The RED List of Fish, Inverts, and Corals

[whatcaneyedo]

I know you're not looking for more links and want your own list but here is Reef Central's Difficult and Special Care Species list anyways:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1157901

Funny story: I've tried sharing this list with many people in the hobby locally including our LFS and every time I do someone interprets it as saying "no one is allowed to buy ANY of these". Many people just look at how long the list is instead of trying to read it... then I get crap for pretending to be a know-it-all and trying to tell everyone what to do.

My message is: I support the idea but be careful about how the list is presented.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

I know you're not looking for more links and want your own list but here is Reef Central's Difficult and Special Care Species list anyways:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1157901

Funny story: I've tried sharing this list with many people in the hobby locally including our LFS and every time I do someone interprets it as saying "no one is allowed to buy ANY of these". Many people just look at how long the list is instead of trying to read it... then I get crap for pretending to be a know-it-all and trying to tell everyone what to do.

My message is: I support the idea but be careful about how the list is presented.

This is my favorite quote from that list:

"Centropyge heraldi (almost always caught using drugs)"

I have zero tolerance for drug use in my tank. Any fish caught using drugs is taken straight back to the LFS. Warnings like this are perfect since now I know Lemon Peel Angels are almost always going to do drugs.

[Madreefer]

These so called "lists" just seem to **** people off more than they do any good. Much easier if people spent a little time doing research. There's too many ignorant people that just figure "oh well... I'm gonna try anyways" Most of what I read are people that have had tanks set up less than 6 months and don't listen anyways. If you don't research, you don't learn. It is probably not a good idea to take a list like this to a LFS telling them what they should and should not sell. Just like another member says "you have to use the proper wording". It can start some nasty arguements.

[my2rotties]

Most times research tells us they are hard to keep due to not eating or water quality must be mint... if the fish is eating and the water params of the reefer are mint, it will give us a green light to go ahead... then little do we know there are other factors involved and the things you know you can provide are simply not enough.

If some fish are coral nippers, and we have a few corals it would be nice to know which corals have been targeted to either remove them of watch them.

I have never bought or will try a red list fish at this point. If I ever did, it would be from another reefer and not the LFS. If people expand on their experience it helps others know better. If someone has made the mistake of buying the fish already any success stories in keeping specialized creatures can help them try their best to be successful themselves.

There are other things about fish like jumping that some research may not show... things like how to keep the fish from jumping and measures reefers had to take to keep them in the tank is appreciated since a canopy might not be enough.

There are only a couple of LFS in my area that are very honest and knowledgeable with customers. There are a few that will tell you anything to make you feel alright about buying the fish. Then you come home with a disaster and the store won't stand by what they told you. However there are a couple of stores that will stand by the info and help you out. However it is not always the case and new reefers have trail and error with every store until they learn the hard way.

Originally Posted by Madreefer

These so called "lists" just seem to **** people off more than they do any good. Much easier if people spent a little time doing research. There's too many ignorant people that just figure "oh well... I'm gonna try anyways" Most of what I read are people that have had tanks set up less than 6 months and don't listen anyways. If you don't research, you don't learn. It is probably not a good idea to take a list like this to a LFS telling them what they should and should not sell. Just like another member says "you have to use the proper wording". It can start some nasty arguements.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

My message is: I support the idea but be careful about how the list is presented.

I agree 100%! The idea of this thread was to have a short, sweet list of the commonly available, and commonly lost fish so that it would be an easy, quick read in hopes that more people would take a look. For example, Bangaii Cardinals are nearly extinct in the wild and have a very large chance of becoming extinct in the near future, and I would bet 95% of aquarists have no idea at all. Another example would be Powder Blue Tangs. SUPER popular, but rather difficult to keep healthy, and SO many people have no clue.

[Leah]

The list is a great idea. Alot of the stuff on it can be helpful. And hopefully we do take
some responibility. But my thought is none of us should really do this at all. From live
rock, live sand, corals, fish, even crabs and snails. It is very selfish to say the least but
here we all are. Stealing from the oceans and paying someone along the way to bring us
each what we want. Do we wait till things are endangered before we take a stand. Seems a little backwards to me. We all are guilty if you ask me.
We are not looking at the bigger picture here, there is no way to justify this and if we do
we are only fooling ourselves. On that note, happy reefing everyone. * Meow *

[Snaz]

This list is a great idea. I for one will pledge NOT to purchase any of the species on the RED list.