Hi Dick
Thanks for reply.
I have a Teco RA680 chiller on my large tank which gives me a controlled temp of 15 degC for up to 800L capacity.It pulls 420 Watt so can be expensive with our warming climate.I was lucky to find a person in Colchester who must have bought a job lot and then resold to get a free one out of the deal,at the time some 3+ years ago I paid about £400 and saved at least £150.The unit requires a flow capacity of 400L/hr.I have looked up on the internet for a smaller unit for my smaller tank but all those I find give all the so called technical details like cost,weight and size but fail to mention the capabilities of the chiller like temp drop versus ambient which is quite important.The RA range of Teco chillers have been superceded by a TR range.The Teco data sheets include graphs of temp reqmts,volume of tank,tank construction.Their office technical backup is superb.One of our problems is to keep the power to run the tanks down like lights,powerheads,pumps in the fishhouse otherwise an extra load is put onto the chiller.Hence my chiller is located outside of the fishhouse.If you have not used a chiller before one piece of advise.It is recommended that every 6 mths the flow through the chiller is reversed to remove scale,make sure you place a fine mesh net over outlet to catch the rubbish.I am trying to contact the person I bought the chiller from to see if he has any more that may be suitable,I will let you know how I get on.Diadume Cincta as you know are very small anemone's and I am having problems keeping them,temp is not contolled in the tank I have them and can get up to 25 degC which is why I will get a second chiller.I try to feed with small pieces of mussel and liquid plankton but I think the plankton is too small and the mussel is difficult to take as they do close very quickly.I have bought some feed called marine snow which I hope is larger particals which will be a more natural way of feeding.I have seen a few Diadumene in the crouch estuary and the Burnham marina but on the Wallasea marina pontoons south bank of the Crouch they are plentyfull.The only problem with Wallasea is that they have a very unhelpful harbourmaster who will say no before you have even spoken.Getting permission to go onto the pontoons is necessary because you need the security number of the gate.I do have a phone number for the office but its best to make the request in person.Weekdays are better than weekends when they can get busy.If you intend to visit wallasea I can tell you exactly which part of the pontoons to look to save time,on my first visit I was given 10 minutes.I hope to visit wallasea next week.If you are ever in the Burnham On Crouch area give me a ring on 01621-782357 and you are welcome to call in.If I find Gem anemone's on my hols this year would you like me bring back a few for yourself.Referance your letter,I agree that a tank of sea anemone's can be so colourfull,interesting,therapeutic, time consuming and challenging to a non marine biologist like myself.
regards
jim gibson
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 6:56 PM
Subject: [wetthumb] Anemones
Hi Jim,
I read you message with heartfelt agreement. I had a stroke many
years ago and now am a poor swimmer and diving is definitely off
limits. It means that I cannot see jewel, tube, policeman, cluster
anemones and Devon cup-coral etc. in the wild.
I have also been wondering if there is a member of the diving
commutity out there who could get some specimens of anemones for
me. The trouble is, most modern divers are brought up in a
conservation mode and look down on us "collectors". It used to find
a similar mindset sometimes when I worked for a museum service. I
did taxonomic work and there is no way you can do that without
collecting and preserving specimens. I collected a lot but I also
described several new species for the UK and for science.
I too would go anywhere to collect the specimens. I would love a
tank of green and pink jewel anenones. (Guernsey, there they grow on
pontoons in a marina according to R Lord's photos).
I am interested in your tank set up. What type of chiller do you use
how much did it cost? How well dose it work? I have several tanks
of coldwater beasts, the largest being 5foot long but it can get up
almost 20 degrees in the summer which is too warm for eg.Dahlia
anemones. I need to chill it in some way. I also have a 5foot tank
of tropical marines that contains corals and anemones from warmer
waters. There are several Aptasia anemones which are "pest" species
in it but I have never seen the trumpet anemone from UK.
I like anemones and I think that a tank full of just anemones is
fabulous. I had a Sepiola, see above, but one day I checked the tank
and it was nowhere to be seen, despite searching every square inch.
The answer, I think, lay in a very fat snakelocks anemone.
I have never seen Diadumene cincta, where do you collect it from.
I have mainly plumose and Sagartia troglodytes which are common in
the sea off Norfolk. I have a considerable number of the latter,
various colour combinations and some are S. troglodytes for sure and
some of them I not too sure about. Sagartia is such a
variable "species" that I shall watch them and wait and see. I have
a couple of daisy anemones from Hants for comparison.
My beadlets also loose their colour and become washed out pinky
brown. I think it is a lack of "vitamens". Tube worms do much the
same, they are bright orange/red when I collect them but the fans
fade to a pale pinky grey in time.
I am off to Ireland next week but I shall be back in a couple of
weeks. I too am going down to the SW in Sept. When there are low
tides. You never know what you will find, with luck.
Dick
Dersingham,
Norfolk
rej@johalpinjones.eclipse.co.uk
Offline 
Send Email