Cold water marine from local beach

[Damien]

Hi,

Can anyone suggest if it possible to set up a marine tank with seawater
and washed up plants from a local beach? If so how to go about it.

I made an attempt recently where 3 little purple starfish, a cockle/clam
and a snail where washed up but still alive after a storm at my local
beach along with some rocks with different sorts of seaweed attached and
some sand from the beach. I'm located in southern Australia.

I put in a small filter that was previously used on a freshwater tank
and a small light on top.

The whole thing looked really good - the starfish moved about and
climbed up to the top water line, extended out upside and appeared to
try to filter feed with their tube feet. There were many other small
creatures that appeared - tiny swimming critters and worm like things in
the sand.

But then after 3 days the water went cloudy and started to smell very
bad. I live 2 minutes from the beach so I collected some more sea water
and did a 3/4 water change which didn't really help and over the next
2 days everything died, the starfish sort of broke themselves up, and
the stink was putrid.

Possibly the starfish, cockle/clam and snail where due to die anyway
since they had been washed up.

I'm wondering if I tried again with just sand, rocks and seaweed first.
Then adding animals later would that get the nitrogen cycle going?

Or do I have to do things properly and start with purified water then
buy all the expensive salt, filter, heater, live sand, live rock etc.
from the marine fish shop. This will restrict me to tropicals as that
is all they seem to stock.

I've only setup freshwater tanks and ponds previously.

[....]

I think you answered your question, let the nitrogen cycle start, then add
the algae (seeweed) and then animals. As long as the water, sand, and rocks
are contaminated by local pollution you should be ok to use it. You might
want to look at picking up a protein skimmer.

good luck

"Damien" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Can anyone suggest if it possible to set up a marine tank with seawater
> and washed up plants from a local beach? If so how to go about it.
>
> I made an attempt recently where 3 little purple starfish, a cockle/clam
> and a snail where washed up but still alive after a storm at my local
> beach along with some rocks with different sorts of seaweed attached and
> some sand from the beach. I'm located in southern Australia.
>
> I put in a small filter that was previously used on a freshwater tank
> and a small light on top.
>
> The whole thing looked really good - the starfish moved about and
> climbed up to the top water line, extended out upside and appeared to
> try to filter feed with their tube feet. There were many other small
> creatures that appeared - tiny swimming critters and worm like things in
> the sand.
>
> But then after 3 days the water went cloudy and started to smell very
> bad. I live 2 minutes from the beach so I collected some more sea water
> and did a 3/4 water change which didn't really help and over the next
> 2 days everything died, the starfish sort of broke themselves up, and
> the stink was putrid.
>
> Possibly the starfish, cockle/clam and snail where due to die anyway
> since they had been washed up.
>
> I'm wondering if I tried again with just sand, rocks and seaweed first.
> Then adding animals later would that get the nitrogen cycle going?
>
> Or do I have to do things properly and start with purified water then
> buy all the expensive salt, filter, heater, live sand, live rock etc.
> from the marine fish shop. This will restrict me to tropicals as that
> is all they seem to stock.
>
> I've only setup freshwater tanks and ponds previously.
>

[....]

correction: As long as the water, sand, and rocks are NOT contaminated by
local pollution you should be ok to use it.



"...." > wrote in message
. ..
> I think you answered your question, let the nitrogen cycle start, then add
> the algae (seeweed) and then animals. As long as the water, sand, and
rocks
> are contaminated by local pollution you should be ok to use it. You might
> want to look at picking up a protein skimmer.
>
> good luck
>
> "Damien" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi,
> >
> > Can anyone suggest if it possible to set up a marine tank with seawater
> > and washed up plants from a local beach? If so how to go about it.
> >
> > I made an attempt recently where 3 little purple starfish, a cockle/clam
> > and a snail where washed up but still alive after a storm at my local
> > beach along with some rocks with different sorts of seaweed attached and
> > some sand from the beach. I'm located in southern Australia.
> >
> > I put in a small filter that was previously used on a freshwater tank
> > and a small light on top.
> >
> > The whole thing looked really good - the starfish moved about and
> > climbed up to the top water line, extended out upside and appeared to
> > try to filter feed with their tube feet. There were many other small
> > creatures that appeared - tiny swimming critters and worm like things in
> > the sand.
> >
> > But then after 3 days the water went cloudy and started to smell very
> > bad. I live 2 minutes from the beach so I collected some more sea water
> > and did a 3/4 water change which didn't really help and over the next
> > 2 days everything died, the starfish sort of broke themselves up, and
> > the stink was putrid.
> >
> > Possibly the starfish, cockle/clam and snail where due to die anyway
> > since they had been washed up.
> >
> > I'm wondering if I tried again with just sand, rocks and seaweed first.
> > Then adding animals later would that get the nitrogen cycle going?
> >
> > Or do I have to do things properly and start with purified water then
> > buy all the expensive salt, filter, heater, live sand, live rock etc.
> > from the marine fish shop. This will restrict me to tropicals as that
> > is all they seem to stock.
> >
> > I've only setup freshwater tanks and ponds previously.
> >
>
>

