Oregon ocean 5 gallon

[someguyinoregon]

I have a 5 gallon set up and have done saltwater aquariums before I had a 75 gallon seahorse tank. I’m wanting to do a 5 gallon saltwater tank with things. I just get off the Oregon coast so sand ocean water and then what I’m able to find in a tide pool. I’m curious if anyone has an idea of what invertebrates would likely be able to live in this environment? I do have a water chiller. I think I’m gonna need really high turnover for the tank. Would love if I could sustain some red macros that we get.

 

[Brian W]

I have a 5 gallon set up and have done saltwater aquariums before I had a 75 gallon seahorse tank. I’m wanting to do a 5 gallon saltwater tank with things. I just get off the Oregon coast so sand ocean water and then what I’m able to find in a tide pool. I’m curious if anyone has an idea of what invertebrates would likely be able to live in this environment? I do have a water chiller. I think I’m gonna need really high turnover for the tank. Would love if I could sustain some red macros that we get.

I think this is a cool idea. If you don't have one already it be a good idea to pick up decent little microscope too.

I would assume you will get all different sorts of microfauna. As well as maybe different larger crustaceans and just random unknown living organisms. You may get lucky and get a pistol shrimp, crabs or regular shrimp.

Please post here so we can see what you get!

 

[sharkb8_muhaha]

Hi! I’m just a bit north of you in Washington and also have a 5 gallon coldwater tank. I have blue lined chitons that are very pretty and cool when I get to see them( they’re a type of snail technically so they come out mostly when lights are off). I also have a hermit crab, limpets, and a green shore crab. My current star is my fluffy sculpin—all from local tidepools. If you know someone who dives, my dream inhabit is the candy striped shrimp that lives about 20-30ft deep off our coast.

 

[Faurek]

As someone who does this I can tell many things will be fine in the aquarium environment, but some will not, it's trial and error. Shrimp are good for sure, nudis, snails and hares as well as sea stars. Sea squirts, mussels, sponges are way more difficult.

 

[someguyinoregon]

Hi! I’m just a bit north of you in Washington and also have a 5 gallon coldwater tank. I have blue lined chitons that are very pretty and cool when I get to see them( they’re a type of snail technically so they come out mostly when lights are off). I also have a hermit crab, limpets, and a green shore crab. My current star is my fluffy sculpin—all from local tidepools. If you know someone who dives, my dream inhabit is the candy striped shrimp that lives about 20-30ft deep off our coast.

Do you use a water chiller? What’s your temps at? I actually scuba dive I did notice the smallest baby shrimp that came as a hitchhiker no idea what it is though

 

[someguyinoregon]

So I ended up setting up the tank with no water chiller, sand from the beach and ocean water, and one large detached dying macro tha was the size of a baseball. I let the tank sit with the occasional top off for about a year. It grew a bunch of algea, all the pods died, but it did grow and maintain a large bristtle worm in that environment. I recently set up the water chiller (1/10 hp eco chiller) to 50 degrees and got a few rocks and macros that I put in. I know it will be trial and error but we will see how it does. We have limpets chitons, snail, some very small but true hermit carbs, and a very small purple urchin. I did see the smallest of shrimp with the hermits. I grabbed some rocks with a fair amount of coralline algea that I hope will stay / won’t bleach. I run a light at 1/10 white spectrum and 1/10 blue spectrum 3 hours a day while it’s adjusting. And I have a strong blower fan in there that turns on 8 hours a day

 

[sharkb8_muhaha]

Do you use a water chiller? What’s your temps at? I actually scuba dive I did notice the smallest baby shrimp that came as a hitchhiker no idea what it is though

My tank runs at 55-58°F with a chiller. The hitchhiker shrimp you mentioned could be a number of species such as grass shrimp/kelp shrimp or sand shrimp which are most common—Unlikely to be the anemone shrimp I mentioned.