# Can I take from the shore?



## Nym (Oct 15, 2008)

I live in Powell River BC, with the ocean in my back yard. I would like a saltwater tank with a west coast tidal pool type theme. Can I take water and species (small fish and shrimp and starfish) at low tide and add them to my tank or is this a foolish thing to do? I know little about saltwater and I wouldnt want to harm anything by my lack of knowledge. I have a 40 gallon tank (no pumps or filters or anything yet) to work with.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

That would work fine, but only after you learn the things about saltwater tanks that you need to know. They are very similar to freshwater tanks but with only a very few small differences, but those differences change everything as much as the small differences separating softball & baseball. Coldwater salt tanks like the one you want are yet more different, with coldwater needing more oxygen and everything happening more slowly than in a tropical marine tank.
So then, yes, you can certainly make it work, and I'm a little envious as you have a lot of very nice species available that we can never get.

You'll need to keep the tank cool, which can be expensive. On the bright side, you won't need the very expensive lighting systems that tropical tanks need, so you can save a bundle there to make up for it.


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

If you decide to do it, keep us up-to-date with pics!


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## ThatFishKid (Aug 9, 2008)

wow...I'm way jealous! I've always wanted to do something like that, but not many inverts survive a car ride from southern florida to north georgia. panama city beach was close though so I now have a 2 inch bristle worm, and a 1 cm conch that i feed olive nerites. Native marine tanks are great!


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