New Zealand Native Coldwater Marine

Well finally after a lot of thought, we got a Native (NZ) Coldwater Marine Tank started.
We have been thinking about doing a tank like this for quite some time, and we are so glad we have finally done it! Its good for all of us, including the kids, and is a great way to have the whole family involved. The Kids love to look throu the Rockpools (so do we!) and to get out of the house and get fresh-air and sunlight. Great day out for all. And then when the Tanks finally finished, its nice to sit back and watch what each Critter does and how they interact with eachother and their surroundings.
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How We Started:
Sunday (12-08-07):
Take our lil' family out around the South Coasts of Wellington.
Gathered up some Rocks from the Rockpools.
A couple of buckets of nice looking sand.
Collected some Clean Saltwater.
A few 'Creatures & Critters' to put into the tank.
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It started off in only 2ft (100L) tank, (no Skimmer or Chiller) then upgraded to a 4ft (214L) Tank. (with Skimmer & Chiller)
(We would like to have a 5ft-8ft (or about 500-1000L) one eventually)
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Tips:
Make sure you:
.... get your tank is ready at home for your Critters, so they do not get too hot or lack of oxygen in a bucket, or stressed out for too long if they have to wait for you to finish setting up the tank.
.... take seperate buckets for your Critters. (ie: one for Crabs, one for fish, one for Anenomes)
.... take enough buckets/containers to collect the Sea Water.
.... get the sand that is closet to the waters edge, it holds more bits that the Critters to eat, and isnt so dusty or dirty.
.... put your Tank in a cooler place if you have no Chiller. (ie: under an open window, out in the Gararge etc)
.... try to get your Critters from the Rockpools farthest away from the Sea. (they are the Critters that are used to the warmer temps etc)
.... put any Critters back where you found them if you are not wanting to keep them!
.... always turn the rocks back over once you have finished looking under them.
Make sure you know what you are getting, and what their requirements are, what they eat, and how big they grow!

(Just a few tips, so Critters will have more of a chance of survival)
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These Are A Few Critters etc We Have Found:
Olive Rockfish - (Acanthoclinus fuscus)
Mottled Twister - (Bellapiscis lesleyae) or Rockpool Triplefin
Common Shrimp - (Palaemon affinis) or Rockpool/Ghost/Glass Shrimp
Bighand Crab - (Heterozius rotundifrons)
Half Crab - (Petrolisthes)
NZ Hermit Crab - (Pagurus novizelandiae)
Common Cushion Star - (Patiriella regularis)
Shield Limpet - (Scutus breviculus)
Noble Chiton - (Eudoxochiton nobilis)
Catseye Snail - (Turbo smaragdus)
Speckled Camouflage Anemone - (Oulactis mucosa)
Sea Lettuce - (Ulva lactuca)
Necklace Weed - (Hormosira banksii) or Neptune's Weed
Zigzag Sausage Weed - (Cystophora torulosa)
Wandering Anemone - (Phylctenactis tuberculosa)
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Toothed Chalky Fanworm - (Pomatocerus caeruleus)
Transparent Ragworm - (Flabelligera affinis)
Red Segmented Bristleworm - (Perinereis novaehollandiae) or Ragworm or Sea Centipede
Red Actinia Anemone - (Isactinia tenebrosa) or Beadlet Anemone
Olive Actinia Anemone - (Isactinia olivacea)
Radiate Limpet - (Cellana radians)
Blue-Green Chiton - (Amaurochiton glaucus)
Black (some sort yet to be identified) - (nudibranch)
Hairy Decorator Crab - (Notomithrax ursus) or Seaweed/Camoflage Crab
Mottled Brittlestar - (Ophionereis fasciata)
Snaketail Brittlestar - (?)
Also a couple of egg-carrying Adult Female Common Shrimp - (Palaemon affinis) or Rockpool/Ghost/Glass Shrimp.
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Cooks Turban Shell - (Cookia sulcata)
Green Urchin - (Evechinus chloroticus) or Kina
Lumpfish - (Trachelochismus pinnulatus)
Banded Seven-bar Weedfish - (Heteroclinus heptaeolus?)
Connemarra Clingfish - (Lepadogaster candolii?)
White-tentacled Anemone - (Actinothoe albocincta)
Speckled Triplefin - (Grahamina capito)
Cryptic Triplefin - (Cryptichthys jojettae)
Common Triplefin - (Fosterygion lapillum) or Pebble Triplefin
Pink Golf Ball Sponge - (Tethya australis)
Black Nerita Snail - (Nerita atramentosa)
Ducksbill Limpet - (Scutus sp.)
Pink Sea Worm? - (unidentified?)
Brite Green Shrimp? - (unidentified?)
Clingfish - (unidentified?)
Urchin Clingfish - (?)
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Pistol Shrimp
Barnacle
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Candystriped Anemone - (?)
Brooding Anemone - (Cricophorus nutrix)
Jewel Anemone - (Corynactis haddoni) - (?)

