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Hi Chimera Thanks for that message. I put some stuff called Ammo Carb in one of the filters, and the instructions said it converts ammonia to something non-toxic, but that I would still get a high Ammonia reading. The tank probably is overstocked though - every time we come back from rockpooling we have a new occupant or two. But I see anemones jam-packed next to each other in their natural environment in the rock pools. Yesterday we discovered heaps and heaps of brittle stars, because the tide was further out than usual and we've never been out that far before. And we do like feeding them - especially the anemones and hermit crabs. I've been replacing about one third of the water with real sea water every 3-4 days. Its no hassle - we live near the sea, and I'm getting a very strong arm from carrying the container up the rocks ! I would LOVE a bigger tank though. We've got heaps of different species in this one. Everything seems to be flourishing though.

Hi Ballistic We've just started up a cold water marine tank, and we've got no money either. My 6 yr old son and I live very close to rockpools in New Plymouth and recently discovered a wide colour range of sea anemones and thought we'd like set up an invertebrate tank - but only if we could do it on a limited budget. Mum gave us a small 2ft tank and a pump (Shark). We came into a bit of money and bought a second-hand light for the top. Its all set up now, and its really beautiful. We've got tube-worms - you know those royal blue feather-duster things that all pop back into their white curly tubes immediately they get disturbed. We've got anemones in orange, purple, pink, white and brownish. Plus red strawberry anemones. We've got about 4 hermit crabs who are so cute - they have blue knees. We have 2 shrimps. Even a small paua - who the other day swivelled himself around violently and really raced up to the top of his rock (to escape a starfish I think). We have a deep blue cushion star, a reef star, and another kind of starfish. The starfish can really motor around the glass - they're amazing to watch. I don't know how they decide which tentacles to move to go in their intended direction. We also have a chiton, limpets and quite a few sea snails. From what I've read of the replies to your original message, it appears we might be changing our water too often. We change about 20% of it every 2-3 days (the tank has only been set up for about 2 weeks). But its just that we tested it for ammonia and got the highest reading possible - 8 ppm (dark green). But everything seems OK in the tank. We've put some rocks in there directly from rockpools which have various types of sea-weed growing on them. We feed the anemones bits of shrimp on the end of a skewer - its fun watching them get it. And the hermit crabs really snatch. No table manners at all. The tank is quite well filtered I think. The Shark pump is quite strong and is probably intended for a bigger tank. But I've done HEAPS of reading about cold water marine and have read that anemones like well filtered water. So I bought a small cheap pump of Trademe and a new $8 corner filter which uses carbon, and put that in the other corner as well. We just LOVE our aquarium, and still have more inhabitants we watch to add to it. We're on the lookout for a camouflage crab and bristle star - both of which we've seen at Back Beach before. Does anyone know if nudibranches are ever found in rockpools. I don't think anyone would mind us taking these few creatures simply because we only take them once. Its not as if we're eating them or anything. Anyway good luck Ballistic Hope you get some mroe replies so I can read them and learn more too. Frances