Quote:
Originally Posted by George
Sorry about the loss.
Also remember that these fish don't come directly from the ocean to our tanks. They go from the ocean to divers to collection stations to distributors to wholesalers to stores. There maybe even multiple stops within each layers (like a store also wholesales live stock and sells to other stores). I don't think many of these places feed the fish or make sure the fish eat. We don't know how long the fish has left the ocean and in transit.
The best advice I can give is that the old recommendation of seeing a fish eating in the store is still a golden recommendation. As long as you are not looking for a super rare fish, the same type of fish will show up sooner or later. Buy the fish that is eating in the store.
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Yah this guy came in on an order from Indonesia. I've looked in to some of the huge Indonesian exporters in the past, and from the sounds of it most of them source from all over the coral triangle. None of their websites talk about collection methods, just how fish are treated at their facilities, but I would imagine that their supply networks encompass everything from a couple of guys with a dingy to truly 'professional' outfits. There's really no way of knowing how long a fish was on the collection boat, how it was collected, how long it was at the facility, or what happened to it in between the exporter and the store.
I'm usually really careful about buying fish, I went with this guy over the other ones because it's fins and colours were particularly outstanding. Placed next to the other 3 mandarins of the same species in the store and there really was no comparison. I let vanity beat out of over practicality.