Collecting and transporting livestock from the coast questions:

[Mr Cob]

When collecting shrimp and fish from the coast do you use the actual ocean water or have pre-made saltwater ready to put them in?

And how about during transport back home or in the hotel room?

Can you share your process with me please...?

Thanks for the input.

[patman]

:Timeout: I'd check with the Texas fish and wildlife department before you harvest anything. It's illegal in most states to do so. Or at least I wouldn't talk about it on a public forum...:eek:

[phrog]

The few things I brought back on my last trip made the drive in a 5 gallon bucket of sea water. I just refreshed the water in the bucket before I started towards home. Next time I will make sure to have a battery powered air stone with me. At home I did my normal acclimation process and added them to the tank.

[Jonthefishguy]

I can tell you from a commercial stand point that all my fish and inverts are in ocean water as I order them from the collector, directly from country of origin. They are shipped to me in ocean water and then acclimated to my holding tanks. Most wholesalers however, use salt mix.

If you are going to keep them with you and you are going to have them back in a stable environment within 24 hrs; it is best to bag them, place them in a cooler with ice pack and always keep them out of the heat. You dont want to aerate them for a significant amount of time in a bucket as it tends to raise the pH and ammonia to dangerous levels. Ideally if you had water to change out from time to time during the trip, it would be fine. Unfortunately that isnt always the case. Of course if wish to bag them, do know that unless you have OXYGEN to fill the bag partial way, simply bagging air will not be sufficient. Also, do not blow into the bag as you will simply be blowing CO2 which is worse.

Some fish dont do well without aeration or simply die due to stress right off the bat. Example: Croaker. Croaker die within minutes (literally) of not aerated properly.

Also, dont use microfine gas bubble air stones as the bubbles tend to stick to the gills and could obstruct respiratory gas exchange. Simply using those blue stones and not the wooden ones is better. If you use the wooden one or the ones that make tiny bubbles, those bubbles stick on the gills and scales or to the inside walls of your bucket is toxic to the fish. Like I said you can get yourself a small bottle of compressed oxygen like they use for livewells. Oxygen is a good thing when supplied continuously within safe dissolved oxygen concentrations, but too much compressed oxygen or can physically harm your fish as well. With high oxygen levels in the water, the fish sometimes stop breathing, allowing carbon dioxide to build up in their bodies. This may lead to acid-base changes (respiratory acidosis) and they will simply die because if it after they are introduced to your aquarium. Pure compressed oxygen contains five times the oxygen content as regular air does. So adding 1/5 less oxygen to a bucket is needed and will help keep your fish alive during the trip. Hope this helps.

[Mr Cob]

Or at least I wouldn't talk about it on a public forum...:eek:

LOL.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll let you know how my fishing trip goes :)

[coraline79]

mr. Patman,

I guess you haven't read the thread about our presidents annual collection trip for members of groups all across Texas? This just took place last weekend.

[Mr Cob]

I believe I just need a fishing license stamped for salt.

[don-n-sa]

I believe I just need a fishing license stamped for salt.


Yep...thats all you need, perfectly legal.

[patman]

LOL.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll let you know how my fishing trip goes :)

Yeah, I talked to Mike, Lonestar on here. he told me that in Texas all you need is a fishing licence to collect. My Bad! I just didn't want to see anyone getting in trouble. Good intentions but poor knowledge base...:redface:

Good luck on your collecting! :D

[don-n-sa]

When collecting shrimp and fish from the coast do you use the actual ocean water or have pre-made saltwater ready to put them in?

And how about during transport back home or in the hotel room?

Can you share your process with me please...?

Thanks for the input.

When I did my collecting trips. ( 3 times ). I used the water from the jetties for holding / transporting. I used airstones, a small sponge filter and a small powerhead. I also had a DC to AC transformer during the car ride to keep the flow / air going. When I got home I just did normal accclimating procedures. Believe it or not , I never lost one critter during the catching , transporting or acclimating.

HTH

If you collect and still have a day or so before leaving , just go out and get more water for changes.

[aquasport24]

How do you catch these critters? what methods?....

[apedroza]

I used a bucket with water from the jetties and a portable air pump ($7 at academy). To collect I used a long handled net and also a seine to collect sargassum and brought it back to shore to weed thru.Everything I had made it home alive.

[littlewrentx]

What kinds of things can you usually find here in TX? What is safe to bring back?

[BIGBIRD123]

Yeah, I talked to Mike, Lonestar on here. he told me that in Texas all you need is a fishing licence to collect. My Bad! I just didn't want to see anyone getting in trouble. Good intentions but poor knowledge base...:redface:

Good luck on your collecting! :D

I guess you need to have Mike plan ya'll a vacation and come down here next year for Fifth Annual Bigbird Collection Trip and BBQ. We had a blast this year.

Steve

[patman]

I guess you need to have Mike plan ya'll a vacation and come down here next year for Fifth Annual Bigbird Collection Trip and BBQ. We had a blast this year.

Steve

Sounds awesome. I'll have to check with him....:wink_smile:

[prof]

I had poor luck last year but this time I had zero losses. 5 gallon bucket, air pump/stone, <24hrs in bucket...pretty simple. I think the biggest help this year was that I collected 5 gallons of sea water and did a couple of water changes and didn't over populate the bucket.

Or just collect srg. maj. damsels. I think you could transport them in a coffee mug with no problems :)

[apedroza]

What kinds of things can you usually find here in TX? What is safe to bring back?

You can find: Peppermint shrimp, seahorses, pipefish,sargassum anglers, butterfly fish, mollie miller blennies just to name a few.

[MKCindy]

I also use 5 gallon buckets with an air stone and some sargassum moss to make them feel at home. I also added some small fish for meals along the way. LOL We stayed over till Monday afternoon, and some of my catch liked to eat each other, so I used 2 buckets and added fresh jetty water Sunday am and pm. Then mixed in more fresh water from the jetties Monday morning. (I think this helps minimize ph swings) I take both a portable and a plug in unit so the portable is only used in transit. Everything is doing great... except the little fish that got eaten.

By the way, I still have the Sea Cucumber we brought back last year too.

[tropicana]

I have a TINY toadfish, Sargasm Anglerfish, 2 red robins, and a couple peppermint shrimp I brought back as well. They are all doing great!

[BIGBIRD123]

Travis, let me know if you want to get rid of the Robins.

Steve

[tropicana]

Travis, let me know if you want to get rid of the Robins.

Steve

Yeah I told you if I can make it to SA from here in Canyon Lake this weekend Ill swing them By. If you feel like making the trip here to Canyon Lake your welcome to as well, You can take them both if you wanted.... They are still doing good... What do they eat? Ive been feeding frozen RODs food but i dont see em eat :/

[Mr Cob]

Awesome feedback everyone. Thanks for contributing to this thread!

[Dee]

Does anyone know about collecting in California...rules...licenses, etc.? I'm going to Santa Monica for a week in September. What about airline rules on putting them in luggage or carryon? Obviously bagging them with oxygen would be the only way they'd make it. Just wondering if I should ditch the whole idea of doing this when I go.

Thanks,
Dee

[ErikH]

Dee the liquiid laws on planes now makes it next to impossible to transport anything via luggage. You could technically wrap up some sps in some coffee filters wet with sea water and get on a plane.... :) I think that's about the only way...