Transport Aqaurium?

[Prater]

Anyone make a transport aquarium? I am thinking of building one for my trip later this year to the Florida Keys. I may collect some coral while I am down there and bring it back with me. I have talked to the Florida Fish and Wildife department and collection is legal outside the protected areas. You are allowed 20 specimins per day with an out of state fishing license.

I can buy one but they are really too expensive for what you get.

Just a thought...

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10043611#post10043611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Prater
Anyone make a transport aquarium?

arn't those called 5g buckets? :D

honestly though, never heard of a transport aquarium before, sounds like a novel idea.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Just get an icechest cooler with an air pump on a car adapter AC/DC converter. Viola, problem solved ;)

[Prater]

Travis,

It needs to ba able to sustain life for 2 weeks. I am planning on using a large ice chest, but need to add lights, filter, agitator, and possibly (most likely) a chiller.

Adam,

I will use buckets to transport from my boat to the portable aquarium.

My first obstacle will be power. I am thinking of using a couple of deep cycle batteries from one of my boats connected to a power convertor and a solar recharger. When I am at the house in the keys I will just plug the unit into the wall outlet. Its the trip back that I will need the battery power to run the unit.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Why two weeks? Why not collect shortly before you leave?

[Prater]

I will be diving for a week and will collect as I dive. Its my anniversary so there are other activities planned. Then it will be 3 to 5 days on the road back home with a couple of stops along the way.

[Prater]

Here is a link to a simple one at aquaticeco.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6484/cid/1768

[jkhudson]

Travis is right about the power converter. They would be cheaper and certainly less hassle and mess than the batteries. Most boats have lighters or power outlets you could hook it up to. If you make one yourself instead of a chiller make a space ofr cool packs or ice. A chiller pulls a lot of power.

[dustin Combs]

Just ship them to me!!!!

[Prater]

I just may do that Dusty, depends on how far I am from a shipping center.

[Lytehouse]

Great idea.

One of the lfs owners does this often at the Texas Gulf and brings things back. It sounds like you are on the right track with the transport part unless you could ship every couple of days. Wouldn't that expense get overwhelming?

[Marsfrogie]

Dustin Combs, if you get a chance shoot me an email please. Seems that you are not accepting PM's anymore. Thanks.!

[dustin Combs]

Marsfrogie you can email me at dustin@combsfamily.com

[dugg]

You could always get ya one of these.
http://www.frigidrigid.com/truck/truck.htm

[dustin Combs]

Dang they will even color match for the small fee of 295 !!!

[Prater]

Dont tempt me Dugg. Looks like I will be back that way in July.

[dugg]

You are going to be the brave one and plan a trip to the Keys in July? It's shaping up to be a really nasty hurricane season down here, and July is the peak of it all.
That box looks like all it would need is a fat bank roll, and a powerhead, and you could bring back coral for the whole club ;). They are already color matched to your white truck, so there's $295 saved right up front.

[Prater]

I will be in the Keys in October. July is conference in Tampa and some system installs across the state.

[bigScott]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10044741#post10044741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dustin Combs
Just ship them to me!!!! hehehehe


scott:D

[dugg]

I would check on the legalities of shipping rather then carrying them home yourself. I'm not sure if it would make a difference or not, but it could. Florida has very strict laws about shipping local wildlife across state lines. Also be very carefull what and where you collect. I hear horror stories all the time down here about people that thought what they were collecting was legal, only to be informed otherwise by the police at the marina. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and the fines can be huge.

If shipping isn't a problem, you could ship USPS priority overnight for about $40 per box. That $2500 refrigerated truck box sure is sweet though lol.

[Prater]

Dugg,

I have talked with the wildlife enforcement down that way so I know what is leagal and illegal. i will have a rule book just in case I get a FWLO that does not know the book. I also will not be around a marina. I have a private dock at the house I am staying at. Using my Zodiac for diving.

[TulsaReefer]

Since you have a private dock, hopefully it's in full saltwater, not brackish, but you could do what we used to do while fishing down that way. Get a live box and hang it from the dock until you are ready to leave, and keep what you collect in it. We used to go shrimping and crabbing the first day of a fishing trip, and keep them in a couple live boxes for the rest of the week. That should keep things going until you are ready to pack up and leave. Of if you don't want to spend on a live box, just put your cooler on the dock, and pump water into it to keep things going.

Then I'd just go with a couple of the really huge coolers (the bigger the better). We use these huge marine coolers when we fish in Alaska ( http://www.cooler-store.com/marine_coolers_5_ctg.htm ) they aren't cheap, but they hold a lot! And then look for a bunch of smaller styrofoam ones that would fit inside the bigger one(s), to seperate things out a bit. Styrofoam is nice since they insulate well, and you can poke an airline through the top while keeping a bit of a seal to keep water from running out. Also, by seperating things out, if you have one loss, it won't foul as much water immediately as if everything is all together.

Then get a couple of the 12V air pumps, as converting to AC to run one will take more power than using DC direct, the conversion isn't all that efficient. For cooling, just put some small zip lock bags of ice in the outer cooler if things get too warm, and that way the cold isn't directly on any of the specimens as well. Airstones will be injecting warm air, so you may need to cool a bit to make up for it. And take a couple extra 5 gallon or larger jugs to allow for a water change along the way back.

[Prater]

Thanks for the ideas. I was looking at the Icey-Tek coolers but no one carries them anymore. I have some time to work on it.