My experience was with a full temperate system with a temp of 50-55C
and we have more humid weather here. The range would be less drastic for you. I don't think you will have a problem.

If you want to be sure, call a local company that provides live seafood tanks. If you can't find one. I suggest you take a thermometer and a tape measure to a local seafood restaurant, check room temp,tank temp, and glass/acrylic thickness. This should give you a better idea.

As to the critters, I would believe that there are comparable species filling the same ecological niche as their tropical cousins. You seem the type to do your homework so I think you'll be able to uncover what you require.

I will not likely be going into the ocean in the near future. otherwise I'd offer. I was thinking of suitable tankmates:
Bay Pipefish Syngnathus griseolineatus
Gunnels Pholis sp.
Sculpins Cottidae sp. Always check the sizes, some get big!
Sailfin Sculpin Nautichthys oculofasciatus
Grunt Sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsoni
Snailfish Liparis sp.

I've found many small flounders (size of quarter) and shrimp(5-10mm) in sandbar tide pools that I couldn't identify ( I have to admit I didn't try hard). the shrimp could serve as a food source for larger seahorses.

There has been one for sale in the Buy & Sell with a chiller for $600 if anyone is really interested.

Looked through Buy/Sell/Trade and didn't see any chillers in the subject lines. Could you point me in the right direction?

TIA.

50 GALLON dbl pane aquar, w chiller, for cold water aquar enthusiasts $699 obo. Richmond

Sorry, wrong on the price, you need to sign up to get his number. Check Buysell.com.


Wendell

Asking some one here to colect will be useless as water temp right now is 52 degrees farenhite. I was wondering about it to and acording to the good Dr they cannot be climatized to the higher temps.

Steve

Thanks for the links Beverly, very interesting. About the Florida rock - if you can't find a retailer who sells it you would have to order it yourself which would mean obtaining a CITES permit. This may be a lot of trouble so it may not be worth it.

Fishster,

No, not worth it to me to go to all that trouble.

Hey Beverly...

You may want to try visiting Jack at the fish pond. It is an edmonton home business but he is in the yellow pages.

I was there one time while he was making a special cold water tank that had insulation on 3 sides and he had gutted an old fridge and was using the cooling system from this to cool it. It looked realy "cool" :lol:

If you can pull this off I think it would be amazing, I have done some diving off of Port Hardy and the life is incredible. There is waaaaay more life in cold water than in warm water.


best of luck

Joel

Joel,

Been to Jack's many moons ago. Thought the place was kinda creepy, but maybe that's just me :rolleyes:

Don't like the idea of using old fridges because the cooling liquids are outdated and not so environmentally friendly as new. Would like to buy a chiller that has a warranty, as well.

Also, want to see the tank from three sides.

Really, all I want is a temperate tank to house a particular species of captive bred Australian/New Zealand seahorse and pretty much do a species tank except for adding a clean up crew. Water temps in the tank would be about 67-69 F, more or less. Not looking to do duplicate a Queen Charlotte Island or similar Canadian marine environment :eek:

You guys sure have great suggestions on how to do marvelous temperate tanks :smile: I'll be looking for photos of what you all put together :mrgreen:

Hey Beverly. Just a thought why not get a hold of some one from the Vancouver Aqurium. They have a whole section on tempretet tanks. A well i belive they where breading the same seahorses. They can be quite usefull at times. Oh also there is a company that builds there tank, i stumbled acrosse it a while a go. i was searching for info on breading jellyfish. ( and they did give me some information on that )

just a few thoughts.