My First Saltwater Tank: 55 Gallon Cold Water Salish Sea [Puget Sound] Biotope

TheLarkInn

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Hi all, hope you will appreciate this new tank build. It all started when my son accidentally brought home a marine hermit crab and it was too much for me to say no. What started as a 10 gallon saltwater holding tank, evolved quickly into a every other day secret trips to the Salish Sea to find beautiful inverts and critters to stock into this new 55 gallon tank.

This is my first tank, stocked with Chitons, Nems, Sea Lemon Nudibranch, Tidepool Sculpin, lots of Hermit Crab friends for Herme the original Hermit Crab, large and small Shore Crabs, Limpets, Barnacles, Muscles, a variety of Shrimp that are Green and I have no idea what they are and a large Coccle Clam. There are some artifical's in the tank to satisfy the children :) but the hermit crabs don't seem to mind.

I have a chiller and keep the temperature around 57F. Anyone have recommendations on current/flow generators for the bottom for nems and barnacles? As the ammonia levels continue to drop below .25 PPM, I'll start looking to stock with more large rocks and Sculpins or other intertidal fish species that can fit the tank environment. Any recommendations on not-too-predatory Sea Stars?

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TheLarkInn

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cool!
are you getting any condensation from the tank? what temp are you running it?
I get just a little condensation on the tank when the kids are up against it breathing on it. I have been indecision on what temperature is ideal. But I've settled on something between 55F-60F based on the regional temperatures of the Puget Sound.
 

Devaji

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I get just a little condensation on the tank when the kids are up against it breathing on it. I have been indecision on what temperature is ideal. But I've settled on something between 55F-60F based on the regional temperatures of the Puget Sound.

there is a great cold water FB group. might be helpful. but dont leave us we will be sooooo Sad . not many cold water tanks on here is its refreshing to see. :)
 
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TheLarkInn

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there is a great cold water FB group. might be helpful. but dont leave us we will be sooooo Sad . not many cold water tanks on here is its refreshing to see. :)
I’ll definitely stick around but please feel free to share the name of the group id love to join it on facebook as well!!!!
 

Smarkow

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This is awesome. Your coldwater anemone garden is impressive. Any plans to stock with some fish?

oh and welcome to R2R!
1623948614787.gif
 

revhtree

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Coooooool tank! See what I did there?? :p
 
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TheLarkInn

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This is awesome. Your coldwater anemone garden is impressive. Any plans to stock with some fish?

oh and welcome to R2R!
1623948614787.gif
Thanks for the welcomes! I definitely plan to add fish but I'm still battling some constantly increasing ammonia levels. I'd like to wait until my Bio Filter has stabalized before I add more fish. But definitely fish are in the long term equation.
 

Smarkow

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Thanks for the welcomes! I definitely plan to add fish but I'm still battling some constantly increasing ammonia levels. I'd like to wait until my Bio Filter has stabalized before I add more fish. But definitely fish are in the long term equation.
Sounds like a plan, good luck
 

monkeyCmonkeyDo

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I used to go down to oregon to collect for my coldwater. Also u can catch small bottom fish here and pinch the barb. No size limit on the bottom fish or at least when i was doing it.
By catches or hitchhikers are gonna be ur friend. Lol
D
 
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TheLarkInn

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I used to go down to oregon to collect for my coldwater. Also u can catch small bottom fish here and pinch the barb. No size limit on the bottom fish or at least when i was doing it.
By catches or hitchhikers are gonna be ur friend. Lol
D
The most exciting thing for our kids so far has been watching the mysterious hitch hikers and plankton/bug blooms come out of no where. Yesterday we looked to see 10s of thousands of tiny creatures along the glass. Under a microscope you could see they had little antenna, green line down their body and a tiny red brain/heart. Super fun! More food for the barnacles and anems I suppose
 

Smarkow

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Your OG post inspired me to go read about the Salish Sea and the Sculpin. I saw that they can go all the way south down the CA coast. Wonder if they could do okay in our tropical tanks at the lower temperatures. (Prob not, but cool to think about)
 
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TheLarkInn

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A really fun update! After lots of time, a needed giant sponge filter to help the bio cycle, and losing a few critters to ammonia spikes, and also adding a myriad of oysters I’ve had a lot of fun stabilizing and adding to the tank! Here’s a nice video of the changes!
 

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