Reefs at risk after Disney film (Nemo)
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Not long after the film came out I contacted Jean-Michel Cousteau at Ocean Futures expressing concern that this might be a consequence of the movie. JMC had served as one of the consultants on the film.
We had our own problems off Catalina with collectors for the aquarium trade "vacuuming" fish like blue-banded (Catalina) gobies off the rocky reef areas. The Catalina Conservancy Divers (CCD), a volunteer support group of divers, were instrumental in getting a temporary ban on this practice.
Amazing how the "message" of "Finding Nemo" could be turned around so badly by the viewers.
Dr. Bill
We had our own problems off Catalina with collectors for the aquarium trade "vacuuming" fish like blue-banded (Catalina) gobies off the rocky reef areas. The Catalina Conservancy Divers (CCD), a volunteer support group of divers, were instrumental in getting a temporary ban on this practice.
Amazing how the "message" of "Finding Nemo" could be turned around so badly by the viewers.
Dr. Bill
ScottyK
Contributor
We discussed this in the marine life thread a while back, but one point I made bears repeating to anyone who is considering keeping these fish.
Nemo- AKA Occelaris Clownfish or false Percula (Amphiprion occelaris)- If you really want to keep one of these fish, it's relatively easy to ensure you are buying a "captive bred" specimen. It is the most commonly bred marine fish for the pet trade. Captive bred specimens will be free of parasites, reef friendly, and much better acclimated to aquarium life. Under no circumstances should any beginner (and most experts) be trying to keep anemones. For the most part, even the best aquarists can't keep them alive for more than a tiny percetage of their natural lifespans.
Dory- AKA Hippo or Regal Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)- Don't try to keep these fish unless you have a huge reef aquaruim. In the wild, they live in areas of strong surge. This means they are used to highly oxygenated, clean, and fast moving water. They also have exacting dietary requirements that can't be met without extensive research and preparation prior to purchase.
If anyone needs help with present or future aquarium endeavors, feel free to post or PM me.
Scott
Nemo- AKA Occelaris Clownfish or false Percula (Amphiprion occelaris)- If you really want to keep one of these fish, it's relatively easy to ensure you are buying a "captive bred" specimen. It is the most commonly bred marine fish for the pet trade. Captive bred specimens will be free of parasites, reef friendly, and much better acclimated to aquarium life. Under no circumstances should any beginner (and most experts) be trying to keep anemones. For the most part, even the best aquarists can't keep them alive for more than a tiny percetage of their natural lifespans.
Dory- AKA Hippo or Regal Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)- Don't try to keep these fish unless you have a huge reef aquaruim. In the wild, they live in areas of strong surge. This means they are used to highly oxygenated, clean, and fast moving water. They also have exacting dietary requirements that can't be met without extensive research and preparation prior to purchase.
If anyone needs help with present or future aquarium endeavors, feel free to post or PM me.
Scott
adder70
Contributor
Please define huge in terms of liters or gallons. For some people, 55 gallons (180L) is a huge tank, but since most reef enthusiasts start at this size and work up, a more accurate definition might be around 200 gallons (750L).
So, what do you consider huge?
BTW, I don't think size matters. (pause for quick smile/smirk at the doucle meaning) It's about knowledge (and time and money expenditures) when keeping an aquarium. I have seen small (20L/5 gallon) tanks with one fish/shrimp and corals that had been provided only with light and had no death of any visible living creatures for 3 years. (light feeds coral and plant life, shrimp/fish eats coral or small critters/plant life, shrmp/fish waste provides nutrients for microbes). This obviously takes an expert and significant time expenditures to set up, and careful selection of inhabitants. At the same time, I have seen 500gal tanks with people struggling to keep groupers alive! :wacko:
Unfortunately, it's easy to get critters that have special dietary needs without even knowing it. We had an arrow crab that lasted about 9 months and died. We found out several months later that very few people without reef tanks (lots of live rock and coral) managed to keep arrow crabs for more about 6-9 months. Probably a nutrient requirement is my guess, but we had no knowledge of that requirement. Now we pretty much stick to fresh water, and if I have my way we will stay away from salt for a long time.
Freah water tanks with Bosemani and Turqoise rainbows can rival most salt tanks for eye catching beauty and colors, and you can much more easily have a balance of plants and animals in a fresh water tank. It's also much easier (with a few notable exceptions) to keep tropical freshwater fish in a tank, at least IMHO.
