Have you ever taken things from the Ocean to put in your tank?

[ZoWhat]

When I started my tank everything came from the sea. The rocks, coral (which was dead at that time)

Barnacles, fish, crabs, shrimp, horseshoe crabs, urchins and anything I could find that was alive and small enough I put in my tank.
The water I still collect in the sea and of course amphipods.



I once had an urchin collection business where I would SCUBA for urchins. I went to the environmental protection agency for an urchin collection permit and they said to me,
"Whats an urchin"? so I figured I didn't need a permit.

<----------------<<<< My avitar is a local New York hermit crab that was about half an inch long. Very common at one time here but not any more. I took that picture at night on a lobster dive.

This guy.


These guys and dozens of pipefish and seahorses.

@Paul B you are a true true Trailblazer..... Keep on going on!

 

[Rjramos]

In south Florida many years ago, (early 90’s), right about the time that reef aquariums started to become popular, you were allowed to collect many different organisms from the ocean. My first reef tank in 1995, had live rock, which was then, legally harvested by me. Years prior to this, ornamental fish were the only interest for collecting, since our tanks had nothing but dead corals skeletons in them. Back then, a beach dive out to 100 yards would yield a catch container full or fish. Juvenile queen, French, gray, and rock beauty angels, blue tang, neon gobies, sharp nose puffers, butterflies, jackknife fish, spanish and Cuban hogfish for example. The only inverts of interest back then were coral banded shrimp and the skunk cleaner shrimp. There was no need for CUC back then. With the start of reef tanks, collecting blue leg hermits, scarlet hermits, arrow crabs, emerald crabs, sally lightfast crabs and ástrea snails and live sand became popular. Shortly after they banned the collection of live rock. The angels and butterflies became unpopular cause they were known to nip at your corals. Nowadays, many organisms are regulated under ornamentals by the FWC. So you have to know before you collect anything. Most fish have size slots. Any coral with a stony base is illegal. Zoanthids, mushroom, some gorgonians and sea whips, brown star polyps, are still allowed with regulations. Familiarizing self with specific regulations is a must do before collecting. Recently, Biscayne National Park banned the collection of ALL ornamental aquarium species collection. Knowing the boundaries of the park is important. It is illegal to sell or trade anything you collect, so bringing something to your LFS for credit is not allowed with a recreational license.
Although I still have catch nets and equipment, I don’t collect much these days. CUC like blue leg hermits and astrea snails I get only when I personally need them. Last fish I collected were a Queen angel and a jackknife fish some years back. I ended up releasing the Queen, and the Jackknife was given to a friend his FOWLR set up. In the state of Florida, I know this subject well, so any questions are welcome. Here are some pics of some things I’ve collected.

 

[IKD]

In south Florida many years ago, (early 90’s), right about the time that reef aquariums started to become popular, you were allowed to collect many different organisms from the ocean. My first reef tank in 1995, had live rock, which was then, legally harvested by me. Years prior to this, ornamental fish were the only interest for collecting, since our tanks had nothing but dead corals skeletons in them. Back then, a beach dive out to 100 yards would yield a catch container full or fish. Juvenile queen, French, gray, and rock beauty angels, blue tang, neon gobies, sharp nose puffers, butterflies, jackknife fish, spanish and Cuban hogfish for example. The only inverts of interest back then were coral banded shrimp and the skunk cleaner shrimp. There was no need for CUC back then. With the start of reef tanks, collecting blue leg hermits, scarlet hermits, arrow crabs, emerald crabs, sally lightfast crabs and ástrea snails and live sand became popular. Shortly after they banned the collection of live rock. The angels and butterflies became unpopular cause they were known to nip at your corals. Nowadays, many organisms are regulated under ornamentals by the FWC. So you have to know before you collect anything. Most fish have size slots. Any coral with a stony base is illegal. Zoanthids, mushroom, some gorgonians and sea whips, brown star polyps, are still allowed with regulations. Familiarizing self with specific regulations is a must do before collecting. Recently, Biscayne National Park banned the collection of ALL ornamental aquarium species collection. Knowing the boundaries of the park is important. It is illegal to sell or trade anything you collect, so bringing something to your LFS for credit is not allowed with a recreational license.
Although I still have catch nets and equipment, I don’t collect much these days. CUC like blue leg hermits and astrea snails I get only when I personally need them. Last fish I collected were a Queen angel and a jackknife fish some years back. I ended up releasing the Queen, and the Jackknife was given to a friend his FOWLR set up. In the state of Florida, I know this subject well, so any questions are welcome.

