will this work

[liquafaction]

I am thinking of starting over on my aquarium if everything is still looking grim in October. I am going to the cost in mid october, and was thinking of bringing back sand, water, live rock (if I can get to it), and hermits. I am just going to get the sand water and hermits just off the shore, and if I can catch a charter, I will go get live rock.

I will be off the cost of padre in Texas (Gulf of Mexico)

are any of the ideas do able, and safe to put in a salt water tank at home?

Someone asked me about putting sand dollars in a tank, I said I would ask the gurus at the web site I use.

[ChilDawg]

I would recommend against getting beach sand and hermits unless you knew for sure that they were not contaminated.

Also, there are many rules against collection of SW critters on American shores. You might not be able to tell if the hermit that you caught on the beach will get you thousand dollar fines (Endangered Species Act fines), or what have you, while the one that got away would have been free.

Bottom line: Check the legal ramifications of collecting in that area, and know the species that might be there that you CANNOT TAKE HOME.

Also, I'd start with the LR if you're going to collect that...curing is something that must be done prior to adding the prized animals in the tank, unless you wish for them to be eaten. I would strongly discourage collection, though, as it may have an impact on wild habitats. I would instead buy it from a farm, and cure it myself if money is an issue.

[liquafaction]

I was thinking of the sand being contaminated, that is why I was thinking of going out in the water to collect sand.

I did not realize some hermits were endangered, so I will skip that step altogether. I do know that the hermets you see close to the shore are different than the ones at the LFS. The ones I have seen anyways are brown.

I would not want to jack up an ecosystem, or natural habitat, so I will skip the liverock.

Money is not an issue, I am just frustrated at the time and money already invested, and the lack of results.

[ChilDawg]

I should clarify -- I do not know for sure that there are endangered hermits, but my point was that you should check...if there are none in that area, by all means, collect if it's legal to do so!

I can understand the want to collect naturally...if you can find any of the FAMA articles from a column called "The Dipnetter", they might have some helpful hints and answers to legality issues as well.

[mogurnda]

Definitely check with the local laws. It's illegal without a permit in CA, but they are apparently more lenient in TX.

It's still worth trying to figure out why the cycle in your tank has gone so poorly. The same thing may just happen again. I have kept quiet, because I have no clue.

Sand dollars are filter feeders and will most likely starve in your tank, eventually. Not sure what else might be good from around there.

[liquafaction]

I figured the sand dollors would not be a good idea, I figured they would clean you out like an urchin or something. Me and a buddy are going to the cost for some surfing, and he was saying, man we need to get some sand dollors. I told him it was a bad idea, but I would ask the "gurus" (you guys) to see what they thought.


I was doing a little research last night, and found nothing on texas laws, other than we have the worst beach pollution alert sytem in the U.S.