(I will add & update things as we progress, including Identifying Stuff)
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Things We Have Found Out So Far:
Shrimps:
Like to be hand-fed and will 'walk' on your hand while you clean the tank.
They also know how to 'pinch' you and yes, it hurts! These guys become very very friendly, and are great to clean up un-eaten food.
Common Triplefins:
Become very friendly too, and like to be hand-fed.
Red (Beadlet) Actinia Anemone:
Gives birth to Live Bubbas from the same place it eats!
Olive Rockfish:
Will try to eat Hermit Crabs if they come out of their shells. They are very shy to start with, but after a few weeks become more friendly.
Large Cushion Starfish:
Will eat Bubba Anenomes!
Seaweeds:
We have found out that most of the Seaweeds will last up to 2-3 weeks, by the 3-4th week, you need to remove it as it juss dies off.
We had 1 Fluro light running on our tank at the time.
Wandering Anenomes:
We thought this guy might have been ok, he was eating and looking fine for the first 2 weeks, but after that stopped eating and started looking all sad. Sadly he died before we could get him back to the Ocean. I fink they need a way bigger tank, and lots more current than wat we had in our tank.
Crabs & Brittlestars:
Make sure that you definately put all yur rocks in before yur sand/gravel, cause no matter what rock or where it is, they WILL dig underneath it!
Brittlestars like to use their legs like an Octopuss - they can hold onto the food wif the tip of their legs, and bring it into the middle where their mouth is.
Hermit Crabs:
Make sure that you definately put in bigger shells so they can change into them.
If they end up wif no shell, they will get eaten by the Fish etc. Especially the Olive Rockfish.
Hermit Crabs do not really like other Hermits - they tend to kill smaller ones and can pull them out of their shells to be attacked.
Hermit Crabs also will 'fight' with another if it wants its shell. The big ones will fight with the smaller ones, and try to pull them from their shells.
They also like to have Anemones on their backs - they serve as a type of 'protection' thing from many predators.
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Food:
We feed most of the Fish & Critters Tetra Colourbits, un-frozen Shrimp & Mussels cut into tiny pieces.
The Rockfish, Triplefins, Hermit Crabs & Glass Shrimp love the Tetra Colourbits.
You have to hand-fed all your Anenomes, but the Speckled Camouflage Anemone will eat a fair bit, where as the Red (Beadlet) Actinia Anemone doesnt.
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Other Stuff:
Looks like that the Coldwater Marine Tanks (if not running a skimmer or Chiller, and only a 204 Fluval Cannister Filter for 100L Tank or a 404 Fluval for a 214L Tank) that the water needs a water change every 3-4 weeks.
(added a Skimmer and we do not have this problem now)

The really big Triplefin now lets me stroke it, and feed it, and it sits in my hand!

He finks everytime I put my hand in the tank that its food!

We saw one of the Red Anemones have a Bubbas.

Watched one of the darker Common Triplefins lay eggs.

Saltwater is not as well 'Airated' as Freshwater.
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This Is The Tank Specs:
214L Glass Tank
Solid Wooden Stand
Fluval 404 Cannister Filter - (wif Spray-bar)
2x 4ft Fluro Lights (one 'Grow Light')
1x long Air Stone & Small Air Pump
Thermometer
Lids for Tank
Chiller
Skimmer
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How The Tank Was Done:
1. Cleaned out the Tank and Filter (making sure there was no 'germies' in the tank or filter)
2. Set up all the Pipes etc.
3. Went out and collected the Critters, Rocks, Sand & Water.
4. Came back and started on the Tank.
5. Hooked up the Filter and put in all the pipes etc.
6. Put in the Air Hose along the back.
7. Stacked up the Rocks (putting bigger rocks at the bottom first) then layering the rest to cover the back and half the sides.
8. Put in all the Sand.
9. Filled the Tank with the Saltwater (only).
10. Started up the Filter and Air Pump.
11. Arranged a few smaller Rocks, Shells etc.
12. Checked for any leaks from the Filter or Tank.
13. Checked Temp of Tank.
14. Sat back and waited to let the water clear a bit.
15. Put in the Critters!
16. Watched Critters etc for a few hours (and then a few more hours!)
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- By: *Mystic & Lucid*

A great comment from 'Skippy' - "Ouch, I just got bitten by a critter - oh its a marine bug!"

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Here are a few Pix: