so i was just curious about one thing, well im going to cali in a few days for 5 days and well i was thinking about maybe getting some live rock or coral from the beach and stuff. would it be ok if i did this or not? what about crabs or an octo if i can find one and other little things that get stuck in the tide pools. well just curious if i was able to do it? thanks.question
- Thread starter acerkai640
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so i was just curious about one thing, well im going to cali in a few days for 5 days and well i was thinking about maybe getting some live rock or coral from the beach and stuff. would it be ok if i did this or not? what about crabs or an octo if i can find one and other little things that get stuck in the tide pools. well just curious if i was able to do it? thanks.
im pretty sure its illegal to take it from the beach in cali... if not.. please dont take our liverock and other assorted critters 
its also risky because you dont know what else is living in there.. parasites and such from the wild are not a welcome guest in the tank... its expencive but the best way really is to buy it from the GOOD lfs...
its also risky because you dont know what else is living in there.. parasites and such from the wild are not a welcome guest in the tank... its expencive but the best way really is to buy it from the GOOD lfs...
well i dont have a tank set up yet tho, im going to set one up really soon but i was just curious tho
I'm pretty sure it's illegal to collect right off the coast...I'm definitely sure that it's illegal if you plan on going to Catalina Island.
definitely illegal to do, there are probably some small inverts you can take, but it does depend on where and what species are involved
ok well little crabs are ALL OVER the place but i was just curious seeing im going soon and well i was just thinkink it would be cool for freebies cuz well freebies are always welcomed unless they are illegal. is there a way i would be able to bring some back without it dien?
My kids wanted to try that when we went to NC beaches and the little crabs didn't make 50 miles. We didn't do rocks though. I would think thats risky plus like someone else said you don't know what you are bringing home.
look, anything you take from nature is a risk. you dont know what it has been exposed to or may contain in it. unless you are going to go through a huge ordeal to clean it properly (im talking bleaching, then rinsing to ensure the bleach is gone) and keep a vigillant watch over your tank after you add it, dont do it. it may sound cheaper, but how cheap will it be to have to replace an entire tank full of fish...go to a reputable place and pick up a few good pieces and add them to a more cost effective group of base rock. besides, your live rock wont stay live rock for long if you dont have a tank set up to quarantine them and everything else. wait till you get home and just buy some
