Native New Jersey saltwater

[Feeshrfriendsnotfood]

Heyo. I’m bored with the Coronavirus quarantine and I’m just kicking ideas around in my head, but has anyone here set up a New Jersey native aquarium? I tried finding something exciting via google but all I can turn up is sport fishes. I was curious if anyone who lives near the Jersey shore (I’m in PA so that’s my closest saltwater environment) knows of anything small and interesting

 

[fish farmer]

I used to collect stuff when I was a kid north of Boston. there were sculpins, stickleback, mummichogs and I've seen sheepshead minnow. I used to have mummichogs live for a while in my old SW tank and some crabs.

Lots of different crabs, snails, sea anemonies, and urchins.

Temperature is going to be the big limiting factor, but being around Jersey you may have more temperature tolerant species down there. North Boston is like 55 degrees in the summer...at least it feels that way. Tropical fish will come up with the gulf stream and you can find tiny butterfly fish and angles by September in the Long Island sound.

If you have a chiller or cool basement it could be an interesting tank.

 

[SDK]

You can find those tropicals in NJ as well. I’ve collected them from Chesapeake Bay right up through Montauk Point....

NJ is also a good place to collect seahorses, if you are interested in trying them...

 

[albano]

Are the local/native species legal to collect and keep captive? Might need to check wildlife regulations,

 

[Gareth elliott]

If this is going to be fowlr. We had a butterfly tank of just NJ caught butterflies. They are legal to collect as they do not survive up here. Towards July they swim up the gulf stream as juveniles. When it gets colder they die. So not listed on NJ list of wildlife that cant be collected. I dont have picture as this was the 90’s when this tank was up and running.

 

[Peace River]

Heyo. I’m bored with the Coronavirus quarantine and I’m just kicking ideas around in my head, but has anyone here set up a New Jersey native aquarium? I tried finding something exciting via google but all I can turn up is sport fishes. I was curious if anyone who lives near the Jersey shore (I’m in PA so that’s my closest saltwater environment) knows of anything small and interesting

Size tank, local regulations, and filtration are a few of the factors that will help you decide what way to go with your local native tank. If you are exploring the idea of a tank of native fish, inverts, and possibly plants you may also want to consider a freshwater native tank. I have done a lot of work with FW and SW native fishes and it will help you learn so much about your local area.