ScottyK
Contributor
I mean one step below a public Aquarium, with 500 gallons being a minimum. You need lots of volume, and some sort of surge device. Keep in mind that I'm talking long term care. Keeping something that could live a decade alive for a year or so in a 200 gallon reef tank, all the while slowly eroding in condition is not success in my book.
Another problem with Hippos is they live amongst fast growing, staghorn type corals. When threatened they wedge themselves in the branches. Because of this, the two most prevalent collecting methods for these fish involve poison or direct reef damage. Collectors will puff a cyanide cloud into the branches, and bag the fish as they float up. The small percentage that survive the collecting process will die in your tank no matter how well you care for them. Method two is to break the whole coral head off, and bag it with the fish wedged in there.
Your Arrow crab died from a combination of low calcium and high Nitrates. Any "fish only" type marine aquarium that doesn't have some sort of NNR system will have this problem. They're actually fairly easy to feed. If you drop one in a well managed reef tank, they'll live happily for years without any special target feeding. In my reef tank all the inverts would spawn regularly, which the fish loved. Caviar!!!
BTW- I love those micro reef setups too. Those small ones can be the hardest to keep.
Scott
PS- I'll try to find a pic of my naturally planted freshwater tank. It's loaded with rainbows and killies. You'll really like it.
Another problem with Hippos is they live amongst fast growing, staghorn type corals. When threatened they wedge themselves in the branches. Because of this, the two most prevalent collecting methods for these fish involve poison or direct reef damage. Collectors will puff a cyanide cloud into the branches, and bag the fish as they float up. The small percentage that survive the collecting process will die in your tank no matter how well you care for them. Method two is to break the whole coral head off, and bag it with the fish wedged in there.
Your Arrow crab died from a combination of low calcium and high Nitrates. Any "fish only" type marine aquarium that doesn't have some sort of NNR system will have this problem. They're actually fairly easy to feed. If you drop one in a well managed reef tank, they'll live happily for years without any special target feeding. In my reef tank all the inverts would spawn regularly, which the fish loved. Caviar!!!
BTW- I love those micro reef setups too. Those small ones can be the hardest to keep.
Scott
PS- I'll try to find a pic of my naturally planted freshwater tank. It's loaded with rainbows and killies. You'll really like it.
SparkySFD
Guest
Ive used to have a fish only saltwater tank. The reason I dont anymore is the fact I still dont know how to do it right and money.
You just dont go out and decide I'll go buy a saltwater tank. It takes a CONSIDERABLE amount of dedication, research and lots of money, to do it right.
The clownfish as said above are one of the most common reef fish sold. Luckily for the clownfish they are also one of the most hardy and easiest to captively breed.
The tangs are an entirely different story. As said above they need LOTS of room. Educated aquarists say a minimum of a 300 gallon tank for long term health of the fish. Thats no amateur tank. Your talking a considerable sum of money and work. The Tang is also a finicky eater and are known as Ick magnets. Ick is a disease that will kill fish double quick and is sometimes very hard to treat. The fish in question almost has to be caught and transfered to a hospital tank(more expense). Sometimes in a reef tank its very hard to capture fish.
There are different kinds of anenomes and can be somewhat difficult to take care of. Problem is they like to move around. I once thought mine had dissappeard. Found it in the sump under the tank. It had somehow made it into the overflow box and been sucked down to the sump. How it didnt get killed is a miracle. It took over a month to recover.
The reason micro reefs (small like 10-20 gal) are so hard to take care of is the volume of water. Small problems are greatly magnified in the small volume. The same amount of contamination in a 200 gallon tank is a lot less.
I used to go ape if my wife used a windex spray bottle ANYWHERE in the house. Just the minute amount of amonia aresolized into the atmosphere of the house could play havok with the tank water paramaters.:wacko:
You just dont go out and decide I'll go buy a saltwater tank. It takes a CONSIDERABLE amount of dedication, research and lots of money, to do it right.
The clownfish as said above are one of the most common reef fish sold. Luckily for the clownfish they are also one of the most hardy and easiest to captively breed.
