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Fish -
Where They Come From Makes A
BIG Difference!
99%
of all marine fish offered in this hobby are collected from
the wild. Only a few species are tank raised.
Fish are collected from all over the world. Some species can
be found in more than one area. For instance, Yellow
Tangs are most commonly seen from Hawaii & Philippine areas.
Is there a difference? You BET!
Example, the Red
Sea & Hawaii
have some of the most strict collection policies/practices in
the world. Fish are hand & net caught. How they
are contained & transported once caught is highly regulated,
specifically to ensure the survival of the animals
collected. On the other hand, in many 3rd world
countries, local fishermen who are paid by the pound
for ornamental fish still rely on the unethical use of
cyanide & similar drugs. You can imagine it's MUCH easier to catch a
reef fish laying down drugged vs one zipping into
reef crevices! Problem is these drugs damage a fishes
liver which makes them unable to gain nutrition from foods
they eat. This is noted by pinched bellies &/or rail
thin bodies...yet they may eat like pigs...only to die soon
thereafter! A very sad
sight & should not be happening in this day & age!
Hand & net
catching is a laborious task vs.
using drugs. Proper handling after collection is
also more expensive (you can relate to the expense of doing
water changes once a week vs. once a month to ensure high
water quality). We all know that fish stress is the
largest killing factor in this hobby. It only makes
sense that the better the fish is caught, handled,
transported & housed the more healthy = higher success rate
for consumers. This is why AquaCorals is closed on
Tuesdays. To ensure proper acclimation & rest for our
new arrivals...so you get the best possible animals!
Did you know
that many on-line stores fill your
orders through huge warehouse companies usually not even in
their own state?!!
The below chart was duplicated
from LiveAquaria.com & modified to show you the difference
between typical on-line retailers & AquaCorals where I use 3
main sources for all livestock sold here:
1. Reef - Collector -
Broker/Exporter - Importer/Wholesaler - AquaCorals
2. Collector - AquaCorals
3. Hobby Breeders/Aquaculture - AquaCorals
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At AquaCorals
EVERY fish is housed in true reef systems with corals &
other inverts!! Also understand that if a healthy fish goes into an unhealthy
tank/system then that once healthy fish quickly becomes
unhealthy too! Lastly, stores with unhealthy systems &
livestock will many times keep their tanks in hyposalinity
(salt level in the water below 1.020) in order to help keep
the fish alive.
 Be
sure to check before buying or at the very least the packing
bag salinity before acclimating! All these realities
are what makes the difference between any livestock
retailer.
Beware!
Not all collectors
are ethical, nor wholesalers, on-line stores nor local retail stores. Money
& profits drive this industry just like any other.
Wholesalers & retailers have a choice as to who we buy our
livestock from. We know what suppliers handle their
livestock well yet for many still, the decision to buy is
price driven. YOU the consumer have a choice where to
buy & you carry the largest impact! Resist buying by
price alone as I have. Together we CAN make a difference.
You can experience success AND have fun choosing that special item by buying from an ethical store like
AquaCorals
where
its about success
not the sale.
Pictured here:
AquaCorals Ocellaris Clowns w/tank raised Toadstool
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