fresoul Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Quick querstion: I am starting a reef tank and I was wondering if it is ok to catch shrimp in the ocean and transport them to my tank? I live in Austin as was thinking about the summer vacation at the beach. So say a 4-5 hour drive....easy to set up a bubbler for the ride home but has anyone here tried this an did you have any problems? I am guessing it would be mostly shrimp maybe a few other things if i catch something interesting in a throw net. The beach for reference would be anywhere from Galvaston to Corpus Cristi....not sure where yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I know a lot of people get Peppermint Shrimp from down there for their tanks. I am pretty sure that is the only variety you would want to keep in a reef tank though. Do research on what types are down there and what they eat. You would not want one that is a fish predator or a coral eater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I believe a fishing license is a must. I have heard others bringing their "catch" back using the battery operated pumps (bubbler). I've never done it but, the most important thing is to quarantine the livestock before placing in you main display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresoul Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 those are the shrimp i was thinking about and good idea on license...ill have to check on that. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzobob Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 You may want to check with the Tates. I believe they did a trip last year and would probably have some advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I forgot you will also need the saltwater stamp w/the license. Cost around $30 bucks unless the pricing went up. Here is a link to the TPWD website License Info You can expect to catch tons of peppermint shrimp. You can also get pipefish, pods, little fish that are reef safe. You can find Blennies, gobies, butterflies, sgt, majors, urchins, rock anemonies. but not quarinted! You can collect stuff from the rocks on the jetties or in the water with snorkel gear and a hand net. The peppermint shrimp come out at night and can be collected with a dip net and a flash light. You can get a long handled dip net for about $6 at Academy. Please psot what you collected and how for the benifet of our members and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I brought back about a dozen last summer using a battery-powered pump and airstone in an empty salt bucket. I drilled a hole in the lid of the bucket for the air tubing to minimize the slosh factor. Everything went through a night in the hotel room and two water changes at the beach before driving back to Cedar Park the next afternoon with no losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 is everything still doing ok? or did you have loss after the were in the tank? i am asking becuase I was wondering how they do once in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 The peppermint shrimp have slowly whittled down to about half the original number, but I think that's from internal population balancing (ie, killing each other off ; ) more than anything else. I've almost always got at least one pregnant pep in the tank at any given point in time, so the remaining shrimp must be fairly happy. I also brought back three hermit crabs and five juvie sergeant majors from that trip. They lived in my smaller tank for four months, and the fish each almost doubled in size before I cleared them out to make room for seahorses. I took care to acclimate everything well on arrival, but I also brought back a bunch of pretty bullet-proof critters, so take all that into consideration as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 PS - Everything was caught on the jetties using a hand net. The shrimp were caught at night on the big jetty at Port A using flashlights to pick up their eye shine. The various fish and crabs were collected from both the big jetty one night and from a smaller jetty in the state park the next day. I just worked the pools along the sides of the small jetty. BTW, you can find rock anemones in surprising colors deep in between the rocks on the big jetty in Port A. I've got two - the oral disc on the smaller one is about 1", and the bigger is about 2". They prefer things a little darker, so they've made nice accents in the shadows. They've got a MUCH stronger sting/sticky factor than my BTA, but they've not created an problems. I've even got a mandarin in there, and no issues. We found that the trick to collecting these guys is to find the ones that are attached to smaller rocks that you can remove, rock and all. Trying to coax them off of the huge granite boulders didn't work very well. Once you've got them home, take the rock out of the water and repeatedly tap the rock with a hammer near the anemone. Something about the vibrations makes the 'nem let go on its own, so you don't have to worry about tearing the foot. They'll then quickly reattach to whatever new rock you offer. I'd love to hear of someone trying the hammer trick on one of the jetty boulders to see if it works in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 do you have pictures of you rock anemones? i would like to see them if you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt Dreams Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I may be slow for asking this question but what is the jetty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresoul Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 Does anyone have a link to the fish(invertibrates..coral..anything) I can find off the coast? Or at least what is safe to bring back and add to my tank? I didnt realize there would be so many options till I say the post of what some had brought back. I have tried googling Texas salt water fish but I keep getting the one you eat not what can be put in a reef tank. This is more than likely because i'm new to this. This site is great by the way ...thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 My mother-in-law lives down in galveston and has offered before to bring me back little critters that she catches. I've always told her not to worry about it, because I always think of the Texas coast as not having much to look at. I may let her bring me stuff back next time and see what she comes up with. I look forward to more info in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I may be slow for asking this question but what is the jetty? according to Webster: a structure extended into a sea, lake, or river to influence the current or tide or to protect a harbor. used in Port A to protect a harbor. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddybluewater Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I would talk to Chad and Belinda before putting a Sargent major from the coast into your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Mitchell, I don't have any pics of my rock anemones, but here area couple from marc levenson of the rock anemones he brought back from a Port A trip with MAAST a couple of years ago. Mine have more blue and red in them than these pictured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I would talk to Chad and Belinda before putting a Sargent major from the coast into your tank. +1 They're pretty, but they're EXTREMELY territorial. By the time I got rid of mine, the biggest of the four would keep the other three pinned down among the live rock, strafing anybody who dared stick his nose out far enough to be seen. I made a deliberate point of NOT putting them in my main DT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt Dreams Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Wow I do feel slow now I thought it was a short word for something!!! I didnt even think to go to dictionary.com and see what came up. I actually fished off of a jetty before I got my boat...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Heck, the seaweed washing in to the beach normally has a lot of life in it. Lots of shrimps and crabs that are not reef safe. Last year when were were at Port A on the beach, we shook a black and white frogfish out of the seaweed into a pail. We released him after taking some video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KeeperOfTheZoo Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Has anyone found anything cool off of Mustang Island? When we've gone all I found were hermits. We found lots of jelly fish one year in Corpus. There were so many I was afraid to let the kids get in the water. I'm so ready for a trip to the coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresoul Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 To those that have cought some shrimp.........can you bring sand and rock from the ocean as well? Or is this frowned apon? Someone said they cought some anomines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) My Fiancee just called and said she has a rock with 4 anemones on it! They are going back tonight to try and get some shrimp. She also got a few snails. Are there bad snails? Or should most snails be beneficial? Of course I will upload pics once I get these guys in hand on Tuesday. Edited March 15, 2010 by o0zarkawater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 You can get in a LOT of trouble with the wrong snails, esp those that eat other snails. Be sure to do your homework. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddybluewater Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 To those that have cought some shrimp.........can you bring sand and rock from the ocean as well? Or is this frowned apon? Someone said they cought some anomines Live sand that is sold is from a mile or so off shore. You would be making a mistake using sand off the Texas coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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