steveweast

My Pacific Northwest tank which is kept at 10 - 11 C. http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm

My rail system is made from Stanley Hardware. I think each 8 ft rail was around $25.....each roller around $15.....and each rail bracket around $5. Here's a link to their website. I'm sure someone in NZ must carry Stanley products.....perhaps they can order it for you. The rail brackets are on page #2. http://www.stanleyhardware.com/default. ... =ThumbView

Good to see some others embarking into the cold water reef world. There are some incredible critters out there in the cold water. If you pursue this further, I'd suggest a chiller......especially if you collect beyond the tidepools. Here's a question for you guys....Can you collect from your local waters for personal use like we can here in the Pacific Northwest of the US ? If so, you've got some great opportunities just a dive away.

I forgot about your importation regulations.....but, there still must be quite a few interesting,colorful things in your own waters to collect. Does anyone on this board scuba dive ? Tidepool collecting is fine....but diving will open up more opportunities. I collected the anemones in my tank at around 70 ft (24m)......I'd never find them in a tidepool. It took me about 10 minutes to carefully detached each one from the rock. Maybe visit a local dive shop and find out what's out there......especially invertebrate wise. When I was last in Napier, I visited their small aquarium there.....and they had some nice displays of the local sea life.

One more tip: cold water tanks tend to want to run with a low pH....since there is little photosynethesis to bump it up.... and they also tend to have little evaporation (mine is about 2 L per day). Try to increase the evaporation rate by directing fans onto the water and replace evaporation with kalk water to help with the pH.

As the owner of a 150 gal (600 L) cold water system, I can offer the following: 1) these tanks are easier to maintain and set up than a typical reef. IMO, they cost less to operate and set up than a full blown SPS warm water reef.... but, maybe a lttle more than a warm water fish only system (only because of the chiller). 2) you really need a chiller for peace of mind. I run my tank at around 12C.....58F. 3) One problem is the sweating....you really want to use acrylic and not glass. In fact, I had my tank and sump made from 1" thick acrylic to prevent sweating. My system has yet to sweat a drop....even on 37C days or more. 4) pretty much all the inhabitants are going to be non-photosynthetic.....so, you will be feeding much more than with a warm water reef....so, a powerful skimmer is a must have. 5) lighting is irrelevevt.....a couple of T5's wil do just fine. 6) I use our local rock....which is very dense....almost granite like. I placed some bioballs in the overflow to aid in biological. 7) obtaining stock is the biggest hurdle since very few online or retail options are available. I scuba dive and collect my own stuff. Your being in New Zealand.....and never being too far from the sea.....should allow you guys a great opportunity for collecting on your own behalf. There is an online cold water outfit, that I've used, in Tasmania that mostly supplies public aquariums....but, will sell to the public....and since you're so close, that could provide you with a few more options. They are at: http://www.aquaticbiodiversitygroup.com.au/ Most of my critters have been collected from Puget Sound near Seattle. Most of the fish, though, are from Tasmania.

Actually....there are two clarkiis....four true percula....and two pink skunks that frequent "rose rock". All clowns have paired up and lay eggs. The clarkiis just layed their first batch.....they usually stay near their carpet anemone (where their eggs are)...but, occassionally can't resist the allure of a wiggle or two in "rose rock". The percula clowns are the only ones that permanently reside in the roses....the skunks have a large sebae in the rear of the tank..... but also, occassionally visit the roses.

The Bubble tip anemones (BTA) are quite hardy.....and if you keep feeding them heavily, they will split frequently. As noted, they do have a powerful sting and will win against any other coral.....even against strong stinging corals like frogspown and elegance. I never feed my BTA's.... but, they still split. I started three years ago with a couple.....now look....probably over 50. I try to keep all my BTA's confined to a single rock pile in the rear of my tank and away from all my corals.

I just got off the phone with my tank sitter and all the automation is working as designed....he hasn't had to intervene yet. I'm really sorry for your livestock situation here....I'm starting to feel very spoiled for our availability. For that matter, I feel spoiled for our gas prices....I just filled the tank for $1.65 per liter.....our price is $1.90 per 4 liters (1 gal).

Well....I had some free time this afternoon, so I decided to do some driving about to get the hang of this left sided driving....and....I came upon a fish store. Of course, I had to stop....it was kind of pitiful.... with minimal saltwater....BUT...they had a yellow tang for $204 nz....that's about $150us. Back home these fish go for about $20. Is this right ? Is this your market here ? Man...I feel for you guys if that's the norm. Steve

Well...I'm in Napier right now and will be returning to LA this Fri....the 3rd.....so, I will miss your meeting. I would have loved to see what you guys are up to down here. I will be returning soon since I have family here in Napier. I went to the Mission concert last Saturday night.....man....can you boys put away the booze or what. I couldn't drink too much, though, this driving on the left...with all these roundabouts....takes some concentration. It's nice to have a bit of summer in the middle of winter (it was snowing at my house when I left the US).The lifestyle, wineries, and scenery here is so similar to my home in Portland.....it's like being home....except only 6 months apart. Well, I'm off to tour your wine country today. Steve

Thanks guys...I'm glad that you like the temperate system. All along I've been wondering why there aren't more temperate systems. Most folks seem to think that the chilling cost prevents temperate systems from being affordable...... but as our warm reef tanks have evolved with high powered lights and chillers, the temperate systems are really a cost savings....plus they're easier to run. My system is still a work in progress....the tanks are not really show worthy....they're more of play tanks to get an idea of their potential. I'm just surprised no one else is giving it a whirl...it's quite rewarding. If you are blessed to be near temperate waters....as you and I are..... the savings only increases because of free livestock. I know that a planned Napier visit in January or February will include some scuba.

