Losing Nemo...

[YCW]

Due to the popularity the movie, Finding Nemo, I notice quite a number of local aquarium shops increasing their stocks of 'Nemos' and 'Dorys'. Keeping marine fish captive has also gaining popularity in this part of the world.

I wonder if that is happening in other parts of the world. If that is the case, I guess now we are losing more 'Nemos' than finding them....

;-0

 

[C_C]

I believe that Disney is single-handedly responsible for a number of unwanted pets, natural habitat depletion, and complete eradication of some creatures.

Examples:

Immediately after the promotion of 1001 Dalmations, local pet shops sold an incredible number of poor dogs to families that were not ready for pets. A large number of these dogs ended up in rescue situations.

Finding Nemo has an increased number of kids finding clown fish and then begging for them. Parents unfamiliar with the nuances involved with saltwater aquarium care find it easier to aquaint Nemo with the Tidy Bowl Man.

And finally, when was the last time you saw a hunchback in Notre Dame? Eh?....total eradication!

c_c

 

[BacardiSpice]

Haven't seen the Nemo movie, so don't know what he is - is he an anenome fish?

A lot of responsibility comes down to the aquarium shop owner as well as parents. No responsible shop owner would sell any marine set up to a novice fishkeeper, unless they were very well aware of what they were getting into or intended to pay for tank maitenance on a very regular basis! Unfortunately, not all shopowners are responsible, and some have the 'disposable fish' mentality (i.e. you want exotic flowers? Buy them, stick them in a vase, and keep them until they die. You want exotic fish? Buy 'em, stick em in a tank, and keep them until they die). They make no effort to educate the potential purchaser.

Fortunately, most of the shop owners I've known make a great effort to ascertain what experience and knowledge the purchaser has. After all, if they buy marine fish and then experience 'new tank' syndrome as nitrate and ammonia levels skyrocket, wiping out the new purchases, the would-be fishkeeper is likely to become frustrated and give up. But start them out with something more appropriate - like freshwater livebearers! - and you may hook them on the hobby, progressively upgrading until they're ready to purchase the 500 litre live-rock reef tank system.

Anenome fish are one of the few marine species that have been bred in captivity, and it is possible to buy some captive bred species in aquarium shops. The responsible elements of the aquarium industry are conscious of conservation issues related to their hobby, including cyanide collection, and are attempting to develop breeding programmes and promote the use of hand-caught only fish to minimise any detrimental effects.

Parents, too, should take their share of responsibility. I have little patience for anyone who views animals as disposable or toys - be they fish, dogs, horses or any animal. They are not playthings, and it is the responsibility of every person who intends taking on a pet of any type to find out what that animal's needs are - be it a goldfish or a surgeon tang.

 

[drbill]

There was a four fold increase in the sales of clown fish after the movie came out. I contacted some of the consultants on the film and its consequences, hoping they or Disney would issue a public statement discouraging such. Never happened to the best of my knowledge.

Dr. Bill

 

[ScottyK]

"Nemo" is a Percula Clownfish, although what is seen in stores is usually A. occelaris, which is a similar looking, but more common species that is often mismarked as "Percula".

These clowns are, for the most part, tank raised in hatcheries, and not taken from the natural environment. They are relatively easy to keep as far as marines go, but the packages with clown, 10 gallon tank and cheapie filter are ridiculous. The minimum you should have to keep a clown is a 30 gallon with a good, natural system filter and a protien skimmer. Keep them in pairs or small groups. Clowns are sexually "plastic" and if you buy two small ones you will always get a pair. A good book on marine fish is a must. I would reccommend Joyce Wilkersons "Clownfish, Their Care and Breeding in Captivity.

Keeping an anemone is a no no unless you are and advanced reef keeper, and willing to invest in metal halide lighting and surge devices. Even then they can be difficult. They also reproduce slowly, live for decades, and will almost certainly be wild harvested.

"Dory" is a Regal Tang, or P. hepatus. THESE FISH SHOULD NOT BE KEPT IN A HOME AQUARIUM!

Tangs in general need more care than the average marine fish. They are herbivores,and need a CONTINUOUS supply of fresh, high quality MARINE vegetation. You need to spend months letting a tank get a lush algae growth, and supplement with natural seaweed strips to have long term success with Tangs.

Regal Tangs inhabit the violently surging, crashing area of the reef fringe. They are used to a very high oxygen content, and a lot of movement in their environment. They are next to impossible to keep in anything less ambitious than a public aquarium type setting.

