Any others that have Cold water aquariums?

[Dale]

Hi ticketyboo.

I've been experimenting on and off with a coldwater/temperate system for about a year and a half now. Here is a link to my thread. http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...ight=temperate
As of now I have suspended the SW tank and am housing coldwater FW fish in the system instead. I did this because the set up became more complicated than I anticipated and I want to work out some stocking kinks and expand on the system. By stocking FW fish I can keep the tank running and track my temps through the summer. I intend to build a much larger refugium to breed microfauna and as a means of nutrient conversion. I was thinking of surge tanks for low heat input circulation but might also work on airlift pumps instead. I am also toying with the idea of a Jaubert/Monaco style filtration system if I can determine that enough dentrivores are available at lower temps.
Even with every known way to reduce heat inputs (no submersed pumps, cool lighting, sump on concrete slab) the system will require a chiller to keep true temperate species like the ones you are suggesting. I have tried everything to drive my temps down passively but by summer I expect the temps to be in the mid to high 60's. My current tank temp is 56*F.
Stocking is complicated and requires a well thought out plan. Originally I built a large skimmer that works very well but I then found it to be starving my clams, oysters, barnacles and other filter feeders. On the other hand many meat eating inverts that I like (starfish, sunstars) and fish create a lot of waste so skimming is required. 6 of one - half dozen of the other?
Many of our local fish will also only take live food so one has to be prepared to provide phyto plankton, zoo plankton, copepods and other microflora and fauna either by live capture, expensive store bought or a very mature system.
What are your fish feeding on BTW?
There is a thread on RC that deals with this subject as well. I'll try to edit in that link.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=890751
Look for me out in the big pond soon as I am taking a SCUBA course next month