You ever collect in areas like Cape Canaveral or Sanibel?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Have you ever taken things from the Ocean to put in your tank? What did you take?

Laws are different in each situation.

I believe you can buy a Fishing License in Florida and permitted to take certain things at certain qtys.

some snail shells for my hermits.

 

[ScottR]

I used to live in Hawaii and would get everything from the ocean (live rock, sand, water, fish, corals, algae, etc.) it was very not legal. oops.

And then hit up Coffee Talk after? …I just had to.

 

[ScottR]

My son had this thing where he wanted to collect random things from the beach whenever we went. I would say no no no no no. One time, he found this rock that was just completely purple and I deemed it safe. This was a few tanks ago. I think it’s still in my current tank somewhere. But generally, no. I’m picky about what goes in.

 

[Rjramos]

You ever collect in areas like Cape Canaveral or Sanibel?

Never collected anywhere north of Ft lauderdale or the west coast. Scarlet red legs hermit crabs, I have heard are more common on the west coast of Florida. I have yet to confirm this. In south Florida, I occasionally find 2-3 under a coral head, but not that common, whereas blue legs are found on ankle deep beaches over here.

 

[andiesreef]

Have you ever taken things from the Ocean to put in your tank? What did you take?

Laws are different in each situation.

I believe you can buy a Fishing License in Florida and permitted to take certain things at certain qtys.

i've put shells i've collected and coral skeletons from the sea in the tank. if i lived near the sea i would try and collect more things to add like sand and water and such.

 

[dirtyxducks19]

It

Back in 2014 we drove down to Florida. The kids wanted to keep the the hermit to put in the tank. So they made the road trip back to Indiana.

The eye lashes!! Hahaha. That’s awesome

 

[Rjramos]

Redirect Notice

Many may not be aware but the Caribbean land hermit crab is illegal to take in the state of Florida. They have become popular exotic pets in last 20 years, but you can’t take a wild one. Although they can live to 30 years or more in the wild, they don’t do well long term in captivity.

 

[Hadla]

Yeah cause most people don’t know how to properly care for them I knew I couldn’t handle all the work of land hermits which is why I got started with saltwater for hermits!

 

[ClearRain]

Every summer we get a bunch of donations of decent size Atlantic hermits that people have accidently brought home from the beach. They take a shell home, and it moves over night haha

 

[PFortman]

Have you ever taken things from the Ocean to put in your tank? What did you take?

Laws are different in each situation.

I believe you can buy a Fishing License in Florida and permitted to take certain things at certain qtys.

I have collected fish and invertebrates from the waters off Florida since I was a kid. It is how I got started in marine aquariums. For people under the age of 65, a Florida fishing license is required. There are species size and bag limits. Read under "My Florida Fishing Regulations" find the section titled:

• Marine Life (Aquarium) Species

 

[Paul B]

... Keep on going on!

I am trying to but things happen.

 

[Farfrumugen]

Back in middle school my friends family went to Florida for vacation. He brought a bunch of shells home. After about a week he noticed a horrid smell. Started moving stuff to look for it and moved a shell. dang octopus oozed out dead.

 

[GeoSquid]

I live near san Diego and I use sand filtered water from the scripps pier. The Birch aquarium uses the same source. Also, I collect amphipods, macro algae from the outflow of the birch aquarium and hermits, limpets and turbo snails from tidepools. I tried a sponge from a piling at low tide while I was surfing but it didn't last long. I have two triggers in my reef and they eat the hermits and snails as fast as I can put them In.

 

[Hypnotoad]

I brought a single serving hotel ketchup bottle full of sand from Rangiroa Atoll in French Polynesia.

Dumped it in my tank when I got home for a little Tahitian mana

 

[matt199]

I do a lot of diving in Florida and I have also grabbed things here and there.I had a cool baby flounder the size of a quarter back in my early days.

 

[alain Bouchard]

nothing. I live about 1000 km from the ocean, and north, so would have to make a few more 1000 km to get anything nice for my reef...But I was wondering, for you who live in florida or hawaii...why have a reef tank when you get the full sized ocean a walk away from home?

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I haven’t but I have considered feeding my fish chopped up parts of fish I catch in the Gulf of Mexico.