dshnarw

[L8 2 RISE]

Sweet! is that it?

[dshnarw]

Sweet! is that it?

 

that was NY Aquatic's photo. Saved a copy before they removed the page.

 

I assume it'll be shipped next week, and my other pink/red one will have a twin

[C-Rad]

It is illegal to remove these [strawberry anemones] from California coastal waters without an extremely difficult to obtain permit, which has prevented all but public aquaria from getting their hands on them

 

I have done extensive research, and I have not been able to verify that it is illegal to take strawberry anemone (Corynactis Californicus) from California coastal waters. It is generally believed (but not true) that it is illegal to keep an aquarium in California with native California coastal animals in it. I live in California, and I've carefully searched the Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG) regulations (and California penal code) and while some things are illegal, many things, including Strawberry anemone, are legal.

 

Assuming one has a California fishing license the restrictions are:

1) No collecting in "Marine Protected Areas" (MPAs). There are explicitly listed and defined in the DFG regulations. Most state beachs are NOT MPA, and most areas of the coast are open to collecting.

2) No fish may be taken away from the ocean alive.

3) No invertebrates may be taken from "the intertidal zone" EXCEPT the things listed in the "invertebrates" section of the DFG Regulations. The list include (allows) muscles, clams, octopus, etc. (see the regs for specifics) The list of things you may take from the intertidal zone includes the things that people have traditionally gathered for food.

4) The intertidal zone is defined as an area from the mean high tide line, extending 1000 feet seaward. That will include all tide pools, and even 1000 foot radius around any rocks that are exposed at mean high tide.

5) There are open seasons, size limits and bag limits put on some things (like abalone and lobster), and a very few specific species are illegal to take at all, but there are no restrictions beyond those that I've mentioned.

 

So, based on #3 above, it is illegal to take any anemones from within 1000 feet of the mean high tide line. That means that it is NOT ILLEGAL to take anemones that are found outside that zone. Generally, Strawberry anemone live deeper than the intertidal zone anyway, so if you are more than 1000 feet off shore you can take anything that is not specifically prohibited, and anemones are NOT prohibited. IF one has a boat, or even a surf board, it is not hard to find rocky areas 1000 feet off shore. If you can SCUBA dive, or even just hold your breath, you can find strawberry anemone, or many other very cool things to keep in a cold water aquarium.

 

Not everyone will be willing and able to dive for animals 1/4 mile or more off shore, but for those who, there are few legal limits imposed. And there are many things (on the list) that are legal to take from easily accessible tide pools (snails, shrimp, octopus, worms, and crabs for example.) If you are willing to do the swimming, and live withing the rules I've mentioned - go for it!

 

 

Now for the disclaimer. I am certain that collecting animals, within the limits I've described, is within the law as it is written. What I don't know is, if the law is enforced as it is written. Given the passion that many people have for nature, it may be the case that some state agencies, and/or judges, will give tickets and impose fines for doing things that are not illegal. I honestly don't know what the common enforcement practice is. As a result, I play it safe by trying to be discrete. I'm a little careful who I tell about my tank, and I keep records about where I collect things, so that I can show, if I ever need to, that I was beyond the 1000 foot limit (where applicable). I don't know where the belief came from that keeping California native marine animals in a home aquarium is illegal. It may just be a myth, it may come from the fact that it really is illegal to SELL wild caught California animals (without a difficult to get and expensive permit). At my most paranoid I worry that maybe people are being routinely cited and fined for doing things that are simply not illegal. Anyway, there may (or may not) be a risk. I choose to keep the animals, keep a low profile, and if I ever have a problem, at least I'll have the letter of the law on my side when I fight it.