Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_1 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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Put a bit of the coast in your home aquarium You don't have to leave the coast behind after your vacation is over. You can keep living, breathing and multiplying sea creatures right in your home in a brackish or marine aquarium. And, you can learn something about aquaculture at the same time. Brackish-water aquarium A brackish-water aquarium set-up imitates the ecology typically found in North Carolina's sounds and estuaries. The river-diluted sea water in this area has a low salinity, and is suitable for a variety of fishes and invertebrates, both freshwater and marine. To duplicate this environment, you will need the following equipment: • Aquarium tank—all-glass tanks of at least 20 gallons are preferred. Larger tanks provide more space for inhabi- tants and more stability for the system. A cover for the tank is op- tional but handy, because it prevents animals from jumping out of the aquarium. Pick a sturdy stand or table for the tank (a 20-gallon aquarium will weigh approximately 170 lbs. when filled) away from direct light, and protect the aquarium from extreme heat or cold. Some light is necessary to promote the growth of algae, but too much will cause excessive growth. • Filter—an outside power filter at- tached to the side of the tank is suf- ficient. Filtration and circulation remove particulates from the water and help maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. • Bottom material—a thin layer of sand and gravel mixed with crushed shell, no more than one-half inch deep. A small amount of garden soil (one cup to two square feet of bottom surface) is good for certain fishes and inver- tebrates. • Decorations—non-metallic rocks, bricks and sections of PVC pipe used sparingly are good for territory markers, hiding places and spawning surfaces. Clean seashells are also at- tractive, but use very few because they can collect decaying materials which affect the pH of the water. • Water—can be collected from sounds and tidal creeks or mixed up from diluted sea-salt mix. Brackish water has about one-half to one-fourth the amount of salt ocean water has, so multiply by two or four the amount of fresh water needed for every pound of sea salt mix (salinity levels are not very critical in the brackish system.) If using chlorinated tap water, let it age, or set it out in buckets, for a week to get rid of chlorine and other chemicals. When you are ready to stock your brackish-water aquarium, the rule of thumb is one inch of inhabitants per gallon of water. Sea creatures can either be collected on a field trip to the coast or purchased from tropical fish shops, bait shops or scientific supply houses. Species that do well in this type of aquarium are marsh mummi- Photo by Steven A. Wilson chogs, sheepshead minnows, striped killifish, sailfin mollies, mosquitofish, mullet, eels, freshwater flounder (or hogchoker), grass shrimp, hermit crabs, starfish and sea cucumbers. If collecting species from estuarine areas, be conservation-minded—don't take more than you can use. Most inhabitants in the brackish- water aquarium should be fed once or twice a day. There are three food categories: live foods, such as brine shrimp or small nematodes; dried foods, which are prepared and sold commercially, and fresh foods, such as chopped earthworms. Avoid leaving excess food in the aquarium, as it will
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Bob Goldstein working at one of his aquaria

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