Drew Mendez WTR Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I am completely new to saltwater aquariums (fishwater for the longest time). My close cousins teach aquatic science at Tuloso Midway ISD. So I call them everyday with questions. I went out to the south jetties a few weeks ago and brought much some good stuff. At least 30-40 Peppermint Shrimp (wait until night scoop the rocks you can find them with a flash light) what is crazy is the price these sell for at your LFS. 10 Seaweed Blennys (took some time to identify) the have some red branchi on their head. I've kept about 3-4 and taken the rest to Aquadome I had found a decorator crab he died the first day back and was eaten Also beware I saw a smallish tan crab later identified as a juvi blue crab (swimming). I didnt do my research and I saw this guy holding my watchmen gobys head and eating it. He went to aquadome the next day. I've since replaced him with a pink spot goby There were 2 black crab which my cousins believe are Sally Light Foot (there not the brightly colored ones) Some Ulva came back I brought a at least 50 pound live rock covered in rock anemones (blues, reds, blue/reds) those are doing good the peppermint have been feasting on most of them. Point to take I was so eager and anxious I didnt do my research beforehand on what I caught. I rushed the process by throwing everyone in and overloading my bioload. My nitrates and phospates went through the roof. No one died from the overload, although It got expensive do water changes and mixing salt. I also cured the live rock poorly. I took it out again and cleaned it and so much brown came off of it. So I lucked out and only lost a Watchmen Goby (20 bucks and my favorite fish) but it could have been alot worse. Learn from me I just added some microalgae in the hopes it can lower the nitrates. Very Respectfully, Drew Mendez 150 Gallon Straight Back Hex with a Eheim. 2 Ballasts of T-8's Actinic, Ocean Sun, Coral Sun, Plant Growth. Longnose Hawkfish, Black Widow Blenny, Blue Damsel, Six Line wrasse, Pink Spot Goby, some cluster of dragoneye zoa's and some orange red zoas??? Peppermint Shrimp, Hermit Crabs, Seaweed Blennys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I've caught many critters down there, some good, some bad. I personally wouldn't put the rock from the Texas gulf in my tank. He||, I won't even get in the water North of S. Padre island, dirty brown goo! It also is not very porous like the reef rocks we use. My favorite was a Sargassum angler that C&B caught and I was able to house for a couple months. When we got her she was smaller than a dime and would only eat tiny cope/amphipods. As she grew she was finally big enough to eat brine shrimp! My wife brought me back a little rock once with a couple rock nems on it, I put it in a quarantine tank I had setup at the time. It never made it to my display tank. There are also lots of unknown bugs on those rocks you pulled out, some of which may not be the best for a reef aquarium. I've seem some pretty large Isopods come on rock from the gulf. http://www.reefkeepi...ues/2002-05/rs/ The rocks will also have plenty of bivalves on them, which will last a couple weeks to a month (two?) in your tank. Its hard to keep enough plankton in the water column to keep many of them alive. One of the other cool critters I found on rock from the gulf was skeleton shrimp http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/crustacea/Amphipoda/Caprella.htm . They also just lasted a couple weeks, I don't know it they died from lack of food, or were eaten. Welcome to the addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad and Belinda Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We usually go down there every July. We go collecting on the jetties with a group, some from ARC and some from another club. We usually come back with hundreds of peppermint shrip. Last year I even caught a porcupine puffer smaller than a dime. There are some really cool things to catch. We are going back again this July...we've already booked our house....can't wait till July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I've caught many critters down there, some good, some bad. I personally wouldn't put the rock from the Texas gulf in my tank. He||, I won't even get in the water North of S. Padre island, dirty brown goo! It also is not very porous like the reef rocks we use. My favorite was a Sargassum angler that C&B caught and I was able to house for a couple months. When we got her she was smaller than a dime and would only eat tiny cope/amphipods. As she grew she was finally big enough to eat brine shrimp! My wife brought me back a little rock once with a couple rock nems on it, I put it in a quarantine tank I had setup at the time. It never made it to my display tank. There are also lots of unknown bugs on those rocks you pulled out, some of which may not be the best for a reef aquarium. I've seem some pretty large Isopods come on rock from the gulf. http://www.reefkeepi...ues/2002-05/rs/ The rocks will also have plenty of bivalves on them, which will last a couple weeks to a month (two?) in your tank. Its hard to keep enough plankton in the water column to keep many of them alive. One of the other cool critters I found on rock from the gulf was skeleton shrimp http://nathistoc.bio...da/Caprella.htm . They also just lasted a couple weeks, I don't know it they died from lack of food, or were eaten. Welcome to the addiction! Whoah, that skeleton shrimp is freakish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Mendez WTR Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 The rock is very porous its not concrete or granite lol however I do agree in retro it wasnt wise to throw it in there. I was really excited about all those anemones. When I took it out to clean it, it was really brown but those poors cleaned out nicely. I just hit it with the water hose then let it sit in saltwater bc I didnt have that much RO water to pull that off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Grog Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'd love to go on a collecting trip at the coast sometime. Post some pics of your tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Where is the best place to go? Does it matter? I was thinking of going to galveston or 2nd choice rockport, anyone tried collecting there? Anyone tried crystal beach area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I have family in Galveston and have tried on some of the jetties along the seawall with no luck for pep shrimps/little fish. I've actually never seen any sea-life on the beach either. At least down in Port-A there are always tons of sand crabs and mussels and stuff, even small fish in the surf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Grog Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I used to fish the Galveston seawall and San Luis Pass for years but never collection.... I'd bet you could get some different species in the area around Offat's Bayou and near Tiki Island than on the Gulf side too.... I still want a golden croaker or a piggy perch in a tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinB Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Back in high school I collected for a class near the end of the seawall and got an anemone, gobies, stone crab, barnacles, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Can anyone clarify the mention of bringing rock back from the coast? I thought that wasn't legal. I know you have to have a license for fish, but what is the law regarding corals and rocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yngeinstn Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I was thinking about going myself .. Chad/Belinda if you think me and my roommate could tag along in July that would be awesome. If not just some pointers. We usually make the trip to port a 2x a year but for Fishing only .. This will be the 1st time where i want to collect. Let me know if that is cool .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 discussion thread about the ARC trip here, be sure to vote! http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/21957-arc-coasttexas-state-aquarium-summer-2012-trip/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I want to do a trip down to the keys and collect some condy anemones and some real reef fish! Although, I'm pretty sure I would be breaking the law on that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dena Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I still have a Rock Nem that I brought home last July. My favorite are the Anglers. Didn't catch one last year, but hope to this year so I can argue with my husband that the Red Sea Max HAS to stay running LOL. I caught one two years ago that was very nicely colored and he was full of personality. I upgraded his tank to a 20g and one night, before I cut egg crate to put over it, he jumped out. SOOOO upsetting! Never fun to have jumpers, esp. when you really like the fish that jumped. I can't wait for this years trip. Wish it were July already...we just bought our first fishing poles in like 15yrs! - woo hoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Mendez WTR Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 I'm looking at going down to Port A this Saturday hopefully...I'm from Kingsville and my sister lives in SInton so we get to save on lodging. I like going thru 123 Seguin thru the backroads. At night I seem to hit every animal known in the region, and we play a game to count as many Dairy Queen and Sonics you can spot in each town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Mendez WTR Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 TTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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