New to the reef life...

[NCaquaticnoob]

So I am mostly looking for @Paul B advice but all advice is welcome. I live in NC and I have access to floating docks and piers. I'm looking for advice on what type of life I should bring back or definitely don't bring back. I plan on bringing back 8, 5 gallon buckets of water and 2 buckets of shore line sand and wildlife that in it. I have two 40 g tanks in to a single 20 g sump. I would like to have a coral seahorse tank 40g tall as I repurposed two free tanks to make one that is standing up on its end. then the other one just be beautiful hardy fish that do well with the Atlantic parasites. Also I will be doing a lot of the PVC covered with mortar for my rock sculpture.
So my questions would be
1 types of wildlife I should keep from docks or piers? I have been told we have peppermint shrimp.
2 how should I set up my flow in the tall tank?
3 I have a bunch of grow lights from starting plant indoors would they work for lighting on the tanks and sump?
4 what type of coral should I start out with?

Well please be kind but honest and upfront with ideas. I take criticism well but not hate.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

In regards to question 1. Check with your local state regulations. A lot of states don’t allow taking fish/marine life out of the ocean and keeping them.

3. Depends on the intensity of the lights, and the type of spectrum those lights produce. Usually lights designed for plants are different than lights designed for reef tanks (could be wrong here)

4. I would start with simple corals such as: Duncans, mushrooms, toadstools or zoas.

 

[NCaquaticnoob]

In regards to question 1. Check with your local state regulations. A lot of states don’t allow taking fish/marine life out of the ocean and keeping them.

3. Depends on the intensity of the lights, and the type of spectrum those lights produce. Usually lights designed for plants are different than lights designed for reef tanks (could be wrong here)

4. I would start with simple corals such as: Duncans, mushrooms, toadstools or zoas.

Thank you for the input. So I have a lifetime fishing and hunting license and I don't plan on selling anything I collect so I am in the clear with that part. As for the lighting after some research it looks like the only problem I would have is that grow lights use more red/orange vs blue/green, red/orange is absorbed by water and they don't make the coral look as nice. But I do have some blue for seed starting that I'm going to try out on one of the tanks. And thank you on the recommendation on the corals, I will put them on the list.

 

[Fish Fan]

Hello! I'm going to go out on a limb here, and I'm thinking that what you're really trying to do is to get your first reef tank going very inexpensively. That's a very common goal :)

In my very humble, non-expert, opinion, there are much better ways to go about that goal than what you are describing.

I'll let Paul B and the other experts advise you on the fine details, but for broad strokes, and to reiterate what @Gumbies R Us said, PLEASE double check your local laws on collecting wildlife. Your lifetime fishing license is for fish, not rocks, sand, invertebrates, etc. You may be collecting from public parks that strictly prohibit that kind of thing. Even if your docks are private, I'd double check. I would advise that you don't start this hobby in an unethical way :)

Furthermore, unless you can get far off shore, you are risking brining all kinds of pollution like boat fuel into your tank when you collect water from local beaches. It's just not a good idea, in my opinion.

Those grow lights will technically have the power to grow corals, but they are a spectrum that not only won't look right at all, but is catered to growing plants, and will go a long way to fueling algae growth in your tank. That's typically not what most of us want.

No fish will do well in captivity when there are parasites present. Fish in captivity are under more stress, and can at seemingly any time break out in disease when parasites are preset. Admittedly, most reefers don't put much thought into parasite prevention, but we see every day people posting saying that they woke up today and all their fish have white spots. Not where you want to be, again, just my opinion.

You can absolutely use mortars and the like for aquascaping, but those materials may have an impact on the pH of your system, and I *believe* need to be soaked for some time or otherwise prepared before they go in your tank. I've never done this, just suggesting that you double check.

And Seahorses are not an easy fish to start with. They are somewhat delicate, need good quality water, and require constant, multiple feedings of live foods each day. I would really do some research about Seahorse care and decide if they are really the fish you want to start out with.

If you're just getting started in the hobby, and, like me, have a limited budget, I think there are some better ways to go about it, and I'd be glad to try to help you if you'd like :)

For now, I would hold of on fish and corals until you do a little more research on marine tanks and reef tanks specifically (if keeping corals is your goal).

IF, and I mean IF, it's legal to collect animals from your local shore, maybe start with an invert tank. Get some snails, those peppermint shrimp, maybe a small crab, etc.. Those tanks can be very interesting aquariums, and would be a good introduction to keeping marine tanks.

I hope that helps and best of luck!