Hi Moray Guy
I gather you are a young guy -
First of all - good for you in being so keen and getting going in this hobby - great age to start.
I wouldn't get excited about having tried to grow something that you snagged in a net and would have turfed out anyway - wouldn't want to discourage a young hobbyist.
But, it is true that cold water species won't live too long at warm temps. But, why not try to grow some local stuff in a cool tank. We have such great fish and anemones etc locally that it is a shame that we don't try to cultivate them.
I know that a lot of people use sea water and have done well with it. It is just a lot of work - but, you are young and full of energy, I presume.
There is a very illustrious aquarist now known as Dr. Ron (look on reefcentral.com) who spent some of his early years on Vancouver Island and did a lot of what you describe - local things in local sea water. Most of it is legal, and can be really rewarding. The restrictions that are common in warm water collections are not the same in cold water regions. I am no expert, but you could find out a lot of this just looking around the web or phoning a fisheries office.
The rocks you would find on the beach are not corals - not like live rocks from Fiji - same for the sand.
Presuming you are like most people your age, and not overflowing with cash, you can do a lot looking around for used deals in the paper, or the Buy Sell and Trade paper - amazing how cheap used stuff is.
How old are you? I should put you in touch with my 15 year old - he wants me to get a 300 g tank started!
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