A seagrass tank in Southwest Florida

[MaddyP]

Welcome to the family!!!

 

[Tiburon_100]

I think it's just the Turtle Grass that needs a deeper sandbed, When I collected the grasses I noticed that the Johnsons Grass and Shoal Grassroots weren't as deep in the sediment as the Turtle Grass was. The Turtle Grass was very hard to collect.

I actually found all my turtle grass washed up on shore during a low tide in January. I figured I'd try to salvage those before digging up healthy beds in the water. I'm kind of surprised it worked as well as it did.

 

[cgdcinc]

Looking at an empty tank in my garage and thinking this would be fun. Go walk the marshes around Palm Beach and see what I can find washed up or floating around the docks.

 

[Tiburon_100]

If you don't have expensive corals and fish to protect, scavenging the beach for critters is a great way to experiment and have fun with a tank. Grab a rock, put it in the tank, and see what kinds of things show up after a week or so.

 

[Kamden Uelton]

+1 to the comment above! If you live near or in Florida taking some rock is the coolest thing you can do! The rock at Sebastian Inlet had various kinds of Mantis Shrimp, Macro Algae, Tunicates, and Sponges (I didn't collect the rock just observed it in a tank)

 

[chris k.]

Welcome from Punta gorda. I have been thinking about a mangrove tank.

 

[Will Milberger]

Howdy! Very good plan!

 

[dbl]

Word of caution...please check your state and local agencies for collection rules and regulations. They typically take it pretty seriously. Below is a link to the basic information for Florida.

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/

 

[cgdcinc]

Word of caution...please check your state and local agencies for collection rules and regulations. They typically take it pretty seriously. Below is a link to the basic information for Florida.

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/

Yes. Must follow state laws. Taking some critters is frowned upon. Be legal.

 

[Tiburon_100]

Word of caution...please check your state and local agencies for collection rules and regulations. They typically take it pretty seriously. Below is a link to the basic information for Florida.

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/

Yes, definitely. I struggled with that when collecting seagrass. None of the species I wanted were endangered or threatened, and the FWC site didn't mention them, but all the locations that I could collect them at were protected areas. I was fortunate enough to find my seagrass already uprooted and washed up on shore in Bokeelia.

 

[Chrishvacman]

When i was a kid we took a field trip to a marine center and caught all kinds of stuff in the seagrass ever since then i was hooked.

 

[Rivus]

Welcome to the forum. I'm new here also, but I was in your area setting up similar tanks back in the 90's. I had 180 gallon tank at home, with thallasia and native fish. I also set up the display tanks, including a sea grass tank, at a small marine science center on FT Myers Beach. I haven't been back for many years so I have no idea what, if anything, is still on display.

 

[mta_morrow]

Welcome and great to have you here.

Good morning class. Today we will be installing Tapatalk on our phones and setting up a R2R account. You will all be graded on how many posts you make. Pics are good for extra credit.

 

[Tiburon_100]

Welcome to the forum. I'm new here also, but I was in your area setting up similar tanks back in the 90's. I had 180 gallon tank at home, with thallasia and native fish. I also set up the display tanks, including a sea grass tank, at a small marine science center on FT Myers Beach. I haven't been back for many years so I have no idea what, if anything, is still on display.

Is that the science center under the bridge to Ft. Myers beach? I've driven by there many times but never stopped in. If I ever do I'll send pics.

 

[Tiburon_100]

Welcome and great to have you here.

Good morning class. Today we will be installing Tapatalk on our phones and setting up a R2R account. You will all be graded on how many posts you make. Pics are good for extra credit.

It's more like, "Good morning class, today we will be cleaning out my tanks and mixing salt water"

 

[Rivus]

Is that the science center under the bridge to Ft. Myers beach? I've driven by there many times but never stopped in. If I ever do I'll send pics.

Yes, that's it, the Ostego Bay Marine Science Center. I spent about 7 years there a volunteer marine science director. Spent a lot of time and energy trying to get it going but finally had to leave realizing that it was what it was.

 

[Tiburon_100]

Yes, that's it, the Ostego Bay Marine Science Center. I spent about 7 years there a volunteer marine science director. Spent a lot of time and energy trying to get it going but finally had to leave realizing that it was what it was.

I'll make a point to go visit. I've always wanted to but never got around to it.

 

[Pmj]

Word of caution...please check your state and local agencies for collection rules and regulations. They typically take it pretty seriously. Below is a link to the basic information for Florida.

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/

Yes, I thought taking rock is very illegal. Granted I don't think anyone would care if it was small, but still...

 

[Tiburon_100]

Yes, live rock harvesting is illegal (see screenshot from FWC website). The rock I use in my tanks are dug up on land and are fossilized coral or lithogenous limestone. I think it's safe to assume items washed up on shore (like the seagrass I collected) would not fall under the category of "harvest" since they are already displaced and/or dead naturally. You definitely have to be mindful of what you're taking and how.

 

[Kamden Uelton]

Attach a Fishing Line to a piece of Dry Rock, Set it on a private beach or beach literally no one goes onto, Retrieve the rock 2 months later and you've got the best live rock on the planet. ( only works in Florida )