Should we take things more seriously?

[Purpletang92]

Well vendors need to survive too. Charging just enough to pay the bills to upkeep the tanks (and all the associated bills) seems a bit presumptuous.

Does this mean I think they don’t over charge? No, many do. And then they name a coral and call it super ultra rare and charge even more. And then what the probability that the super ultra rare coral survives in a reefers tank?

Not all vendors can be coral farmers. They don’t have the space to do grow outs - and think about how long that actually takes for some corals. It’s not really something that can be managed. I read somewhere about them figuring out how to get scolys to “reproduce”.

There are people out there trying to mimic nature to get corals to spawn naturally. BUT this also cost money.

Should aquacultured corals be cheaper - they do tend to be hardier. So yes and no. There is a fair amount of work involved to get to the point that you can call a coral aquacultured.

I love my tank.
I have suffered through a tank crash. So yes I lost plenty of corals.
I've lost fish. Plenty of people lose fish during the QT process. Or during the shipping process.
The cost to breed fish in captivity and then raise the offspring is high. As each species requires specific needs that may or may not be able to be met within a tank.

Should there be regulations on the way we catch fish. 100% yes. But then they need to enforce it- which cost money.

I think money made from collectors of wild caught fish or harvested corals went directly to enforcing and protecting the reefs this would help….but there are black markets for everything…

Prohibition happened….didnt stop moonshine!!!

I do my best to give my tank and its inhabitants the best care…..that’s all I can do. I sell stuff randomly at a lower price than vendors - but I only have to maintain my tank. I don’t have overhead to think about, family to support, or employees to pay.

This is true as well, I just think some us as reefers do take things for granted because of the abundance we have.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

This is true as well, I just think some us as reefers do take things for granted because of the abundance we have.

That’s the general human population with everything

 

[fish farmer]

How experienced would you consider yourself in the hobby ?

I entered the reef hobby in 2000. I had previous freshwater and marine hobby experience during my teen years, 1980s into 1990s.

My professional resume starts with a Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology. My fish experience focus is on salmonids, but did some biologist survey work with endangered species. Current long term job is at a state run trout broodstock hatchery.

I've had some type of reef/fowlr since 2000. My current reef is around 14 years old, but struggled for several years at the start. I don't consider myself experienced in many aspects of the hobby....I play it safe with easy fish, easy corals.

 

[Purpletang92]

I entered the reef hobby in 2000. I had previous freshwater and marine hobby experience during my teen years, 1980s into 1990s.

My professional resume starts with a Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology. My fish experience focus is on salmonids, but did some biologist survey work with endangered species. Current long term job is at a state run trout broodstock hatchery.

I've had some type of reef/fowlr since 2000. My current reef is around 14 years old, but struggled for several years at the start. I don't consider myself experienced in many aspects of the hobby....I play it safe with easy fish, easy corals.

That’s awesome sounds interesting, have you noticed any dramatic changes with the Solomon island reefs during your studies ?

 

[danreef55]

I was a hobbyist in the 1970s. A wholesaler for 7 years in the early 2000s. Been out of the hobby for many years. In November of 2023 I couldn't resist any longer and began trying to become current through this site and other resources. About a month ago I placed my tank order and so the journey has begun. How knowledgeable am I not enough to hold a candle to some other member of the R2R community. Be well and happy reefing

 

[Purpletang92]

I was a hobbyist in the 1970s. A wholesaler for 7 years in the early 2000s. Been out of the hobby for many years. In November of 2023 I couldn't resist any longer and began trying to become current through this site and other resources. About a month ago I placed my tank order and so the journey has begun. How knowledgeable am I not enough to hold a candle to some other member of the R2R community. Be well and happy reefing

There is plenty of knowledge in the R2R community and so many new things and topics to learn from. People here are generally very welcoming and happy to help of course you have a few disgruntled members but it’s part of it. Wishing you all the best on your tank journey.

 

[BeanAnimal]

What’s your point?
Coral reefs are relied upon by a quarter of the world’s marine life. And how many societies rely on that marine life to survive? Or do you not care about people because people as we know them only showed up a few 100,000 years ago?

Why ask a question to which the answer is not relevant? I don’t think the universe will skip a beat based on my caring or not. Are we going to argue about who cares more or who “does their part” better to “offset” their selfish desires? Lots of glass houses to avoid if that is the case.

Anyway, I simply pointed out that the reefs (marine life… all life if we are being thorough ) that we see now is very temporary regardless of our input. Hand wringing about the reef keeping hobby being “good” or “bad” for the “environment” is kind of silly in the big picture or even the context of the current time. It is not “good” but “bad” is a matter of scale.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Most of those are renewable and in no form comparable to a living creature, the environment I talk about are the coral reefs of the world.

Sounds to me like rather convenient rationalization to make yourself feel better. All of those things are “renewable” at the expense of something else, usually living, and often the very reefs and marine life that you talk about. You would not have your modern aquarium, the equipment, its inhabitants, food or power without global industrialization.

 

[Purpletang92]

Sounds to me like rather convenient rationalization to make yourself feel better. All of those things are “renewable” at the expense of something else, usually living, and often the very reefs and marine life that you talk about. You would not have your modern aquarium, the equipment, its inhabitants, food or power without global industrialization.