Definately good advise from cookie.....I learned a few years ago in Puget Sound...water temp was 38F....I guess that would translate to somewhere around 1C or 2C since 32F = 0C.

Thanks Kermit...that's exactly what I'm looking for...and it's so close to the Nadi airport too. I have a couple of other options too (one nearby in the Yasawas) in case they're full.....afterall, I'm going in peak season and my schedule isn't very flexible.

Very interesting links Kermit...thanks Pies...do you have a link ? diving isn't the only reason that we're going there....relaxation is a priority as well. I don't want the property to be too rustic; but, it was my understanding that there was some luxrious, yet small, properties in Fiji.

I do SCUBA....and so does my better half...but, her comfort level keeps us on the more novice/intermediate dives. Currently, I'm looking at a few days at the Qamea resort on Taveuni.....but, I'm still researching. For the potential Tahiti stop, I'm looking at the Bora Bora Nui resort. I know Hawaii really well...but, I've never been to the South Pacific...this is a whole new learning process for me. We probably won't find our way down in your neck of the woods for awhile and I don't want to pick a bad place to stay. Suggestions are welcome.

It's looking like 4 or five days at the end of September...I'm trying to arrange a visit to Fiji and Tahiti along the way.

Here ya go Caper. This is my nemo in his gigantea carpet anemone. Pics of them are always blurry....I wish they would hold still.

Yes, everything is living in my tank. Some of those corals have been with me for coming up on five years now. In fact, today, I noticed that my red goniopora of four years finally dropped off a marble sized baby....cigars all around.

Pies....that's very interesting. My home town....Portland, Oregon.... is also about 400,000 in population. But, there are 150 in our reef club alone.... and, I guess anther 500 or so that don't belong to the club but who have reef tanks (judging by local fish sales where club members make up maybe 10% of sales)

Yea...I guess I can do that....I will say that I'm going to watch for anyone with water dripping from their pockets....

Is frag trading big in NZ ? Over here, it is really how many folks build their stock. Not all have to buy $100 frags. I must have given away 30 frags of my Oregon Blue Tort (worth about $100/inch) to local folks. We have a small club here in Portland that has about 150 members....and we exchange frags quite often.... although the local stores wished we didn't. This August we're having a summer BBQ for the club at my house.... and they lined up Steve Tyree to guest speak. I don't know I'm going to fit 150 or more people in my house.

Wow....I can't beleive that the whole country gets 25 boxes a week.....the same as my local fish store....and we're a back water...and there are maybe another 8 other local fish stores within 10 miles of me. I was raised in LA, so, I go back to visit family and friends often. In a day, in the greater LA area, I can visit maybe 30 stores...... and one of the best (Tong's in Huntington Beach) gets 50 or so boxes three or four times in a week....of course, his store is as large as many of the wholesalers that I visit too. I guess a metro area population of 15 million can support that kind of volume. Layton....are NZ's fish held at wholesalers for three weeks for inspection.... or is there a government facility where they are held ? I guess this way you know you're getting healthy fish. Over here, it's definately a risk that the hobbiest takes.

Thanks all for the kind words. I'm very interested in how the reef hobby works in NZ. Where do you get your livestock from ? Where do you get your drygoods from ? Are there any importers ? Are there any online outfits or do you have to go elsewhere, like Australia ? Most of our livestock comes in through Los Angeles....but, betwwen the local fish stores there ...plus cherry pickers...not much quality livestock makes it out of LA. The further East you go, the worst the selection gets. Some online outfits and local fish stores ( like mine) have solved this by transshipping directly and bypassing LA altogether. This works great; but, they have to take many boxes a week to get the transhipper's attention. My local fish store gets in about 25 boxes a week. But, even with this arrangement, the best stuff goes to the Asian markets where a higher price can be had.....just one look at some Japanese tanks shows this. As for prices here..... a quality fist sized coral goes for about $70 US....a yellow tang would go for about $20 US. There are a few online places here that deal with very unusual specimens that go for hundreds though. Now, back to NZ.... I would think that your close proximity to the South Pacific and to Cairns, Australia (a major export hob) would offer you some great opportunities.....after all, the major cost of livestock is shipping. Is this not the case ? or is the hobby so small in NZ that you get bypassed ? Someone asked about Deltec. I love my Deltec stuff...but, I'm not too fond of the price. The current Euro/dollar exchange rate is really making Deltec products out of reach for most hobbiests. I was fortunate to be an early adoptor....and, coupled with a few connections.... I was not taken too much advantage of. Thanks again, Steve Here's a link to one US online outfit that offers some high quality stuff. http://www.drmaccorals.com/sys-tmpl/door/ here's another http://www.reefermadness.us/RM-Hand-Picked.htm Of course, even if you can get some nice pieces....you still have to create a system that can keep them alive and growing....that's the fun part of the hobby to me.

Hello all.....I'm new to this board and I'm interested in the reef scene down your way. My in-laws have a second home in Napier and I'll be visiting sometime this Fall (my Fall....your Spring ?). I see by a quick search that my tank has found its way to the land down under....my system has changed quite a bit since those pics were taken. I'm now sporting a dual canyon look.....and I've removed quite a bit of rock (and corals) to lower the reef to allow for more swim space. Some, I'm sure, will like it better the old way....but, in this hobby...things change. I plan on updating my website in the next month or so.....I'm venturing into a small cold water system and I want that on the website too. I just snapped a few pic a couple of minutes ago....and I didn't bother setting up the tripod or cleaning the glass....so, the pics are not the best. I use a Canon 10d with a variety of lenses....mostly an L-series 17 -40 mm wide angle though. All white balance is corrected with the camera in manual mode....photoshop is only used for sizing and cropping. Anyway, thanks for viewing...