D to the P
New member
This thread was started because people are still arguing in an ATB thread, even though THIS is the proper place to do it (I was part of the guilty party too a month or so ago).
Here is the link to ATB's thread which simply announced how happy they were to have a new vendor. The decisions of the store's owner do not reflect on the quality of ATB's products, and their views do not necessarily coincide with any of the comments made on that thread or this one. That being said, here is the said link
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1431378
Cool looking tank isn't it? But what about the choice of inhabitants.
3 black tip sharks.
For those of you who aren't familiar with black tip shark, check out fishbase.org for scientific facts such as the fact that they can attain sizes of 5 feet.
The owner of Aquatic Showroom essentially (and this is a very biased comment and you should, by now, know what side I'm on) threw integrity to the wind and decided that WOW! factor was much more important. Why do I think that?
1) The tank is 3000 gallons. Sounds big, but we are talking about 3 black tip sharks. They tend to swim in schools at distances of a couple of miles a day.
2) This species of shark (unfortunately along with almost every other species) is Red Listed. What does "red listed" mean? Well essentially a community of scientist who work with the IUCN decided, based on population sampling, which species of animal (whether fish, mammal, bird, etc.) has a dwindling population and how severe it is. So the animal could be a species of concern or is over exploited, or it could be endangered, or extinct (they have their own categories, I'm simply touching on the subject). Check out their website,
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
and see for yourself.
3) These fish are being featured at a pet store in an area where you can (as I've been told by people from that area) buy black tip sharks. So, by showing people how cool it is to have these sharks in a tank, he is inherently provoking "Joe Schmoe" to set up their own tank, and put a red listed animal in it. Responsible stores do not sell red listed animals (unless they are tank raised).
What I would like to know is
1) Does anybody know if the sharks he has were raised in captivity? That would certainly make me feel a little better that the sharks weren't fished from the ocean. Or for that matter if the black tips that are found in the trade are tank raised?
2) Why hasn't anybody said something to him? Surely there has to be some responsible reef keepers in the San Jose area.
Oh, and for the oncoming argument that everything we put in our tank is from the sea and therefore is detrimental to the sea, I agree. But, many other species of fish have (for now) sustainable populations and don't take almost 10 years to reach sexual maturity (ie it will take roughly 10 years for that shark to replace it's self in the ocean). Plus, personally, I don't put red listed species into my captivity, and that is what is angering me about the owner's decision.
I would really like to hear any defense one can conjure up for the owner-of-the-store's decision. I would also like to hear from those of you who agree that what he has done is irresponsible.
No name calling. People aren't idiots for thinking differently than you. If you have nothing to add to the conversation other than personal attacks than leave the forum please.
Here is the link to ATB's thread which simply announced how happy they were to have a new vendor. The decisions of the store's owner do not reflect on the quality of ATB's products, and their views do not necessarily coincide with any of the comments made on that thread or this one. That being said, here is the said link
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1431378
Cool looking tank isn't it? But what about the choice of inhabitants.
3 black tip sharks.
For those of you who aren't familiar with black tip shark, check out fishbase.org for scientific facts such as the fact that they can attain sizes of 5 feet.
The owner of Aquatic Showroom essentially (and this is a very biased comment and you should, by now, know what side I'm on) threw integrity to the wind and decided that WOW! factor was much more important. Why do I think that?
1) The tank is 3000 gallons. Sounds big, but we are talking about 3 black tip sharks. They tend to swim in schools at distances of a couple of miles a day.
2) This species of shark (unfortunately along with almost every other species) is Red Listed. What does "red listed" mean? Well essentially a community of scientist who work with the IUCN decided, based on population sampling, which species of animal (whether fish, mammal, bird, etc.) has a dwindling population and how severe it is. So the animal could be a species of concern or is over exploited, or it could be endangered, or extinct (they have their own categories, I'm simply touching on the subject). Check out their website,
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
and see for yourself.
3) These fish are being featured at a pet store in an area where you can (as I've been told by people from that area) buy black tip sharks. So, by showing people how cool it is to have these sharks in a tank, he is inherently provoking "Joe Schmoe" to set up their own tank, and put a red listed animal in it. Responsible stores do not sell red listed animals (unless they are tank raised).
What I would like to know is
1) Does anybody know if the sharks he has were raised in captivity? That would certainly make me feel a little better that the sharks weren't fished from the ocean. Or for that matter if the black tips that are found in the trade are tank raised?
2) Why hasn't anybody said something to him? Surely there has to be some responsible reef keepers in the San Jose area.
Oh, and for the oncoming argument that everything we put in our tank is from the sea and therefore is detrimental to the sea, I agree. But, many other species of fish have (for now) sustainable populations and don't take almost 10 years to reach sexual maturity (ie it will take roughly 10 years for that shark to replace it's self in the ocean). Plus, personally, I don't put red listed species into my captivity, and that is what is angering me about the owner's decision.
I would really like to hear any defense one can conjure up for the owner-of-the-store's decision. I would also like to hear from those of you who agree that what he has done is irresponsible.
No name calling. People aren't idiots for thinking differently than you. If you have nothing to add to the conversation other than personal attacks than leave the forum please.
