A drive to the beach...is it worth it?

[Alex P]

I'm interested in starting my own 55 gal reef aquarium. I have been
reading alot of posts, books, and browsing the net. I was wondering
if this is feasible. I live in North Carolina about 4hrs from the
coast. Its warming up and I may soon visit the beach.

If I gathered sand from the ocean to make a DSB and bottled enough
salt water to fill the tank. Would this make it cheaper in the
initial start up? I could just maintain the salinity. I could plant
some live sand into the sand I got from the ocean. Throw some live
rock in there and let it cycle with a few snails, then add a few fish.

I know I sound like a noob. Its because I am. I want to visualize
everything and learn as much as I can until I actually go out and
start spending money and killing stuff...

also another question. Do I need a Venturi protein skimmer if I have
a refugium? Or is both ok?

Also.. If I put a concrete block or anything in the tank with live
rock will it eventually cover with coral or become more like the live
rock? if so how long?

This tank is going to be a learning tank. I really want to know about
the ecology and how the entire little world works rather than have it
visually appeeling. I like the rocks and see how all the little
things in the tank live together etc.

also I was thinking of putting live rock on one side of the tank
mostly and having a open area with like a block of concrete to see how
stuff grows on it etc and see how it will change. also next to the
rocks is it feasible to put some type of sea plants or seaweed bed of
some type?

Crazy questions...


-AP

[Steve Sells]

see me last post for " silica sand" the blocks are good for a Base Rock
formation. they Also used this Technique at the John G Shedd Aquarium in
Chicago.

Steve


"Alex P" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm interested in starting my own 55 gal reef aquarium. I have been
> reading alot of posts, books, and browsing the net. I was wondering
> if this is feasible. I live in North Carolina about 4hrs from the
> coast. Its warming up and I may soon visit the beach.
>
> If I gathered sand from the ocean to make a DSB and bottled enough
> salt water to fill the tank. Would this make it cheaper in the
> initial start up? I could just maintain the salinity. I could plant
> some live sand into the sand I got from the ocean. Throw some live
> rock in there and let it cycle with a few snails, then add a few fish.
>
> I know I sound like a noob. Its because I am. I want to visualize
> everything and learn as much as I can until I actually go out and
> start spending money and killing stuff...
>
> also another question. Do I need a Venturi protein skimmer if I have
> a refugium? Or is both ok?
>
> Also.. If I put a concrete block or anything in the tank with live
> rock will it eventually cover with coral or become more like the live
> rock? if so how long?
>
> This tank is going to be a learning tank. I really want to know about
> the ecology and how the entire little world works rather than have it
> visually appeeling. I like the rocks and see how all the little
> things in the tank live together etc.
>
> also I was thinking of putting live rock on one side of the tank
> mostly and having a open area with like a block of concrete to see how
> stuff grows on it etc and see how it will change. also next to the
> rocks is it feasible to put some type of sea plants or seaweed bed of
> some type?
>
> Crazy questions...
>
>
> -AP

[Moontanman]

>
>I'm interested in starting my own 55 gal reef aquarium. I have been
>reading alot of posts, books, and browsing the net. I was wondering
>if this is feasible. I live in North Carolina about 4hrs from the
>coast. Its warming up and I may soon visit the beach.
>
I live at the beach in NC, shell hash makes a good sand bed and fine sandy mud
can be used for a refugium or even the mud bed if you don't disturb the layers.
But unless you are going for the undisturbed mud layers or just have to have
shell hash 4 hours is a long way to go. On the other had fresh shell hash has
all the little creatures that make live sand alive and if you take steps to
keep it alive before using it (don't expose it to freshwater or let it stand
too wet or too dry too long) shell hash can make for a great start to a marine
tank. You will need a 4X4 to get down on the beach to find places where the
ocean has separated out the shell hash from the sand. You can grade the shell
hash with screens with ocean water while you are there. I like to use a
Fiberglas window screen to sift out stuff too small and a 1/4" plastic screen
to screen out stuff too big but if you are going for a deep sand bed you can
use it all. the ocean separates is out pretty good all by itself. Mud is a
little more problematic. I would get a plastic flat container about the size of
the tank you want to put it in and dig out and isolate a portion of mud that
size by digging around it then carefully dig it up with a flat shovel and lay
it neatly in the flat container trying not to disturb the layers of anaerobic
and anoxic animals, 6" thick is about right. I use it in the refugium and use
sugar aragonite in the main tank with a little bit of fine shell hash added for
the organisms that live there. You will end up with real live sand and lots of
organisms that are impossible to get by any other means. If you go to South
Eastern NC beaches after the weathergets warm syou will even be getting
tropical animals in your shell hash. Around here all teh animals stop in cold
weather or die out to be replaced by larvae from the gulf stream when the water
gets warm. Further north and you would be getting aninals that really need cold
water but here the water gets to be in the 80's much of the year and that is
when everyting grows and reproduces unlike cold water areas.



Moon
My futures so bright, I gotta wear shades!

I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
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