The tangs are an entirely different story. As said above they need LOTS of room. Educated aquarists say a minimum of a 300 gallon tank for long term health of the fish. Thats no amateur tank. Your talking a considerable sum of money and work. The Tang is also a finicky eater and are known as Ick magnets. Ick is a disease that will kill fish double quick and is sometimes very hard to treat. The fish in question almost has to be caught and transfered to a hospital tank(more expense). Sometimes in a reef tank its very hard to capture fish.
There are different kinds of anenomes and can be somewhat difficult to take care of. Problem is they like to move around. I once thought mine had dissappeard. Found it in the sump under the tank. It had somehow made it into the overflow box and been sucked down to the sump. How it didnt get killed is a miracle. It took over a month to recover.
The reason micro reefs (small like 10-20 gal) are so hard to take care of is the volume of water. Small problems are greatly magnified in the small volume. The same amount of contamination in a 200 gallon tank is a lot less.
I used to go ape if my wife used a windex spray bottle ANYWHERE in the house. Just the minute amount of amonia aresolized into the atmosphere of the house could play havok with the tank water paramaters.:wacko:
ScottyK
Contributor
Anemones actually don't like to move around, but will if the place they are in is not suitable. Your fish only set up did not have intense enough light or current, so the anemone kept wandering.
Getting stuck in an intake is a common problem. They will usually try to move up the side of the tank in order to find stronger lighting.
Some of the easier tangs, like yellows can be kept in well managed reef tanks of smaller than 300 gallons. The trick is to cultivate a lush algae growth before you buy them. They are herbivorous grazers with inefficient digestive systems, and need fresh food to pick at all day.
BTW- Pre introduction quarantine and drug free hypo- salinity therapy work better than copper treated hospital tanks nowadays. Feel free to PM me for details if you ever take another shot at marines.
Scott
Getting stuck in an intake is a common problem. They will usually try to move up the side of the tank in order to find stronger lighting.
Some of the easier tangs, like yellows can be kept in well managed reef tanks of smaller than 300 gallons. The trick is to cultivate a lush algae growth before you buy them. They are herbivorous grazers with inefficient digestive systems, and need fresh food to pick at all day.
BTW- Pre introduction quarantine and drug free hypo- salinity therapy work better than copper treated hospital tanks nowadays. Feel free to PM me for details if you ever take another shot at marines.
Scott
If anybody is interested in a marine tank, check out the forums at www.reefcentral.com.
www.wetwebmedia.com is also extremely informative for marine as well as fresh water tanks.
www.wetwebmedia.com is also extremely informative for marine as well as fresh water tanks.
hnladue
Contributor
I have a 10 gallon reef tank. It's been up for 3 years. I have a percula and a skunk clown, scooter bleny(sp), 6 line Rass, and a Mandarian Goby. I've had the Mandarian for over a year, the others I've had for almost 6 months. There's also snails, crabs, and a cucumber in there somewhere. My corals do well as I have 3 lights on the tank. Small tanks can be done, but it is a lot of work. Frequent water changes and I also have 2 filters on the tank. A power head and a regular cartridge filter. I've probably over loaded the tank, but with the filtration and cleaning I haven't lost a fish!! I also use live sand and have 2 diferent types of seaweed(which are trying to take over!)
I always buy tank raised fish and not wild caught. I don't believe in taking from the wild to support the fish trade, when they can be breed at home! Even when I was doing seahorses, I bought tank raised.
I would never recommend a small tank to anyone! They are a lot of work!! Now I'm thinking of converting my 30 gallon fresh to a salt.....hhmmmmm.
I always buy tank raised fish and not wild caught. I don't believe in taking from the wild to support the fish trade, when they can be breed at home! Even when I was doing seahorses, I bought tank raised.
I would never recommend a small tank to anyone! They are a lot of work!! Now I'm thinking of converting my 30 gallon fresh to a salt.....hhmmmmm.
Although as a research scientist I've maintained salt water aquaria for specimens, I don't keep any at my house. I find that the best aquarium I'm aware of has 1,450,000,000,000,000,000 tons of water in it and is fairly self-regulating. On top of that, I'm able to dive in it any time I want just by walking out my door!
Perhaps folks in landlocked areas or colder climates keep home aquaria to remind them of what it's like actually to be in the water???
Dr. Bill
Perhaps folks in landlocked areas or colder climates keep home aquaria to remind them of what it's like actually to be in the water???
Dr. Bill
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