Started a tank straight from the ocean

Hi everyone,

I recently started a new experimental tank right next to my reef setup. This tank is meant to be all natural, and everything in it is exclusively from the ocean. I live right on the beach, so I went out and got the sand bed, water, and shells/rocks/driftwood to decorate the tank. I have found some crabs and starfish and other various creatures from the beach and put them right in. I go out everyday and get a fresh bucket of water and to a small water change just to keep it fresh. I do not have much in the way of filters or skimmers. Just figure that doing regular water changes with ocean water should do the trick. I was just wondering if this tank needed a proper cycling since it came from the ocean? I do not want to harm these animals that I put in the tank. Also, I am not sure what I should feed the tank either. There are a couple hermit crabs, a beautiful unknown spotted crab which looks like Aethridae, a starfish, and some cockles. I already found that the starfish enjoys eating the cockles, and that the cockles are simply filter feeders so thats covered. I really am not sure what to give the crabs though. I tried giving them seaweed salad that I feed to tangs, but they did not accept it.

I know that was long but I appreciate any insight that people may have. I never started an all "natural" tank like this, and am just hoping that some of you may have some experience with this. Thanks much.

 

Not sure if anyone will have any insight on this. Not many people going and fetching a pale of ocean water and other goodies for a tank. I would be interested in a picture of the tank though. Also, where do you live, as in what coast, etc..

 

I live in Isle of Palms, SC. I will def. take a picture and post it. Need to get a battery for the camera though. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Cool, Hopefully someone else on here will have some insight into "natural" aquariums.

 

Take the driftwood out. Its not meant for SW decor.

What kind of rock? Is it smooth beach rocks or more like what we call live rock. LR from the ocean may not give you a cycle, but smooth rock very well may as it doesn't have much in the way of biofiltration.

I'd be nervous about using live sand from the ocean. I've rinsed it before and placed samples under a scope and there can be some nasty critters in there.

Water grabbed up in shallow water can lead to the introduction of contaminated water. Most peeps use ocean water that was removed from a looooong ways down and filtered through sandbeds. So ya have to be careful doing it the way you currently are.

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Sent from Tapatalk, so please forgive grammar and spelling

 

not suppose to do this...isn't taking from the sea illegal?

 

Thanks for the reply. Actually already took the drift wood out before I posted this. It looked out of place. There are more shells than rocks in the tank. The few rocks that are in there are somewhat porous, which is what I think you were asking with the LR question. Live rock simply means that there are live bacteria, micro and macroscopic organisms living amongst the rock, hence live rock. Live rock comes from the ocean, so it took me a second to get what you were saying. Also, the organisms living in the sand are what the cockles filter feed from. There will be no fish in this tank, so I am not worried about parasites. I am also keeping everything associated with this tank away from my reef/fish tank. As far as the water goes, I get it straight out of the Atlantic ocean.

 

unknown


but i can say that you might need to take water during high tide and at night for the pods and benifical bacteria from what i understand

 

I belive it is in georgia but only from state parks