[Damien]

..... wrote:
> correction: As long as the water, sand, and rocks are NOT contaminated by
> local pollution you should be ok to use it.
>
>
>
> "...." > wrote in message
> . ..
>
>>I think you answered your question, let the nitrogen cycle start, then add
>>the algae (seeweed) and then animals. As long as the water, sand, and
>
> rocks
>
>>are contaminated by local pollution you should be ok to use it. You might
>>want to look at picking up a protein skimmer.
>>
>>good luck
>>
>>"Damien" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>Can anyone suggest if it possible to set up a marine tank with seawater
>>>and washed up plants from a local beach? If so how to go about it.
>>>
>>>I made an attempt recently where 3 little purple starfish, a cockle/clam
>>> and a snail where washed up but still alive after a storm at my local
>>>beach along with some rocks with different sorts of seaweed attached and
>>>some sand from the beach. I'm located in southern Australia.
>>>
>>>I put in a small filter that was previously used on a freshwater tank
>>>and a small light on top.
>>>
>>>The whole thing looked really good - the starfish moved about and
>>>climbed up to the top water line, extended out upside and appeared to
>>>try to filter feed with their tube feet. There were many other small
>>>creatures that appeared - tiny swimming critters and worm like things in
>>>the sand.
>>>
>>>But then after 3 days the water went cloudy and started to smell very
>>>bad. I live 2 minutes from the beach so I collected some more sea water
>>> and did a 3/4 water change which didn't really help and over the next
>>>2 days everything died, the starfish sort of broke themselves up, and
>>>the stink was putrid.
>>>
>>>Possibly the starfish, cockle/clam and snail where due to die anyway
>>>since they had been washed up.
>>>
>>>I'm wondering if I tried again with just sand, rocks and seaweed first.
>>> Then adding animals later would that get the nitrogen cycle going?
>>>
>>>Or do I have to do things properly and start with purified water then
>>>buy all the expensive salt, filter, heater, live sand, live rock etc.
>>>from the marine fish shop. This will restrict me to tropicals as that
>>>is all they seem to stock.
>>>
>>>I've only setup freshwater tanks and ponds previously.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
Thanks for the advise. I'll definately give it a go but I think I'd
better get some test kits.

I've known about the nitrogen cycle and have maintained freshwater
setups for years but must admit to being not very particular in setting
them up and have got away with it - most probably due to only light
stocking with animals and having lots of plants.

Now I've read the FAQ I see that marine is less forgiving.

[Kelly]

Is there any real way to check for contamination?

[Damien]

Kelly wrote:
> Is there any real way to check for contamination?
>
>
I don't know of anything for home users. I was just going to get some
test kits for ammonia, ph and nitrates.

I'm sure that my local beach isn't the best pollution wise as it is
surrounded by 2 streams which both collect stormwater from densly
populated suburbs + there is a sewage works nearby.

It is a shame as this metropolatan beach has the last remanent and
intact vegetated sand dune area that I know of in a large city.

There are some wetland/revegetation projects but at the same time there
is a marina + highrise apartments going in.

The beach is very popular so regular polution checks should be made but
if they are there is no public announcements at all so I'd love to get
hold of a cheap way to test for polution.

[Kelly]

You said cold water in the subject does this mean you are only going to
stock it with what you find locally?

[Damien]

Kelly wrote:
> You said cold water in the subject does this mean you are only going to
> stock it with what you find locally?
>
>
Yes that is my intention

[Kelly]

Interesting idea I live on the pacific I should try that.
"Damien" > wrote in message
...
> Kelly wrote:
> > You said cold water in the subject does this mean you are only going to
> > stock it with what you find locally?
> >
> >
> Yes that is my intention
>

[Moontanman]

I live on the coast of NC almost all the marine life here wants to be tropical
and everything that can leaves when the water gets cold in the winter. the
things that can't leave stick it out but they don't do much but hang on and
wait for warm weather. Local stuff from here can be kept ina cool water tank 60
to 70 degress but do best at temps above 70 degress.
remove nospam from e-mail to send to me, I grow trees in aquariums like bonsai.
I breed dwarf crayfish, great for planted community tanks. If you can get me a
shovelnose sturgeon fingerling (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) no wild caught
please, contact me