Hawaiian Reefers

Holokai · #1 09/26/2006, 07:52 PM

Aloha!

Wondering if there are any reefers located in Hawaii on RC? I'm not sure if I even count, as I don't (yet) have a tank, but I'm curious.

Thanks!
- Chris

superxdude · #2 10/14/2006, 02:12 AM

I'm here. I'll be setting up my tank in about a month or so on Hickam.

SDX

spleen93 · #3 10/14/2006, 04:08 AM

I'm here too.

Spleen

Holokai · #4 10/14/2006, 12:46 PM

Hey Guys, Nice to see some other reefers on the island(s). I just got a little 7 gallon nano tank, I'll be setting that up probably in a few weeks. Pretty busy with work right now.

Can I ask where you get your supplies / fish / etc. here? Also, what your tank live stock is? I'm curious about what I can / can't have due to the strict laws here in Hawaii.

My understanding is that we can have any kind of fish, but only corals / inverts from Hawaiian Waters. On top of that, we can't have any live rock. Which is a joke, since given enough time, any rocks in the tank become "live."

Thanks!
-Chris

superxdude · #5 10/14/2006, 02:41 PM

Well, I've thought about starting a marine club here. Nothing fancy, just somewhere we can talk and trade if needed. If you'll be moving, it's a great way to have people help come over and move your tank with you.

Or if you are selling off your tank, it's a great way to keep your stuff local.

Holokai · #6 10/14/2006, 02:58 PM

I think that would be a good idea, maybe atleast set up our own forum here on RC. I think we'd need more than three people though!
- Chris

superxdude · #7 10/14/2006, 11:26 PM

I can easily get one set up on a friend's server. Getting the word out would be a little more difficult. Perhaps making fliers and getting them posted at local fish stores might help?

SXD

RC Anemone · #8 10/15/2006, 12:58 AM

I'm in, would be nice to trade frags with someone and talk story.

jimbo045 · #9 10/15/2006, 01:07 AM

Sounds cool. I am on Oahu, in Hawaii. Maybe we can trade things, if you are close. JD

RC Anemone · #10 10/15/2006, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimbo045
Sounds cool. I am on Oahu, in Hawaii. Maybe we can trade things, if you are close. JD

Hello JD, I sent you a pm.

spleen93 · #11 10/15/2006, 04:39 AM

No stony corals from Hawaiian waters (big fine from DNLR). No live rock collecting from Hawaiian water (big fine from DNLR). Certain inverts are illegal to collect or smaller sizes can be illegal to collect (small lobsters and certain crabs for instance).

For details on this:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/fish_regs/marinverts.htm

It is against Dept of Ag rules to import the majority of the common reef tank inverts into Hawaii (and yet, it's OK to import the majority of non-native marine fish into Hawaii ... (snort) like THAT makes any sense).

So we kind of get the double whammy - can't collect and can't import. The only real advantage we have being in Hawaii is cheap Hawaiian fish (which are supposedly cyanide free) and free filtered seawater (from Waikiki Aquarium). Oh, and if you could figure out how to handle the temperature rise, you definitely wouldn't need metal halides to grow coral since we've got the sun!

I'd also be interested in seeing what everybody has got.

Spleen

superxdude · #12 10/16/2006, 05:07 PM

It'll be 30 days or so until I get my tank up and running. If anyone can help me via a cup of live sand, I would appriciate it. Other than that, I might either collect dried rock from various beaches or make my own agrocrete.

Does anyone have suggestions other than that?

SuperXdude

Craig Lambert · #13 10/16/2006, 05:17 PM

More importantly....Is everyones tank still in the "upright position?" Is everyone OK? We hope so!

Holokai · #14 10/16/2006, 06:58 PM

Yeah, quake just knocked power off on Oahu. Nothing serious here. Big island had some structural damage, but so far no deaths reported.

As far as live sand, I was told we can take sand from a beach, but one bucket per day. This was from an LFS, so you know how reliable that is. If it's true I was thinking Mokuleia might be a good spot...

spleen93 · #15 10/17/2006, 12:44 AM

The live sand issue is correct (in terms of one gallon bucket a day). Basically, what I do for live rock is take dead rock with interesting shapes and dump it into a tank I have at the back of my house and let it seed. Temperature fluctuations are a b*tch but it does serve to seed the rock. My 50G is slowly taking shape.

My tank's going to be BB so can't help with the live sand, sorry.

Spleen

jimbo045 · #16 10/17/2006, 01:07 AM

In Aiea I do Chris! JD

jimbo045 · #17 10/17/2006, 01:11 AM

A Protein Skimmer is good to get quick. JD

zemuron114 · #18 10/17/2006, 02:52 AM

the no coral rule is soo silly.. I would want to import some corals and make the hawaiian reefs more appealing the eye.. lol There aren't to many corals around anymore. I did find some sweeeet zoos (blue and green) but they were at sharks cove (sigh)

ill stick to just fish

spleen93 · #19 10/17/2006, 03:12 AM

Actually, there's plenty of coral but just not very exciting - brown Porites and the like.

Spleen

superxdude · #20 10/17/2006, 08:10 PM

I am heading to Barber's Point tomorrow to scout out dry rocks I can use for base rock.

I went to Bellows on Sunday and the sand there would be OK for a sand bed. Small grains, but it's light brownish.

SuperXdude

m000240 · #21 10/18/2006, 12:51 AM

Hey, I am in Hawaii!!!! I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to try and set up a reef tank in Hawaii. Glad to see there are some other crazies out there!!! I have a 24 nano that is about 5 months old. I have several frags of non-native coral, and if we start a group would love to trade, and wouldn't mind helping people move tanks if necessary.

Alex

m000240 · #22 10/18/2006, 12:55 AM

Superdude....

I got my sand and rock at Iriqous point beach, the sand is kinda large, but it works for me.

HTH

zemuron114 · #23 10/18/2006, 02:10 AM

careful talking about reefs.. dont want the DLNR to find you...hehehe (seriously though, careful about talking about it

)

m000240 · #24 10/18/2006, 10:54 AM

From what I've read, and I even checked with a rep at DNR as long as your coral was not collected from hawaiian waters you are ok. They ban the import of some inverts, but you can import any fish or coral you'd like. Most places won't do it because it has to go through an inspection (kinda like the animal QT) and usually results in death.

spleen93 · #25 10/18/2006, 12:01 PM

DLNR is not the issue. DLNR only deals with local waters and collection/catching of organisms locally. What the problem is is the state Department of Agriculture. And yes, almost all corals that we would keep in a reef tank is on the banned list (prohibited from entry into the state of Hawaii and being kept by private individuals - with certain exceptions for research facilities such as the Waikiki Aquarium/University of Hawaii). Certain acropora species/tridacna clams/Sarcophyton sp. leathers are on a separate list which are permitted under special research permits but these are extraordinarily difficult to obtain (I know, I tried getting one!) and even if you were to obtain one, any animal would have to go through inspection by Ag like you mentioned and the holdup would probably mean the death of the animal. Truly a sad state of affairs.

http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/adminrules/AR-71RA.pdf

That's the list of animals that are restricted to only research institutes. See the number of organisms that we usually keep in reef tanks? (sigh)

Spleen