Convenient? No what I said is true , they are all renewable resources, my tank is very basic no extra bells and whistles I don’t even run a skimmer. Yes everything has a cost but it seems like everyone is deviating from the main topic, should we take our tanks / livestock more seriously ? And what if everything isn’t as readily available as it is now?

 

[GatorGreg]

Convenient? No what I said is true , they are all renewable resources, my tank is very basic no extra bells and whistles I don’t even run a skimmer. Yes everything has a cost but it seems like everyone is deviating from the main topic, should we take our tanks / livestock more seriously ? And what if everything isn’t as readily available as it is now?

Why are you assuming that everyone doesn’t take their tanks and livestock seriously.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Convenient? No what I said is true , they are all renewable resources, my tank is very basic no extra bells and whistles I don’t even run a skimmer. Yes everything has a cost but it seems like everyone is deviating from the main topic, should we take our tanks / livestock more seriously ? And what if everything isn’t as readily available as it is now?

You are still rationalizing your impact vs other people's, as if somehow it is okay comparatively. Breed coral or fish or don't. Your net impact on the world's oceans as it relates to your hobby far outweighs any benefit that your actions provide. The same context applies to "taking our tanks more seriously".

Sorry - but these threads do nothing but result in a lot of feel good finger pointing. I suggest personal introspection with a focus on being honest with yourself.

 

[Purpletang92]

You are still rationalizing your impact vs other people's, as if somehow it is okay comparatively. Breed coral or fish or don't. Your net impact on the world's oceans as it relates to your hobby far outweighs any benefit that your actions provide. The same context applies to "taking our tanks more seriously".

Sorry - but these threads do nothing but result in a lot of feel good finger pointing. I suggest personal introspection with a focus on being honest with yourself.

Well again back to the main topic, it’s just a thought, I’m sure we have all lost something because of our own neglect if we had known we couldn’t just go out and get another, would we have been more cautious with our actions

 

[fish farmer]

Well again back to the main topic, it’s just a thought, I’m sure we have all lost something because of our own neglect if we had known we couldn’t just go out and get another, would we have been more cautious with our actions

Question to you. Do you have an emergency plan for your tank? Generator? Ice/heat? Do you go on vacation? Have a reliable sitter?

 

[Purpletang92]

Question to you. Do you have an emergency plan for your tank? Generator? Ice/heat? Do you go on vacation? Have a reliable sitter?

My tank is set up to where I don’t need any of that stuff I’ve learned from past mistakes with the livestock I choose to keep. Just left out of town for 2 weeks and my tank didn’t skip a beat just had to clean the glass.

 

[NonstopSoda]

There is no “research” that needs to be done. Common fish are not what most reefers get excited over, of course everyone’s taste is different but I find it hard to compare a yellow tang to a clown fish. I never said the fish were endangered I was referring to the coral we keep.

Im late to this thread but I dont understand this? I feel like most reefers do infact enjoy the common fish, Not everyone can afford or have tanks big enough for tangs or angels or puffers or any larger fish? I find that clownfish are what draw people to this hobby the most... I love gobies and blennies and basslets that dont cost $900 dollars each and are all aqua culture.

 

[rtparty]

My tank is set up to where I don’t need any of that stuff I’ve learned from past mistakes with the livestock I choose to keep. Just left out of town for 2 weeks and my tank didn’t skip a beat just had to clean the glass.

Your tank doesn’t need any electricity to survive? If so, that’s the real winner in this thread and a new thread should be started explaining this.

 

[Purpletang92]

Im late to this thread but I dont understand this? I feel like most reefers do infact enjoy the common fish, Not everyone can afford or have tanks big enough for tangs or angels or puffers or any larger fish? I find that clownfish are what draw people to this hobby the most... I love gobies and blennies and basslets that dont cost $900 dollars each and are all aqua culture.

Maybe I should have said designer clown to a regular clown , but same thing there are $900 + clownfish out there then you have the common clownfish $20, given the choice I believe most reefers would want a designer clownfish over a common clownfish.

 

[Purpletang92]

Your tank doesn’t need any electricity to survive? If so, that’s the real winner in this thread and a new thread should be started explaining this.

very low tech my house hardly has power outages and if so no longer that 2 hours max. Return pump , vortech pump, lights and an algae scrubber, my power surge isn’t even full

 

[rtparty]

very low tech my house hardly has power outages and if so no longer that 2 hours max. Return pump , vortech pump, lights and an algae scrubber, my power surge isn’t even full

You are the one that said it didn’t “need any of that”

Just because power outages are rare doesn’t exclude the fact that a prolonged power outage is possible and you have zero prep for that scenario. Seems that should be taken more seriously

 

[NonstopSoda]

Maybe I should have said designer clown to a regular clown , but same thing there are $900 + clownfish out there then you have the common clownfish $20, given the choice I believe most reefers would want a designer clownfish over a common clownfish.

the most expensive designer ive seen around is like $300 for a pair so $150 a clown I have no clue where you're finding the crown jewel of designer clowns for $900+