In short-

Nemo- yes, if you do your research and are willing to invest the time ( they can live close to a decade) and money

Nemo's Home- No for 95% of people. Remember you are taking something out of the wild that could live 100 years.

Dory- NO NO NO!!!

 

[Kettle]

Pfft, don't know where you got your info from.
Paracanthurus hepatus are quite often kept succesfully in home aquariums. It is certainly not a begginer fish, but they are nowhere near impossible to keep in a home aquarium. All that is needed is a large enough tank and plenty of food.
Anemones can also be quite easy to keep. There is certainly no need for a surge device. If you take time to look into the creature you are buying and their requirements then you will be fine. The natural host anemones for Amphipirion percula are Heteractis crispa, H. magnifica and Stichodactyla gigantea. And for A. occelaris H. magnifica, S. gigantea and S. mertensii. These anemones all get quite large and are more difficult to look after, however both of the fish will also host in Entacmaea quadricolor, which is much easier to care for.

 

[BacardiSpice]

Thanks for that comprehensive and commonsense reply, Scotty!

Out of curiousity on common names (which of course vary so much) - what's the preferred form these days? I started with 'clownfish' and moved to 'clown anenomefish' etc, but a search on, for example, 'percula anenomefish' doesn't yield many results, whereas 'percula clownfish' does. Percula +Anenomefish seems to yield the most search results. Hairsplitting?

 

[ScottyK]

Kettle- Feel free to disagree with something I say, but leave the Pfft out. It makes you look immature, especially when your information is incorrect.

I got my "information" from keeping/breeding marine fish for over 30 years, managing an Aquarium for six years, and volunteering as an educator in a public aquarium for three years.

If you look around, you'll see lots of P. hepatus tangs in aquariums. The problem is that even an advanced reef keeper will be lucky to keep it alive for more than six months. Even some public aquariums have to keep replacing them. The fact that keeping something that can live a decade alive for six months or so is considered a success, is part of what's wrong with the marine aquarium hobby.

I did not say anemones were impossible to keep. I said that 95% of casual aquarium keepers should not try them. For "long term" success with anemones (and corals), you need surge currents to keep them properly oxegenated, and to allow removal of expelled wastes and sloughed off body slime. Sloughing helps them remove dirt, dead cells and bacteria. All of the carpet anemones you mentiond get too large (as you said), and should not be kept in a home aquarium. Again, they live for a year or so, then outgrow their tank and waste away. Carpets natural lifespans are estimated at over a century in the wild. Right now, there is only one species (that you did mention) that is being kept with any measure of success. That is the Bubble Tip, or E. quadricolor. Most of these don't make it either, and people who keep one alive more than five years are rare enough to get written up in Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. I'm not sure how that translates into "quite easy to keep".

By the way, even though your "pfft" raised my hackles a bit, you are the first person on this board I've noticed that seems to be into aquariums. Let's try not to get off on the wrong foot. I'm currently keeping about 20 tanks, totaling over 1,000 gallons right now. I have a species tank of one of your Aussie natives, the Desert Goby, that I love.

 

[ScottyK]

Bacardi- Percula is the most common name, for the most commonly seen Clownfish species. It doesn't surprise me that Percula yielded the best results.

The species A. percula was one of the earliest marine aquarium imports, but is not a common fish. A occelaris is much more common, and looks almost identical to A. percula. Perculas' have a thicker black edge, are "slightly" larger and have a different number of dorsal rays. It takes a trained eye to tell them apart.

What happened was that, for years, they were importing the A. occelaris, and misidentifying them as A. percula. The name "Percula Clown" stuck even after the error was corrected. It's so silly now that they actually call A. percula "True Percula" and A. occelaris "Percula" because they can't get rid of it!

There are several species of Clowns, and they are collectively known as "Anemone Fish", or "Clown Anemone Fish". That is why you've probably heard so many different terms. Hope this clears things up for you......

Scott

 

[BacardiSpice]

Cheers, Scott!

I had the common names reduced to a 'system' (if it could be dignified with the term) of clown anenomefish, false clown anenomefish, maroon anenomefish, spiny-cheeked anenomefish, tomato anenomefish etc. Suppose it would be easier to stick with scientific names.

So you'd put a Regal Tang in the same class as a Moorish Idol when it comes to keeping it in captivity?

I'm a former-and-soon-to-be-again aquarium keeper, but not of the marine type (although at one point I did invest in a substantial filtration system for a good sized marine fish-only tank, but had to move overseas before setting it up). I kept and bred primarily South-East Asian and Oz species, particularly Papua New Guinea and Oz Rainbow fish.