What is this?!? Saw at Brookfield Zoo
- Thread starter Gaashley
- Start date
jrpark22000
Premium member
cold water strawberry anemones. Saw the tank myself ust a couple weeks ago.
http://oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm
http://oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm
jrpark22000
Premium member
NP, love them myself but setting up a cold water tank just isnt going to happen for me.
jrpark22000
Premium member
AquaticEngineer
New member
They do alright up to about 65F but that's pushing it, you could likely keep them in a lower temp NPS tank or a seahorse tank with something like hippocampus abdominalis.
Last edited:
jrpark22000
Premium member
Agreed, and after a bit of research it isn't that easy to set up a decent size tank and keep it cold enough. Think very thick acrylic and schdle 80 plumbing or you get the sweats.
AquaticEngineer
New member
Surprisingly most frag tanks that are being made these days are usually made with 1/2" or thicker acrylic so that they can be rimless. That's thick enough to do a coldwater system in most modern homes. The tanks can be found for a pretty decent price on ebay even, and would make a spectacular top down viewed coldwater tidepool tank 
Full disclosure, I'm Stu One of the guys who collects for/owns/operates the coldwater livestock site linked above
Full disclosure, I'm Stu
One of the guys who collects for/owns/operates the coldwater livestock site linked above
jrpark22000
Premium member
Very glad to have you on the site Stu! Glad to have someone with personal experience. From my reading 1" is a good starting point considering the tank is one of the cheaper parts to most reef builds.Surprisingly most frag tanks that are being made these days are usually made with 1/2" or thicker acrylic so that they can be rimless. That's thick enough to do a coldwater system in most modern homes. The tanks can be found for a pretty decent price on ebay even, and would make a spectacular top down viewed coldwater tidepool tank
Full disclosure, I'm Stu
AquaticEngineer
New member
Oh yeah, and the species shown in the originally post are called commonly called Strawberry Anemones (Corynactis californicus)
There are some really cool corynactis species found all around the globe in temperate waters, like the ones found in Portugal called Jewel Anemones (Corynactis viridis)
There are some really cool corynactis species found all around the globe in temperate waters, like the ones found in Portugal called Jewel Anemones (Corynactis viridis)
jrpark22000
Premium member
This is far too tempting to google. My wife would burry me in the next tank I try and setup to house them
AquaticEngineer
New member
Likewise
I seek out coldwater coversations since that's the only thing I keep these days I've personally done several nano tanks (7.2 gallons) kept at 57F using 1/2" acrylic and they will work fine in most scenarios, however, twice the thickness of acrylic results in twice the thermal barrier for better insulation. My house temp ranges from 62F at night in the winter to about 90F in the summer if the A/C cant keep up with the outside temps. Through out the years that I've kept those tanks running I only once had condensation build up and that was during a summer storm when the humidity was almost as high as the outside temperature here.
For costs on those nano systems, the running cost per month on the entire system was under $6 in electricity. I think the entire setup can be had for under $500. That's tank, stand, light, chiller, and pumps. Larger tank means larger chiller, which ups the price of both, but if you are savvy with your deals and shop around you can do it for as cheap or cheaper than a standard reef tank. Especially considering you don't need any high output lights unless you really want them.
Overall my recommendation for tank thickness has always been to go as thick as you can afford to, you wont regret it. But, 1/2" is as thin as I would ever go
AquaticEngineer
New member
If you are keeping it in the low 70's I would look for subtropical species coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, or even the Mediteranean. Occasionally subtropical species pop up from Australia and Japan as well and get sold into the tropical trade.
I just had to do a major downsizing myself so I could keep my personal 140 coldwater tank. I bet if you kept it a small tank she'd never notice, at least small enough that she couldn't burry you in itThis is far too tempting to google. My wife would burry me in the next tank I try and setup to house them
lol
madjoe
Premium member
Nothing that can sting the little guys
jrpark22000
Premium member
Sorry [MENTION=1992]Gaashley[/MENTION] for the tangent to your thread. The conversation just seems on topic and interesting.I've personally done several nano tanks (7.2 gallons) kept at 57F using 1/2" acrylic and they will work fine in most scenarios, however, twice the thickness of acrylic results in twice the thermal barrier for better insulation. My house temp ranges from 62F at night in the winter to about 90F in the summer if the A/C cant keep up with the outside temps. Through out the years that I've kept those tanks running I only once had condensation build up and that was during a summer storm when the humidity was almost as high as the outside temperature here.
For costs on those nano systems, the running cost per month on the entire system was under $6 in electricity. I think the entire setup can be had for under $500. That's tank, stand, light, chiller, and pumps. Larger tank means larger chiller, which ups the price of both, but if you are savvy with your deals and shop around you can do it for as cheap or cheaper than a standard reef tank. Especially considering you don't need any high output lights unless you really want them.
Overall my recommendation for tank thickness has always been to go as thick as you can afford to, you wont regret it. But, 1/2" is as thin as I would ever go
[MENTION=3460]AquaticEngineer[/MENTION]
In Chicagoland area, we’ll hit close to 100% humidity and large temp swings far too often. It may be more likely to see pipes or tanks sweat, but you may know better.
Totally agree, without the huge light and reactor investment coldwater reefs are easier to start up from my reading. The issue I see is nutrient export. Skimping here looks like a sure way to fail.