Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, that's certainly a bold statement!!

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is isn't it?

Jeanna,

The reason a few of us here prefer to buy captive raised animals, whether they are corals or fish is that if we don't try to make an effort to take some pressure off of nature for the creatures we take out of the ocean we won't have a hobby in the future.

We as hobbiests do this by fragging our corals and trading amonst each other wherever possible and in the case of fish, if we can buy tank raised we do.

In this new world conservation is key. We aren't the only area that is immune to this train of thought. If anything we should actively PROMOTE it.

All it takes is one politician to start something and the hobby gets closed. The sale and ownership of macro algea of all types was very nearly banned in California because of lack of knowledge by people outside of our hobby. This would have shut down live rock importation due to macro's gorwing on LR. It takes very little. With the reefs and fish populations declining we need to do our part in saving as much as we can. I am not saying the reefs are gone in a couple of years but lets try and se if we can save tehm for the future reefkeepers.

I am not saying I do it each and everytime but if I was able to buy a tank raised over a wild caught. Hands down tank raised wins. No question in my mind.

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

Darren, I have a great idea for people that want a reef tank without spending the money involved.

http://www.branchs.com/

With these, you don't need the lighting, sumps, pumps or for that matter, salt. What ya think?? :D

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

Shiver Git!! lol

that is just tacky.. lol at least it isn't REAL coral skeletons.. lol

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

Darren, I'm anxious to see this web page in particular finished. Any ETA?

http://members.shaw.ca/canreeftank/info/philo.htm

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is isn't it?

Jeanna,

The reason a few of us here prefer to buy captive raised animals, whether they are corals or fish is that if we don't try to make an effort to take some pressure off of nature for the creatures we take out of the ocean we won't have a hobby in the future.

We as hobbiests do this by fragging our corals and trading amonst each other wherever possible and in the case of fish, if we can buy tank raised we do.

In this new world conservation is key. We aren't the only area that is immune to this train of thought. If anything we should actively PROMOTE it.

All it takes is one politician to start something and the hobby gets closed. The sale and ownership of macro algea of all types was very nearly banned in California because of lack of knowledge by people outside of our hobby. This would have shut down live rock importation due to macro's gorwing on LR. It takes very little. With the reefs and fish populations declining we need to do our part in saving as much as we can. I am not saying the reefs are gone in a couple of years but lets try and se if we can save tehm for the future reefkeepers.

I am not saying I do it each and everytime but if I was able to buy a tank raised over a wild caught. Hands down tank raised wins. No question in my mind.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Very nicely said DJ ;) .

I'm going to be reading up tonight on Corals and Fish that don't belong in our aquariums, cause I ALMOST bought a Carnation Coral today on an impulse buy :( .

Got any names to start off my list?

[ 25 June 2002, 00:43: Message edited by: MAK ]

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

BC_Grl, you say "if it's not for a superior animal." One thing that I don't know has been emphasized yet in this thread about captive-bred, is that with certain measurable qualities, captive-bred IS superior.

The key factor is that they have adapted to life in captivity. They've known nothing else. Thus, there is no effort required in order to get them to accept foods for example. The risk is less that they carry some kind of parasite capable of bringing them down (or others).

I know this point gets hammered again and again, but it does bear repeating: the cost of wild-caught is far greater than the economic price we pay. We may pay less at the store for the fish, but the environment is sharing part of the burden with us. (Isn't that magnanimous of the environment? I think we don't thank the environment enough for what it does for us ... ;) )

Just my $0.02 ...

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

Wow this is a hot topic. Nice passion from reef raf. I'm very new to this hobby. And one thing I'm learning in this game is patience. The way I see it right now is I can wait. I can wait until I've saved enough money to buy that tank raised fish. I can wait until my tank is completely cycled. And I echo the comment by the person that said if we spend umpteen dollars on equipment then we can spend upmteen dollars on the livestock. But I can understand the budget. I'm still waiting to have my first coral. And the only reason is the budget. My tank is cycled , the readings are right on and I'm just waiting. I've waited quite awhile. But its good. It helps me realize how impulsive i am at times. So again i can wait till there's enough to buy the tank raised fish. And amen to this website. I've stayed away from some errors because of your advice and my endless reading. I just read an article on the philipines and their reefs. Man they kill a lot to get a few. But we can do what we can do. So to make a long story short. Yes I would definetly pay more. i'm gearing up slowly for some of those tank raised Bangliss, (spelling error i know), save me some andrew and I'll pay ya next year. Yuck Yuck. enough said. good topic we need to talk more over these things.
ps. They have community gardens how about community fish rearing. well I think thats already happening here with a few of you.
pss. Ya know my 5 year old son already knows what a tank raised fish is and coral. and he innocently said "That would be better." I think fish like to stay at home just like us." Now he's not aware of the big picture but an intersting opinion out of a babe. Did I say a long story.
Happy reefin. George.

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

"I have a great idea for people that want a reef tank without spending the money involved."

I have no problems spending the money needed.

I see your points re: conservation etc. And had no idea on the other points. I was only trying to say that I wouldn't spend $40 on the same fish that I could buy for $30, that's all. But when I now see there IS a difference in the 2, I would probably go for the tank-raised over the wild-caught.

[ 30 June 2002, 13:28: Message edited by: BC_Grl ]

Captive bred fish: Please Respond
 

Jeanna, the point is that it ISN"T THE SAME FISH! The $30 fish could of been caught with cyanide, dynamite, etc. It got shipped with a whole bunch of other really stressed fish and for sure has a weakened immune system. All this means that there is a good chance the fish will perish in your tank.
I lost a powder brown tang that just wasted away. It was $50. I would gladly pay double that if a captive raised was available for that species. Something I knew hadn't encountered all the above perils. My powder brown is gone and so is the $50. I would bet $500 it was caught with cyanide. I didn't see a lot of savings in that fish.
By the time you've got your tank set up, you'll have spent thousands; and then you think buying a potentially dying fish over a captive raised is worth saving $10?? I just think that's incredible. You are, of course, entitled to your thoughts and opinions. But so am I. And I think that kind of attitude sucks and is detrimental to MY hobby.