Captive bred vs wild caught: saving the reefs?

This is why I try not to get fish sourced from Indonesia or the Phillipines

african gathered fish can sometimes be just as bad

I would try that but i'm not sure if 3 of the 6 fish i want csn't be caught anywhere else which are 2 puffer and a lion fish although at this point i may only go with the hawaii harvested fish on my list
 
What countries of origin are ideal for wild caught?

Australia and the Red Sea are both great. Hawaii origin fish are also very good. Most African sourced fish are caught responsibly. Mauritius fish are "African origin" and they certainly don't catch Zebra or Gem tangs with cyanide. Most all fish that are caught with cyanide die before they ever make it to the end user, with the exception of Naso tangs
 
Australia and the Red Sea are both great. Hawaii origin fish are also very good. Most African sourced fish are caught responsibly. Mauritius fish are "African origin" and they certainly don't catch Zebra or Gem tangs with cyanide. Most all fish that are caught with cyanide die before they ever make it to the end user, with the exception of Naso tangs

Naso Tangs?

Why do they live and not the others?
 
Australia and the Red Sea are both great. Hawaii origin fish are also very good. Most African sourced fish are caught responsibly. Mauritius fish are "African origin" and they certainly don't catch Zebra or Gem tangs with cyanide. Most all fish that are caught with cyanide die before they ever make it to the end user, with the exception of Naso tangs

that's provided they come from the red sea and not south of Somalia or so i have heard in fact if i remeber right some sellers will rather that say just africa will tell you red sea or east africa which means south of somalia
 
Right well some fish only come from these places so it's hard to say the come from some Place else when they only occur in said place. Ie Red Sea Regal, Semilavartus ect... Same can be said about Zebra and Gem tangs
 
Right well some fish only come from these places so it's hard to say the come from some Place else when they only occur in said place. Ie Red Sea Regal, Semilavartus ect... Same can be said about Zebra and Gem tangs

good point but i was referring to general area fish like fish not just found in red sea but all over the indian ocean including south of somalia
 
Always go with captive bred if it's an option. Not only are you reducing over fishing stresses on the species, but a captive bred species will typically be healther, less likely to have any sort of parasites, far more adaptable at eating non-live foods, and typically live a longer life span.

One such example would by buying a wild caught seahourse vs. a captive bred. Wild caught SH usually will carry a bacteria (vibrio) and some other parasites. When caught and/or introduced into one of our tanks, they get really stressed and the infection reveals itself. In addition, the wild caught SH will only take live foods. Which is an expensive undertaking. Lastly, the chances of it living for any decent length of time is low.

However, if you bought a captive bred SH, you're most likely getting a health specimen. It'll eat frozen with gusto, and live quite a few years under the proper care.

A bit of an extreme example, but one of which clearly illustrates the benefits of captive bred.

Vibrios (numerous species of the genus Vibrio - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio ) tend to be omnipresent in aquaria. Its just when they get out of control, they can do real damage.
 
Ok people, let's try not to bash poorly educated people here. Yes, cyanide fishing occurs in the Philippines. However, does that mean that we should blame the people who ONLY KNOW HOW to fish with cyanide? If they were taught to harvest fish with different capture techniques that aren't ultimately fatal to the fish, and paid a higher amount of money for non-cyanide captured fish, that is a very real source that the people can use in their lives. Disclaimer: my parents are from the Philippines, so I feel that their country, and by association, my country, should at least be given a chance.

With regards to the ideas of the original question, I think that both wild caught and captive bred fish have roles in the hobby. Very few beginners should be given most wild caught fish that can easily be captive bred in the hobby (dottybacks, clowns, cardinals, etc.). In some cases, it should be ONLY captive-bred fish that should be sold in the hobby (such as the Banggai Cardinalfish). However, by bringing in WC fish, additional genetic material can be introduced into breeding lines. I have high hopes that the saltwater side of the hobby will eventually copy that of the freshwater side, with CB fish replacing their WC cousins. But I also acknowledge that some fish will never truly be CB, such as yellow tangs, cardinal tetras, and other fish.
 
Ok people, let's try not to bash poorly educated people here. Yes, cyanide fishing occurs in the Philippines. However, does that mean that we should blame the people who ONLY KNOW HOW to fish with cyanide? If they were taught to harvest fish with different capture techniques that aren't ultimately fatal to the fish, and paid a higher amount of money for non-cyanide captured fish, that is a very real source that the people can use in their lives. Disclaimer: my parents are from the Philippines, so I feel that their country, and by association, my country, should at least be given a chance.

With regards to the ideas of the original question, I think that both wild caught and captive bred fish have roles in the hobby. Very few beginners should be given most wild caught fish that can easily be captive bred in the hobby (dottybacks, clowns, cardinals, etc.). In some cases, it should be ONLY captive-bred fish that should be sold in the hobby (such as the Banggai Cardinalfish). However, by bringing in WC fish, additional genetic material can be introduced into breeding lines. I have high hopes that the saltwater side of the hobby will eventually copy that of the freshwater side, with CB fish replacing their WC cousins. But I also acknowledge that some fish will never truly be CB, such as yellow tangs, cardinal tetras, and other fish.

I heard that Cardinal Tetras can be Captive Bred

Why do you say that Yellow Tangs will Never be Captive Bred?

They Bred some Blue Hippo Tangs in Japan.
 
I heard that Cardinal Tetras can be Captive Bred

Why do you say that Yellow Tangs will Never be Captive Bred?

They Bred some Blue Hippo Tangs in Japan.

I said that yellow tangs will never be TRULY captive bred. By the word truly, I mean that it will be exceedingly difficult to breed them in captive settings, and almost impossible in hobbyist tanks. The fish have massive ranges, have tiny larvae (that so far we haven't been able to raise to post-meta), take a long time to go from egg to juvenile, and are aggressive to each other within 'typical' aquarium specifics (i.e. less than 180 or so gallons). All are factors in determining the WC vs CB potential for a fish. All yellow tangs in the hobby are currently wild caught, and they have shown to be wonderful aquarium residents when given the right conditions (swimming space, food, etc.). It would be much easier (and cheaper) to harvest yellow tangs. As long as they are sustainably harvested with correct capture techniques, I see no reason to stop.
 
Back
Top